The Elements of Murder: A History of Poison (Repost)
John Emsley, "The Elements of Murder: A History of Poison"
Oxford University Press | 2005 | ISBN: 0192805991 | PDF | 436 pages | 4.2 MB
Oxford University Press | 2005 | ISBN: 0192805991 | PDF | 436 pages | 4.2 MB
"A delightful potion of chemical erudition, forgotten science history and ghastly murder schemes…. Reading The Elements of Murder is like watching a hundred episodes of CSI, but without having to sit through the tedious personal relationships of the characters…. Along the way the bodies pile up as Emsley relates spectacular case histories of poisonings, accidental and criminal…. Emsley mines what he calls 'the darker side of the periodic table' with consumate skill."–Dick Teresi, The New York Times Book Review
"A fascinating anecdotal history of killing by five elements–mercury, arsenic, antimony, lead and thalium…. With something of interest on almost every page, it combines the satisfactions of a detective story, intriguing snippets of history, popular science, unsolved mysteries and murder. A powerful brew." –P. D. James, Sunday Telegraph
"Emsley captures the creepy common ground of science and homicide…. Beyond the scandals and celebrities, what makes 'The Elements of Murder' such a charming read is the absurdity of its anecdotes…. Hitchcock could make many films from this book."–Brenn Jones, San Francisco Chronicle