
Poison: A History
An Account of the Deadly Art and its Most Infamous Practitioners
Jenni Davis(Author)
Chartwell Books (Publisher)
Published on 6. November 2018
Book
Paperback/Softback
192 pages
978-0-7858-3588-2 (ISBN)
Description
Poison: A History lifts the lid on 30 notorious cases of poisoning-riveting accounts ranging from Roman poisoning epidemics to the shocking antics of toxic aristocrats in 16th-century Florence and 17th-century Versailles, all the way up to the murder of Alexander Litvinenko by means of a polonium-laced cup of tea in 2006.
Cases of intentional poisoning have likely been occurring since early humans discovered that a sour aftertaste isn't the only consequence of snacking on belladonna. In the twenty-first century, the art of the poisoner remains just as creepy, secret, and horribly fascinating as ever. Poison: A History reveals intriguing insights into the poisonous art, including the psyches of the perpetrators. These richly illustrated stories detail both motive and method, along with body count.
The five chapters in this comprehensive overview of poisoning take us from 399 BCE to the present day, in chronological order: Poison in the Ancient World, Medieval Times and the Renaissance, Mid 17th to 18th centuries: "The Skills of Witches," 19th century: The Golden Age of Poisoning, and From Cults to Espionage: the 1970s and Beyond. Plus, Poison: A History includes a timeline on fashions in poison, and a top-20 identifier-to help you steer clear.
Poison: A History is a chilling cabinet of poison sure to inform and fascinate.
Cases of intentional poisoning have likely been occurring since early humans discovered that a sour aftertaste isn't the only consequence of snacking on belladonna. In the twenty-first century, the art of the poisoner remains just as creepy, secret, and horribly fascinating as ever. Poison: A History reveals intriguing insights into the poisonous art, including the psyches of the perpetrators. These richly illustrated stories detail both motive and method, along with body count.
The five chapters in this comprehensive overview of poisoning take us from 399 BCE to the present day, in chronological order: Poison in the Ancient World, Medieval Times and the Renaissance, Mid 17th to 18th centuries: "The Skills of Witches," 19th century: The Golden Age of Poisoning, and From Cults to Espionage: the 1970s and Beyond. Plus, Poison: A History includes a timeline on fashions in poison, and a top-20 identifier-to help you steer clear.
Poison: A History is a chilling cabinet of poison sure to inform and fascinate.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Quarto Publishing Group USA Inc
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
color photos
Dimensions
Height: 254 mm
Width: 197 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-7858-3588-2 (9780785835882)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Jenni Davis is a history, heritage, and travel writer with a passion for the past, exploring its stories and unsolved mysteries. She is the author of several history titles, such as Scottish Clans and Tartans, Cathedral Architecture, and The Irish Americans.
Content
Introduction
Chapter 1
Poison in the Ancient World
Socrates
Cleopatra
Canidia, Martina and Locusta
Livia: to come
The Poisoning of Emperor Augustus
Chapter 2
Medieval Times and the Renaissance
Juan Ponce de Leon and the Poisoned Arrow
Catherine de Medici
Poisoning at the Tudor Court
The Borgias
Thomas Cream.
Chapter 3
Mid 17th to 18th centuries: "The Skills of Witches"
The Affair of the Poisons: Scandal at Versailles
Mary Blandy and Early Forensics
Marquis de Sade
Chapter 4
19th century: The Golden Age of Poisoning
Dr Thomas Neil Cream
Henry Lansom
Marie Lafarge and the Marsh Test
Dark Angel: Mary Ann Cotton
The Alabama Widow
Dr Crippen
Rasputin
The Philadelphia Poison Ring
Nannie Doss
Violette Noziere
Poison in Warfare
Chapter 5
From Cults to Espionage: the 1970s and Beyond
The People's Temple Massacre at Jonestown
Markov
Richard "The Iceman" Kuklinski
Tokyo Subway Sarin Poisonings
Doctor Death: Dr Harold Shipman
The Disfigurement of Viktor Yushchenko
Death by Polonium Litvinenko
Index
Chapter 1
Poison in the Ancient World
Socrates
Cleopatra
Canidia, Martina and Locusta
Livia: to come
The Poisoning of Emperor Augustus
Chapter 2
Medieval Times and the Renaissance
Juan Ponce de Leon and the Poisoned Arrow
Catherine de Medici
Poisoning at the Tudor Court
The Borgias
Thomas Cream.
Chapter 3
Mid 17th to 18th centuries: "The Skills of Witches"
The Affair of the Poisons: Scandal at Versailles
Mary Blandy and Early Forensics
Marquis de Sade
Chapter 4
19th century: The Golden Age of Poisoning
Dr Thomas Neil Cream
Henry Lansom
Marie Lafarge and the Marsh Test
Dark Angel: Mary Ann Cotton
The Alabama Widow
Dr Crippen
Rasputin
The Philadelphia Poison Ring
Nannie Doss
Violette Noziere
Poison in Warfare
Chapter 5
From Cults to Espionage: the 1970s and Beyond
The People's Temple Massacre at Jonestown
Markov
Richard "The Iceman" Kuklinski
Tokyo Subway Sarin Poisonings
Doctor Death: Dr Harold Shipman
The Disfigurement of Viktor Yushchenko
Death by Polonium Litvinenko
Index