A fascinating look at early crime deterrence and punishment in a much more brutal era. I had been familiar with the form of punishment only through my studies of pirates before and was amazed at how widespread it had been as a means of doling out justice. The author provides a history without sensationalism or exploitation but remains authentic to the sources and the history. Very well done.

I had never heard of Gibbeting, so this book was a real shock as I read. The torture these criminals endured was something I cannot even imagine experiencing. The deaths and displaying of the bodies was creepy! I did learn a lot from this and am thankful that we do not have such cruel methods of punishment now.

This is a thorough and interesting read on one of history’s more gruesome forms of torture and display of the dead. It’s hard to imagine living in a time when this was the norm. Highly recommended for any history buff with a strong stomach.

What can you say about a book about hanging bodies for display? I thought it was thoroughly researched and entertaining even given the gory subject matter.

The History of Gibbeting by Samantha Priestley
Genre: History and Non-Fiction
Publisher: Pen & Sword History
Publish Date: 28 February 2020

Star Rating: 4/5

I love it when I come across history books of the unusual and macabre. The History of Gibbeting is certainly one of these. The book covers gibbeting throughout English history, from its first recording to when it ceased as a punishment. Gibbeting is the continuation of punishment after execution by placing the condemned corpse in a tailor-made cage and hanging it from a post for all to view as a warning not to commit the same crime.

It was fascinating to learn that gibbeting may have evolved from crucifixion which was not a common punishment at that time, so much so that it became landmarks and place names, it wasn't cheap and it was an inconsistent form of punishment. If you want to know more you'll have to read the book!

The book is well researched and I loved that primary sources where included in the book. I learned a lot from the work but, on the downside – I felt that the book could have been shorter. There was repetition and some chapters could have been merged together. But overall I really enjoyed this book. It is a shame that there weren't any accounts of live gibbeting. I know live gibbeting is a horrible thought but, for that inclination, I blame fiction books and B-movies!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an E-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A look at a specific punishment that happened England (pretty sure other places too) and its history from when it came into law to the last person sentenced with it. Some images depicting the device and places. Shows places a person can go to. Good for those who have an interest in this in some way.

I had been really looking forward to reading this book, I think it is my fascination with true crime and also a little bit of the macabre combined with a strong interest in what used to happen in the past.

I have to say that I thought that it was a fascinating book. The author has done a great job with the overview and detailing what gibbeting was. I live in Warwickshire, near the border of Leicestershire and there were quite a few gibbet posts in the area and I did know a few of the places that were mentioned!

I liked the addition in the book of the details about the different criminals and those that were given the sentence of to be “hung in chains”, I was quite surprised that there were so many that were subject to “live” gibbeting which for me has to have been the ultimate punishment at that time, even worse for me than those that would have been hung, drawn and quartered. It makes me shudder just to think about it.

I did like how the author has posed the question as to whether being hung in chains did actually deter other criminals from committing the same, or similar crimes... as from their research and what they have shared in the book it would seem that it was not much of a deterrent!

Overall, The History of Gibbeting was an “easy” read and I loved the amount of detail the author used, it was clearly well researched and I thought it was very well written too – it is 5 stars from me for this one!!

A fascinating and informative read on the punishment Gibbeting, a form of history that has not been widely covered. The men would be hung from chains in a cage in the air. From the rise of the gibbet to the last man put into one, the History of Gibbeting takes us through the reasons behind why they were used, the crimes committed, and the hope that by hanging in public view, it would stop anyone from wanting to commit similar crimes. Wonderfully researched and written!

This book literally does what it says on the tin! It's a well researched, comprehensive look at the history of gibbeting. I love the idea of a book looking at a specific type of punishment and the crimes that fit them through the history of its use. I'd love to read a book just like this one on the guillotine as well! Well written, with a good pace and fascinating stories, this was a truly excellent book about a familiar, and yet surprisingly not well-known form of punishment and execution.

Gibbeting has been portrayed in movies and books, often with a more "romantic" view of what their original intent was. The true history of what these gibbets represented was much more brutal, a deterrent for those who were thinking about committing crimes.

From the rise of the gibbet to the last man put into one, the History of Gibbeting takes us through the reasons behind why they were used, the crimes committed, and the hope that by hanging in public view, it would stop anyone from wanting to commit similar crimes. For a while, gibbeting was popular, giving the community a sense of justice being served, while punishing the perpetrator with the lack of a decent burial. But as with most sensations, this one eventually burned out,

This book gives a great background of the rise and decline of gibbeting, the many different crimes, perpetrators and the reasons (or lack thereof) for the crime being committed. I loved this book, and it was fascinating to read the many different accounts and try to figure out why the judges would sometimes order the gibbeting of the condemned.

Highly recommended! Fabulous read and engaging!

The History of Gibbeting: Britain’s Most Brutal Punishment, by Samantha Priestley is an interesting and somewhat informative, if overly long, look at the tradition of “hanging in chains,” as it was often called at the time.

Priestley offers up a general introduction to the practice followed by several sections: The Murder Act, The Making of a Gibbet, Infamy, Thieves and Pirates, That’s Entertainment, The Gibbet as Landmark, No Deterrent, The Decline of the Gibbet, A Modern Fascination.

The first looks at the impact of the 1752 law, which attempted to standardize the hodgepodge application of the gibbet. We also get a sense of the frequency of gibbeting (relatively rare), the crimes it was associated with (murder, piracy, and stealing the Royal Mail mostly), and whether or not criminals were ever gibbeted alive (mostly likely, though there is no solid evidence, it was almost certainly quite rare).

The Making of a Gibbet is pretty self-explanatory, but also examines specific locations (they were erected as near as possible to the site of the crime, even if the criminal — or their body — had to be transported from where they were tried and/or imprisoned). What was perhaps most surprising to me was that gibbets were not simply standard cages but were always made to fit the person meant to be put inside (after waiting a suitable amount of time past their hanging to ensure they were in fact dead). They were also made to last (many kept displaying their skeletal remains for decades before the gibbets were removed) and to be somewhat tamper-proof, though Priestley notes it wasn’t unheard of for families or souvenir-hunters to break them open and remove the body (or a piece of it for the latter group).

The next several sections detail specific notorious criminals who were gibbeted and their specific crimes, while That’s Entertainment discusses the public nature of the punishment, where food stalls were set up and crowds (including children) arrived in the hundreds or even thousands. James Cook’s public execution, the last criminal to be gibbeted in Britain, drew 40,000 people to the grisly spectacle.

The Landmark chapter looks at the gibbets in the landscape, as well as their emotional toll depending on their placement. Priestly explains, for instance, how one criminal’s “body was hung in chains just a quarter of a mile from his parents’ house and directly opposite it, so every time they stepped from their home the first thing they saw with their son’s corpse hanging in the gibbet cage.” On the other hand, sometimes they became a literal part of the natural landscape, as when starlings regularly nested in the cages or even the skeletons themselves.

The best aspects of the book are Priestley’s liberal use of primary source documents, such as newspaper accounts or court documents, and the number of specific examples cited, both of which lend a sense of authority and immediacy to the discussion. I also greatly appreciated the nearly-20 pages of illustrations and photographs at the end, which included drawings or photos of actual gibbets, preserved sites, letters, flyers, and other associated artifacts. Unfortunately, the book was also greatly marred by what was to me an inexplicable amount of repetition, something the editing process should have cut down on by a lot. It was this repetition, as well as the retelling of similar cases that left the book feeling over-long to me. That said, it remains an informative work of introduction to the topic, and for those looking to learn more, Priestley offers up a bibliography of other works and online resources.