An illustrated introduction to the death penalty and the means of capital punishment in England since Tudor times.

Executions have played a crucial - if grisly and controversial - part in British history and provided the bloody climax to many a life, from Mary, Queen of Scots, Charles I and Dick Turpin to untold thousands of anonymous wretches whose names are now forgotten.

With the help of numerous illustrations, this concise introduction explores the history of formal execution in Britain, examining:
- the fates of the grandest monarchs, the highest-profile gentlemen, the most learned heretics and the most petty of criminals
- the crowds, spectacle and grim pageantry that surrounded these events, helping us to understand their morbid but undeniable fascination
- the process that led to capital punishment's abolition in Britain

This is an ideal guide for anyone interested in British social history and historical crime and punishment.