A highly illustrated and accessible chronicle of one of the world's oldest and most unpopular practises: punishment and torture. The book is organised into seven chapters, each charting the evolution of various types of punishment, including capital punishment, penal servitude transportation and corporal punishment. Each of these chapters deals with topics as diverse as the Tolpuddle Martyrs and the Spanish Inquisition. All of the subjects covered are placed in the social and legal context with a range of historical images and photographs.