The Book of Assassins: A Biographical Dictionary from Ancient Times to the Present - Couverture rigide

Fetherling, George

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0471158917 ISBN 13 : 9780471158912

Editeur : John Wiley & Sons, 2011

Synopsis

Book by Fetherling George

A propos du livre

Quatrième de couverture :

ASSASSIN TRIVIA Julius Caesar’s assassination may have been patricide. His last words were not "Et tu Brute," as Shakespeare suggests, but "kai su teknon"–Greek for "You too, my child." These words were particularly appropriate when one considers the rumors that surrounded Brutus’s paternity (see BRUTUS). Perhaps the most unusual weapon ever used in an assassination attempt was the "infernal machine." The device was composed of twenty–five rifles that could be fired simultaneously by a single trigger. Ironically, the would–be assassin’s intended victim walked away unhurt, while most of those crowded around him did not (see FIESCHI). When a hunchbacked dwarf fired a shot at Queen Victoria, London police arrested every hunchbacked dwarf in the capital until they found the right one (see BEAN). Rigoberto López not only shot and killed Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza but also anonymously won a newspaper contest for the best poem eulogizing the dead leader (see LÓPEZ). President Andrew Jackson survived two attempted assassinations on the same day. When his hapless attacker’s pistol misfired, he drew a second pistol–which also misfired. Jackson beat the man with his cane until help arrived (see LAWRENCE).

Présentation de l'éditeur :

"As a reference, [this book] is a success; macabre and fascinating, well–researched and concise. It is one of those rare reference books that can be read with considerable pleasure from cover to cover."–Quill and Quire Review (Canada) Why is Max Hödel, who attempted to kill Germany’s Wilhelm I, considered to be one of the least successful assassins in history? How much do you really know about the inner life of John Hinckley Jr. who shot President Ronald Reagan in a misguided attempt to impress actress Jodie Foster? How did the notorious Renaissance villain Cesare Borgia manage to have his brother–in–law stabbed in the middle of crowded St. Peter’s Square? Now, this enthralling book reveals the tragic and often bizarre life stories of more than 200 of the world’s most infamous assassins. Packed with fascinating facts, George Fetherling provides an overview of the history of assassination and outlines the five psychological types of assassins–from the politically motivated to the vengeful. George Fetherling (Ontario and British Columbia, Canada) has published fifty books of poetry, fiction, essays, history, biography, and criticism (under the name Douglas Fetherling.)

À propos de cette édition

• Éditeur: John Wiley & Sons
• Date d'édition: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0471158917
• ISBN 13: 9780471158912
• Reliure: Relié
• Nombre de pages: 400