Inspirándose en su prolongada experiencia como Guardián de la Torre de Londres, Geoffrey Abbott creó una obra literaria significativa que explora narrativas históricas y temas intrigantes. Su prolífica producción, que incluye diecinueve libros y contribuciones a la Encyclopaedia Britannica, subraya su dedicación a descubrir y compartir conocimientos. La escritura de Abbott ofrece a los lectores una perspectiva única, combinando la experiencia de primera mano con la profundidad académica. Su voz distintiva invita a la exploración del rico tapiz de la historia y los misterios perdurables que capturan la imaginación.
Geoffrey Abbott examines the life and practice of William Calcraft, the hangman with the longest career and shortest rope. As with other books by the author, he combines a wealth of research with his own black sense of humour, giving us an eminently readable biography of this 19th-century hangman.
Execution is a gruesomely fascinating account of methods of judicial Execution from around the world and through the ages, and includes such hair-raising categories as death by cannibalism, being sewn into an animal's belly and a thousand cuts. In his own darkly humorous style, Geoffrey Abbott describes the instruments used and their effectiveness, and reveals the macabre origins of familiar phrases such as 'gone west' or 'drawn a blank', as well as the jargon of the underworld. From the preparation of the victim to the disposal of the body, Execution answers all the questions you are ever likely to ask, and some you would never want to imagine.