I found this less informative than I was expecting, with a lighter tone. All the information in it was quite superficial and presented with a somewhat spectacular tone which I thought was, at times, not appropriate.
Thank you for the ARC but this did not satisfy my expectations.

The copy reviewed was the text only ebook edition.

The reason I requested to review this book was that after reading several books that mentioned the witch trials I wanted to understand the torture techniques of the time. Recently I read The Book of Witching by C.J. Cooke, which was set in the Orkney Isles and mentioned techniques of torture that I had never heard of. The History of Torture has a chapter on the European Witch-Hunts which was really informative.

I also found the chapters on The Inquisition and The Spanish Inquisition really interesting. This is an area of history that I wasn’t really familiar with. It gave some more context to historical fiction that I have read. I didn’t realise that the Inquisition started in France.

I think the most poignant thing about this book is that it connects the torture used in the colonies, such as South America, Africa and the East, during the age of empires which was quite barbaric, to the modern use of torture today. Statistics show that these countries still use torture as part of interrogation methods. It explains how modern torture is often psychological but often uses water and electricity. It explains how practices used in medieval and early modern times are still employed in the modern world.

I recommend this book to people who love history and to people who read historical fiction and would like more context. It is a very thought-provoking book and I learned a lot. It is a great book to have for general research purposes giving a brief overview of each time period and geographical locations.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Amber Books for allowing me to review this ARC. I love the diverse topics offered from the Amber Books collection.

Interesting but still disturbing to read, this was well written and I admit to taking breaks to read about the history of a disturbing practice that doesn’t seem to want to leave the humans experience . It’s hard to say a book is excellent or wonderful when it’s about torture, but I can say well written, well researched and definitely interesting

The History of Torture by Brian Innes is a story of human history as much as it is about the grisly subject of torture. The history of humankind. Our need to inflict pain and suffering on others. The ignorance of our beliefs, and the cruelty we show to others who may not share those beliefs.

We start in antiquity – the Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks. The author makes the salient point that for three thousand years, torture was legal. We also know torture occurs to this day.

The principal purpose of torture was (and is) to obtain information. Of course, we now know – information obtained during torture is likely to be unreliable.

My mind is scarred by the vastness of scope and intensity of the torture involved in the inquisitions and most notably the Spanish Inquisition. The poor victims couldn’t win – if they confessed, they were executed (usually involving more torture), if they didn’t confess, they were killed anyway for lying, often during the torture process.

England was proficient, notably in the colonies. As were other colonial powers of course. The poor ‘witches’ had a rough time of it, and the descriptions of being burnt to death were harrowing.

The Far East is covered too, cruelty certainly doesn’t respect international borders.

This book is as much about human history as it is about torture. It is well written, well researched and makes interesting reading. If you want to learn more about human nature, try this one.

An unsettling yet fascinating (and, yes, quite morbid) account of civilization's history of torture. I hated how this was formatted as it made it difficult to read but I was utterly intrigued and sickened to my stomach. I learned a lot of new things. Humanity is vicious.

This is hard to read, but there is a large potential audience for this book. The history of torture details specific methods of torture, and I had to stop reading and go back. I was surprised that some of the worst torture was nothing but hazing, and people submitted willingly to prove their manhood. It never ceases to amaze me how creative people can be when it comes to hurting other people. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

The History of Torture by Brian Innes provides an exhaustive look into one of humanity’s darkest practices, tracing its evolution from ancient civilizations to the modern era. This comprehensive work delves into the methods, motivations, and consequences of torture across time and cultures, offering readers an objective yet deeply unsettling journey into a subject that is as repugnant as it is historically significant.