The Elements of Murder: A History of Poison

ISBN-13: 9780192806000 / Angielski / Miękka / 2006 / 432 str.

University of Camb John (Former Science Writer in Residence

Opis

Was Napoleon killed by the arsenic in his wallpaper? How did Rasputin survive cyanide poisoning? Which chemicals in our environment pose the biggest threat to our health today? In The Elements of Murder, John Emsley answers these questions and offers a fascinating account of five of the most toxic elements--arsenic, antimony, lead, mercury, and thallium--describing their lethal chemical properties and highlighting their use in some of the most famous murder cases in history.
In this exciting book, we meet a who's who of heartless murderers. Mary Ann Cotton, who used arsenic to murder her mother, three husbands, a lover, eight of her own children, and seven step children; Michael Swango, who may have killed as many as 60 of his patients and several of his colleagues during the 20 years he practiced as a doctor and paramedic; and even Saddam Hussein, who used thallium sulfate to poison his political rivals. Emsley also shows which toxic elements may have been behind the madness of King George III, the delusions of Isaac Newton, and the strange death of King Charles II. In addition, the book examines many modern day environmental catastrophes, including accidental mass poisonings from lead and arsenic, and the Minamata Bay disaster in Japan.
Written by a leading science writer, famous for his knowledge of the elements and their curious and colorful histories, The Elements of Murder offers an enticing combination of true crime tales and curious science that adds up to an addictive read.

Recenzje

Review from previous edition A readable anecdotal history of killing. This book will be enjoyed by those who like good detective stories, intriguing snippets of history, popular science and murder most foul. Chemistry World

O autorze

John Emsley won the Science Book prize in 1995 for his Consumer's Good Chemical Guide, and followed this with a series of popular science books: Molecules at an Exhibition, Was it Something You Ate? (co-authored with Peter Fell), The Shocking History of Phosphorus, Nature's Building Blocks, and Vanity, Vitality, and Virility, all of which have been translated worldwide. John spent 20 years as a researcher and lecturer in chemistry at London University before becoming a freelance popular-science writer and a Science Writer in Residence, first at Imperial College London and then in the Chemistry Department of the University of Cambridge. In 2003 he was awarded the German Chemical Society's Writer's Award.