The Book of Execution: An Encyclopedia of Methods of Judicial Execution [Paperback]

Geoffrey Abbott (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1995

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

• Paperback: 436 pages
• Publisher: Headline (May 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0747245819
• ISBN-13: 978-0747245810
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,256,541 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant "Execution", July 6, 2001

By 

Dog of War "Dog_of_War" (Brooklyn, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Book of Execution: An Encyclopedia of Methods of Judicial Execution (Paperback)

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.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, November 17, 2003

By 

Brian (Ireland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Book of Execution: An Encyclopedia of Methods of Judicial Execution (Paperback)

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

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the book of execution, May 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Book of Execution: An Encyclopedia of Methods of Judicial Execution (Paperback)

This book gives true accounts on what tourture and execution were and are really like. The details, documents and pictures make this book erie and unable to put down, but I would not reccomend it for those with weak stomachs!