Lord High Executioner: An Unashamed Look at Hangmen, Headsmen, and Their Kind
History, Laws and statutes, True crime
Synthetic audio, Automated braille
Summary
A grisly tour of hangings, electrocutions, beheadings—and other state-sanctioned deaths that are part of the long history of the death penalty. In Lord High Executioner, award-winning writer Howard Engel traces the traditions of capital punishment from medieval England and early… Canada to the present-day United States. Throughout &“civilized&” history, executioners employed on behalf of the kingdom, republic, or dictatorship have beheaded, chopped, stabbed, choked, gassed, electrocuted, or beaten criminals to death—and Engel doesn&’t shy away from the gritty details of the executioner&’s lifestyle, focusing on the paragons, buffoons, and sadists of the dark profession. Packed with all-too-true stories, from hapless hangings to butchered beheadings, this historically accurate look at the executioner&’s gruesome work makes for a thoroughly gripping read.