The History of Torture in England

London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co, 1933. Hardcover. Very Good. Hardcover. This is an interesting, albeit grisly book, by L.A. Parry, who was a medical doctor who wrote some other titles such as on famous medical trials, criminal abortion, and the 19th century murder trial of Dr. Thomas Smethurst. In his introduction Parry writes that what he has included in this book is accurate, striving to focus on describing some of the brutual sentences allowed by the judiciary and passed on to prisoners as part of their punishment. He has included a bibliography of the chief works he consulted when preparing this book and states that he is indebted to every one of them. In addition to the historical information about the practice of torture, the author has chapters on specific types of torture such as beheading (which he describes as the least cruel), the gibbet, drowning and boiling, burning, and mutilation. Bound in black cloth with gilt titling to spine. Covers are quite good but the spine has faded.Light spotting to free front endpapers and to bibliography.Text pages are quite clean. Slight splitting of a few of the gutters. Very good condition. Measures 5.75 x 9 inches. 244 pages. LAW/072525.