The History of Torture (1998; Amber Books, rev. ed. 2016)

More than one hundred photographs accompany this unique and macabre look at the use of torture throughout the ages, exploring the legalities and practicalities of the systematic abuse of humans, from the rack to modern-day drugs. (critical review of Steve Scott @goodreads, 3 of 5 stars only:)My biggest problem with this book is that the author didn’t include any of his resources. I was able to check out some of the claims made in it, and they seemed accurate. The lack of attribution knocks it down a star.It was well written, but isn’t for the faint of heart. I would suggest reading it if one can handle the content. It goes along way towards enlightening the reader as to the savagery of the act of torture. However repugnant, torture has been practiced, either publicly approved or clandestinely, for thousands of years. From the rack to electrodes, from witch- hunts to the Inquisition to a post-colonial world, torture is something we have always lived with.The History of Torture tells the complete story, from the ancient world to the present day, from physical cruelty to mental torment. The rack may be thought of as something medieval, but was first written about in ancient Greece, thumbscrews were introduced to western Europe from Russia in the 17th century, and with the 20th century came the use of electricity and hallucinogenic drugs to elicit confessions.Ranging from the ancient world to World War II, from the war in Algeria (1954- 62) to the torture of the IRA in Northern Ireland, from the torture of Native Americans to India, China, Japan and Cambodia's Killing Fields, the book also details the torture that has taken place since 9/11, in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria and Guantanamo Bay.Meticulously researched, The History of Torture is illustrated with more than 100 etchings, paintings and photographs. It offers a remarkable overview of the uses and abuses of power, both within and outside the legal system The History Of Torture Offers A Remarkable Overview Of The Uses And Abuses Of Power From Ancient Times To The Present Day, Both Within And Outside The Legal System.