I’m Tony McMahon – investigative TV historian, author, and journalist.
You may have seen me on documentaries such as Laurence Fishburne’s History’s Greatest Mysteries (History/A&E), William Shatner’s The UnExplained (History/Prometheus), Secrets of the Royal Palaces (Channel 5/Viacom), or Truth Seekers (History/Big Media) as well as many other history and science shows.
I began life as a print and then TV journalist at Sky News and the BBC and have published several books including the award shortlisted biography of the late Black British boxer, Errol Christie – No Place To Hide (Aurum Press/Quarto) and the biography of Neville Staple of The Specials, Original Rude Boy (Aurum Press/Quarto). My approach is investigative, research based, interviews with primary sources, and accessing court, police and other official records. No stone is left unturned.
For a decade, I worked as a communications consultant in counter-terrorism and counter-extremism involved in very sensitive programs around the world from Kyrgyzstan to Kosovo, Mozambique, Nigeria, and of course the United Kingdom.
I was born in east London – Walthamstow – and have known areas like Whitechapel all my life, watching them change hugely while doggedly retaining certain characteristics. The story of Jack the Ripper has fascinated me for many years, especially the police failure to apprehend the killer as well as the negative depiction of the victims.
The main protagonist of the book, Francis Tumblety, was Irish heritage and LGBT. Ditto with me. Only unlike Tumblety, I’ve not found myself implicated in some of the worst crimes ever committed. But I understand the networks he moved in and the challenges he faced wrestling with his identity. I hope you enjoy the book and do ask me any questions or share comments.
To buy Jack the Ripper and Abraham Lincoln – shop here:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Jack-Ripper-Abraham-Lincoln-greatest/dp/1805143646/
Waterstones: https://www.waterstones.com/book/jack-the-ripper-and-abraham-lincoln/tony-mcmahon/9781805143642
