|
The Book of Execution: An Encyclopedia of Methods of Judicial Execution
|
| Price: |
17 new or used available from $2.85
Average customer review:
Product Description
This is a collection of gruesome executions, from being eaten by animals, boiled alive and burned at the stake to the electric chair, hanging, the iron maiden and torn apart by horses.
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #558934 in Books
- Published on: 1995-05
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Binding: Paperback
- 436 pages
Customer Reviews
Brilliant "Execution"
This book is fascinating, if morbid. Though it's about the size of a paperback desktop dictionary, The Book of Execution is a true encyclopedia. There are sixty-eight entries in the table of contents, not counting a brief executioner's glossary, entitled "Jargon of the Underworld." The executions described range from the universal to the obscure-ancient times to modern day. The ancient methods are particularly inventive. Along with the well-known crucifixion and stoning to death are some more unusual ones like the brazen bull, cyphon, and scaphismus.
The author isn't entirely objective. You will see words like 'vicious' and 'ruthless' in regards to some practices. Overall, however, he describes the execution methods in the context of their relative time periods without being judgmental. He applies dry humor throughout the text, even though the procedures he describes are gruesome. The illustrations in the book comprise mostly of devices used for torture/execution and of outfits worn at different periods.
The book seems slanted towards European methods of execution, since many of the accounts Abbott relates took place in Europe. That doesn't mean a given method itself is European. For example, death by the axe occurred in any civilization with axes, not just the European beheadings, etc, represented.
If you find yourself remotely interested in this topic, buy this book. It's worth the price for conversations you'll have about it.
Fascinating
Yes, this is a morbid but extremely interesting little book and was well worth the purchase. The descriptions of the executions are realistic at all times, and you wont read it in a linear fashion, as it is an encyclopedia. This book made me ponder human nature, to read of such cruelties you could be forgiven for thinking the minds who thought them up werent human. Mankinds cruelty can be fed directly from his imagination. Some of these methods are extremely bizarre, particularly sewing inside a dead horse and the truly revolting scaphismus, as a person who loathes insects, i have to say that that method for me was probably the worst, perhaps there is possibly too much emphasis on more mundane forms of execution (we all know enough about beheading and hanging already for example)though their inclusion was perhaps necessary for completeness, in those cases the historical background is fascinating anyway. Though it is hard to measure these things, one could argue that being placed naked inside a brazen bull, or being fried to death is the worst (if you were actually suffering either one of these, you'd 'want' to be slowly digested by maggots instead no doubt). See what i mean? This book is a filthy little morsel for the imagination.
Thumbs are up
reference on the methods of execution
This book is a comprehensive reference on the methods of execution written by the former Yeoman Warden in the Tower of London. As such it has a slightly British-centric view of the execution methods, with majority of the descriptions dedicated to the axe, wheel and rope as the executioner implements. It also reads as a survey of the fate of Christian martyrs, which we known to be executed in great style. I would like to see more illustrations, for exposition to be clouded with less emotion, and for more space to be dedicated towards Oriental, Middle East and Ancient execution methods which are poorly represented. Maybe Mr. Abbott cares to write another book on this subject?
