So, in the vein of Discovery Channel's Shark Week, Horrible Things that Happen to People brings you Torture Week. Or actually, more like Torture Fortnight, since I don't post every single day, but that just doesn't have the same ring to it as "Torture Week." Mm, Torture Week.
I'm starting off with a review of The Big Book of Pain: Torture & Punishment Throughout History,
by Daniel Diehl and Mark P. Donnelly. (I got it at the Ren Faire. There were multiple books on the topic, but this seemed like the best.)
The book is laid out really well. It starts out with a chapter on the philosophy behind torture (ie, "why do people do it?"), then a couple chapters on torture throughout different ages in Europe, a chapter on torture in the rest of the world, an encyclopedia of torture (!!), and closes with a "what does it all mean" type of thing. It's got beautiful glossy pictures, a couple on each page, and two sets pages of gorgeous color photos. It's well written, and really interesting. I really can't recommend it enough for people like me (and likely people like you, if you are reading this).
A few small drawbacks: One, it doesn't touch on torture in the 20th century at all. The authors state that it would take an entire other book, which may be true, but I want to read that other book! Two, it's more than a bit Euro-centric. True, they have a chapter devoted to torture around the world, but that's one chapter for all the rest of the world for all of time. But I already knew a lot about torture in Europe, and I really would have liked to learned more about torture in Asia, and Africa, and in America prior to white people getting all up in everyone's business. They did not mention anything about Native America.
The last problem I had with it is a little nit-picky. I will never get used to seeing "Magna Charta," even though Wikipedia says it's an acceptable spelling. In addition, they often misspell "grisly" as "grizzly." WTF, YOUR BOOK IS ABOUT TORTURE. MAYBE YOU SHOULD LEARN TO SPELL "GRISLY" BEFORE YOU START WRITING IT.
So overall, I really recommend it. Coming up, I am going to focus on some of the different torture methods mentioned in the book and some others from the 20th century.
Overall: 4/5 skulls
I'm starting off with a review of The Big Book of Pain: Torture & Punishment Throughout History,
by Daniel Diehl and Mark P. Donnelly. (I got it at the Ren Faire. There were multiple books on the topic, but this seemed like the best.)
The book is laid out really well. It starts out with a chapter on the philosophy behind torture (ie, "why do people do it?"), then a couple chapters on torture throughout different ages in Europe, a chapter on torture in the rest of the world, an encyclopedia of torture (!!), and closes with a "what does it all mean" type of thing. It's got beautiful glossy pictures, a couple on each page, and two sets pages of gorgeous color photos. It's well written, and really interesting. I really can't recommend it enough for people like me (and likely people like you, if you are reading this).
A few small drawbacks: One, it doesn't touch on torture in the 20th century at all. The authors state that it would take an entire other book, which may be true, but I want to read that other book! Two, it's more than a bit Euro-centric. True, they have a chapter devoted to torture around the world, but that's one chapter for all the rest of the world for all of time. But I already knew a lot about torture in Europe, and I really would have liked to learned more about torture in Asia, and Africa, and in America prior to white people getting all up in everyone's business. They did not mention anything about Native America.
The last problem I had with it is a little nit-picky. I will never get used to seeing "Magna Charta," even though Wikipedia says it's an acceptable spelling. In addition, they often misspell "grisly" as "grizzly." WTF, YOUR BOOK IS ABOUT TORTURE. MAYBE YOU SHOULD LEARN TO SPELL "GRISLY" BEFORE YOU START WRITING IT.
So overall, I really recommend it. Coming up, I am going to focus on some of the different torture methods mentioned in the book and some others from the 20th century.
Overall: 4/5 skulls
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