The History of Torture by Brian Innes (Hardbound)

Format: Hardbound

Condition: vg- condition, minor shelf wear

Size: 6.0"x9.0"

Pages: 192pp, 1998 edition

Others: All defects if any are formulated into pricing. May or may not have previous store stickers. Items were inspected but may still miss writings/inscriptions.

A fascinating, often gruesome, account of the use of torture throughout historyTorture is undeniably a crime against humanity. Yet, however repugnant the practice of torture appears to us today, it was legal for at least 3,000 years, and formed a part of most legal codes in Europe and the Far East. In The History of Torture the complete story of torture is told, from its earliest uses right through to the present day.

This book explains the many tools and techniques of torture, which range from blatantly vicious methods to the most subtle of mental cruelties. The rack is one of the most enduring torture tools: first written of in Ancient Greece, it was used to stretch the victim's body from either end. Thumbscrews were introduced to Western Europe from Russia in the seventeenth century. With the twentieth century came the use of new technologies: electrodes were attached to various parts of the victim's body to administer electric shocks, while a number of drugs, including hallucinogens, have been used to elicit confessions.

The History of Torture is a meticulously researched account, its detailed text enhanced by over 100 etchings, paintings, and photographs. It offers a remarkable overview of man's inhumanity to man and the use and abuse of power, both outside and within the legal system.