Hanging In Chains

By Albert Hartshorne

Book Overview

A body swings in the cold wind-spectacle, warning, and grim punctuation to a crime. In Hanging In Chains, Albert Hartshorne lifts the shroud from one of Britain's most chilling penal customs: the public gibbeting of the condemned. This illustrated history book plunges readers into the shadowed corners of Georgian and Victorian England, where justice was meted out with iron and rope, and the gallows stood as both theatre and terror. Every page brims with true accounts and antiquarian detail, tracing the evolution of capital punishment and public executions in England through the 18th century and beyond. Drawing from rare records and the macabre annals familiar to Newgate Calendar readers, Hartshorne's work is a masterclass in historical true crime. The narrative is vivid yet scrupulous, unearthing the stories behind the iron cages, the legal debates that shaped their use, and the social fascination with death on display. For those intrigued by penal history nonfiction, the book serves as both a gripping narrative and an essential research reference-its meticulously restored illustrations and documented cases shedding light on an era when punishment was as much spectacle as sentence. Republished by Alpha Editions in a careful modern edition, this volume preserves the spirit of the original while making it effortless to enjoy today-a heritage title prepared for readers and collectors alike. Hanging In Chains stands as a cultural treasure: a Victorian antiquarian classic that illuminates the darkest rituals of 18th century Britain. Whether you are a casual explorer of macabre British history or a collector seeking a cornerstone of capital punishment history, this is a book that compels and endures.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9354307515
• ISBN13: 9789354307515
• Release Date: December 2020
• Publisher: Alpha Edition
• Length: 138 Pages
• Weight: 0.47 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.3" x 6.0" x 9.0"