num_pages: 352
description: A gruesomely, hilarious and fascinating pop-history account of methods of execution from around the world and through the agesIn this wickedly humorous book, Geoffrey Abbott describes the effectiveness of instruments of torture and reveals the macabre origins of familiar phrases such as 'gone west' or 'drawn a blank'. Covering everything from the preparation of the victim to the disposal of the body 'What a Way to Go' is everything you ever wanted to know about the ultimate penalty---and a lot you never thought to ask.It includes such hair-raising categories - Sewn in an Anima's A living person is sewn into the belly of an animal and left to die&amp;- The Spanish This method of torture consisted of seating a victim on top of a wall that resembled an inverted V with weights attached to the ankles, the weights slowly increased until the victim's body split in two- Iron The victim is tied to an iron armchair and pushed nearer and nearer to a blazing fireWhat a Way to Go is a a unique and fascinating look at the grim and gritty history of sanctioned death
language: English
title: What a Way to Go: The Guillotine, the Pendulum, the Thousand Cuts, the Spanish Donkey, and 66 Other Ways of Putting Someone to Death
titlecomplete: What a Way to Go: The Guillotine, the Pendulum, the Thousand Cuts, the Spanish Donkey, and 66 Other Ways of Putting Someone to Death
genres: True Crime, History, Historical, Death, Nonfiction
ratings_count: 213
publisher: St. Martin's Griffin