The History of Torture

From physical cruelty to mental torment, this comprehensive history explores torture from the ancient world to the present day.

However repugnant, torture has existed, either publicly approved or clandestinely, for millennia. The History of Torture tells the complete story of this practice, from the rack to electrodes, from the Inquisition to the use of hallucinogenic drugs to elicit confessions. It spans the centuries, encompassing torturer and tortured in the ancient world, Native America, World War II, Algeria, Northern Ireland, Cambodia’s Killing Fields, and post-9/11. Meticulously researched and well illustrated, this gripping volume offers a remarkable overview of the uses and abuses of power, both within and outside of the legal system.