Explaining the mechanics of torture--even now a controversial topic--this history questions why so much effort has been put into causing pain to fellow human beings Taking readers into the ancient Roman coliseum, the medieval dungeon, the Inquisitional interrogation, the auto-da-fe, the witch-trial, and the most horrid of prisons, this is an exploration of the systematic use throughout the ages of various means of punishment, torture, coercion, and torment. It is a shocking and compelling study of the shameful methods and motives of the torturer and the executioner, and of the heinous duty they have performed through the ages. Since the earliest times it is an acknowledged fact that anyone can be made to confess to anything under torture, making such confessions inadmissible. This history of pain questions why such practices have continued for so long.

Cannibalism is unquestionably one of the oldest and deepest-seated taboos. Even in an age when almost nothing is sacred, religious, moral and social prohibitions surround the topic. But even as our minds recoil at the mention of actual acts of cannibalism there is some dark fascination with the subject. Appalling crimes of humans eating other humans are blown into major news stories and gory movies: both Hitchcock's 'Psycho' and 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' were based on the crimes of Ed Gein, who is profiled, along with others, in this book. In 'Eat Thy Neighbour' the authors put the subject of cannibalism into its social and historical perspective.

High adventure, dastardly deeds, and newly uncovered lore feature heavily in this fantastic new book from Stackpole. Pirates of Virginia recounts the remarkable stories of the Accomac and Revolutionary war privateers. Famous characters such as the fearsome English pirate, Edward"Blackbeard" Teach, "the gentleman pirate" Maj. Stede Bonnet, John Paul Jones and William Claiborne are featured in all their splendour within this masterful work. This book is the story of true pirate lives and their echoes in folklore and popular culture. It exposes their surprisingly democratic codes, lavish dress and extensive collections of weapons which are illustrated by full-colour photographs of rare museum and privately-owned artefacts. About the Author Mark Donnelly has collaborated with Dan Diehl on 11 books and more than 100 hours of documentary television, including programs for the Discovery, History, and Biography channels.

If you could go back in time and ask any historical figure for advice on how best to manage your business or staff, who would it be? Benjamin Franklin, Niccolo Machiavelli, Elizabeth I or Helena Rubinstein? Well, they are all here, and more...Featuring nearly 20 figures from across two and a half millennia, this fascinating book brings you peerless advice on, and insights into, the essential nature of leadership and the human condition. Presented in their own words - through diaries, letters and published works (plus contemporary analysis and commentary from Diehl and Donnelly) - the advice is sometimes extreme, occasionally humorous, always profound.

• 36 projects for historic benches, chairs, tables, cupboards, chests, shelves, beds, and doors, all done with simple woodworking tools
• Detailed plans based on careful study and measurement of original pieces and accurate reproductions
• Step-by-step instructions, materials lists, and notes on woodworking, metalworking, and finishing
• Foreword by Roy Underhill of the PBS series "The Woodwright's Shop"