The author of The Way of the Gladiator continues his exploration of the dark side of history with this grisly account of pain and punishment through the ages.Human beings have a deep-seated instinct for cruelty, and, so far, have not evolved much past it. History is rife with examples of the infliction of pain used as penalty or execution. In The History of Torture, Daniel P. Mannix takes you from the crucifixions of ancient Rome, to the hanging of...

The basis for the new Peacock television series: The classic, in-depth account of the ancient Romans' obsession with the bloody and brutal gladiatorial games."If you can imagine a superior American sports writer suddenly being transported back in time to cover the ancient Roman games, you will have some idea of the flavor and zest of [ Those About to Die]," said the Los Angeles Times about Daniel P. Mannix's century-by-century—and nearly moment-by-...

The award-winning author of The Way of the Gladiator brings to life medieval Paris and the wolves who held it hostage, in this novel based on real events.Praised as "nature writing at its best," The Wolves of Paris takes readers to fifteenth-century France, a country so decimated by the Hundred Years' War that its people became prey for marauding wolf packs ( Hartford Courant). With France split among the English, the Burgundians, and the ...

The book that inspired the stories of Gladiator & Gladiator II: Step into the ring with this classic, in-depth account of the ancient Romans' obsession with the bloody and brutal games."[ The Way of the Gladiator is] this crazy, tawdry, wild book about the Coliseum. . . . It hardwired in my brain the absolute similarities between who we are and who we were." —David Franzoni, Academy Award–nominated scree...

This classic, award-winning novel and the basis for the animated Disney movie is "a masterpiece, it is tops in the field of animal books" ( Omaha World-Herald).Winner of the Dutton Animal Book AwardWinner of the Athenaeum Literary AwardReader's Digest Book ClubTwo animals on opposites sides of the hunt—one a loyal, domesticated companion, the other a wily, solitary trickster. C...

The author of The Way of the Gladiator turns from the arenas of ancient Rome to the center of debauchery and impiety in eighteenth-century England."Stranger, refuse, if you can, what we have to offer." These words, engraved in Latin, welcomed visitors to a rebuilt medieval abbey on the banks of the Thames. Adorned with stained-glass windows featuring the twelve apostles in indecent poses and a pornographic fresco on the ceiling, the abbey was the brainchild...

From the adventurer and author of The Fox and the Hound, "a memoir of his travels as a photo-journalist specialising in animal stories" ( The Telegraph).His historical work Those About to Die inspired the Gladiator movies. His novel, The Fox and the Hound, became a timeless classic—and a Disney movie. And his youthful obsession with magic resulted in Memoirs of a Sword Swallower. Few people have lived life more fully and...

A showdown ensues between a bird of prey and a barnyard rooster in this masterpiece of nature fiction from the author of The Fox and the Hound.Whitehackle comes from a long line of fighting cocks, but exceeds expectations as he rises to the top of the pecking order. His reputation grows when he chases off a fox and attacks a hawk in gallant defense of one his hens. The arrogant rooster is now king of the barnyard, but the hawk still circles above . . .

The award-winning author of The Way of the Gladiator shares his experiences hunting with strange devices—and animals—in this classic book.Falcons, boomerangs, spears. . . In the mid-twentieth century, hunters of all shapes and sizes were in favor of giving their quarry a fighting chance. A revival of ancient sporting techniques was taking the hunting world by storm. The old ways required more skill and were, therefore, a greater challenge. They also brought...

Putting the games in the context of Rome's rise and dramatic fall, Mannix captures all the history, planning, and savage pageantry that went into creating the first spectator sports.The games began in 238 BC as nearly county fair–like entertainment, with trick riding, acrobats, trained animals, chariot racing, and athletic events. The contests then evolved into slave fights thanks to wealthy patricians Marcus and Decimus Brutus, who wanted to give their father an unforgettable fune...

"A carefully understated but chilling account of the whole 3 ½ centuries during which 15 million Africans were snatched from their homes and delivered into slavery in the New World." — TimeIn 1518, the Atlantic slave trade began with the landing in the West Indies of the first enslaved people directly from Africa. These were the victims of a forced migration that was more callous and immensely larger, in the end, than any other such movement of modern or an...

"Breve Historia de los Gladiadores es una obra completísima que nos acerca de forma asombrosa al mundo de los ludi circenses (carreras de caballos) y munera (juegos gladiatorios) romanos." (Blog Cientos de miles de historias) "Breve Historia de los gladiadores presenta las técnicas de lucha a muerte que aprendieron aquellos fornidos prisioneros que se enfundaban sus armaduras y se lanzaban a la arena del Coliseo romano en el que se congregaban hordas de ciudadanos romanos, patricios y pleb...