- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: The History Press Ltd; New Ed edition (17 Nov 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0750941243
- ISBN-13: 978-0750941242
- Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.8 x 2.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 200,149 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
"Tyburn" is synonymous with the idea of execution - over 50,000 people died there between the 12th century and 1783. Among those who met their end at Tyburn were William Wallace, the Scottish patriot, Perkin Warbeck, who claimed to be one of the Princes in the Tower and the hated Jonathan Wild, perhaps London's first master criminal. Alan Brooke and David Brandon tell the story of how Tyburn came to be the place of execution and of the rituals and spectacle associated with the deaths of so many people, both famous and obscure. They provide a vivid picture of crime and punishment in London, mixing martyrs, pickpockets, traitors and errant aristocrats all playing their final scene on London's 'nevergreen tree'
About the Author
Alan Brooke teaches History at Peterborough Regional College. This is his first book. David Brandon is a historian. He brings history to life through his popular lectures such as 'Absolute Rotters and Total Cads- Villains in British History'. His book on the history of Highway Robbers 'Stand and Deliver' was published by Sutton in 2001.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
41 of 43 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a well-written and extremely readable book, which will appeal both to readers having a general interest in the social and cultural history of London and of crime and, because of the thoroughness of the research and the extensive bibliography, to those wishing to pursue a more academic study of those areas. The practices and cultural significance of the place at which up to 50,000 met their frequently gruesome ends are carefully investigated. High profile cases are covered, but attention is also given to ‘London’s forgotten criminals’, those obscure beings who made up the vast majority of those perishing there, having been sentenced for usually mundane crimes.
An attempt is made to pin-point the exact site of Tyburn’s fatal tree and this is followed by descriptions of events there during the early years, the turbulent 16th and 17th centuries and the 18th century until executions were transferred to Newgate. The hopeless terror of those facing their sentences is set within the context of the expectations of the crowds at the drunken revels of the carnivalesque Tyburn Fair, whose thirst for grotesque spectacle was matched by the concentration of the press on salacious detail. Victims, hangmen, punishments, the crowd and London street life are all examined in fascinating detail and the place of Tyburn in contemporary culture is well established.
A hugely enjoyable read which is at the same time informative and thought-provoking.
An attempt is made to pin-point the exact site of Tyburn’s fatal tree and this is followed by descriptions of events there during the early years, the turbulent 16th and 17th centuries and the 18th century until executions were transferred to Newgate. The hopeless terror of those facing their sentences is set within the context of the expectations of the crowds at the drunken revels of the carnivalesque Tyburn Fair, whose thirst for grotesque spectacle was matched by the concentration of the press on salacious detail. Victims, hangmen, punishments, the crowd and London street life are all examined in fascinating detail and the place of Tyburn in contemporary culture is well established.
A hugely enjoyable read which is at the same time informative and thought-provoking.
32 of 34 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
A very well documented work detailing the many capital punishments that took place at what has to be the most famous place of execution in London. The reader is taken back in time to witness the horror and despair of the victims, from the wretched poor who were condemned for petty crimes, to the more aristocratic such as Roger Mortimer. Witness the excitement and anticipation of the crowd as they watch the hanging, drawing and quartering. The attention to detail and emotive language has to make this book one of the best works on the subject available. Highly recommended.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Tyburn, Londons fatal tree
Excellent book, a potted history of crime and punishment in a democratic society mirrored against our brutal and not so distant past.
Published 3 months ago by quazy wabbit
Knot what it should be!
I may be cheating but I have just looked at the cover of this book and thought - NO. I do not trust this book. Read more
Published 15 months ago by BM COOK
An excellent insight into the social and political landscape of 17th...
A wonderful book, filled with intriguing insight into the history surrounding the use of capital punishment in and around London from the 12th century until the disuse of the... Read more
Published on 14 May 2007 by D. Cooper
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