From ancient times to today, there is no question that torture has been an integral part of human history. From the world's first documented society of Mesopotamia to the present day; from the famous to the most obscure; and from the Far East to the West and every society in between, the Dictionary of Torture shares fascinating facts on how torture and execution methods have been used throughout history.

Nigette Spikes, a researcher and torture historian, relies on years of research to share a compilation of torture methods from around the world. Whether it was to punish criminals in...