One bloody thing after another: the world's gruesome history

A fascinating account of terror, torture, and power in all its repulsive guises—from why Tsar Ivan was the dubbed "the Terrible" to which hurts more, an arrow in the eye or a stake in the heart

Grisly and gruesome, this book details the vile history of bloodthirsty kings and queens, savage battles, torture, and punishment, as well as deathly locations from 1000 BC to the late 19th century. A bloodstained tour through ages of torment, it ranges from the Crusades and medieval dungeons to the Reign of Terror and witch trials. Find out who bathed in the blood of young women to retain her youth, which saint was grilled alive, what really happened at the Massacre of the Festival of Toxcatl, and the most painful torture methods ever used. This no-holds-barred account of human suffering is the most gut-spilling history book you'll read this year.