A History of Cannibalism: From ancient cultures to survival stories and modern psychopaths
Jun 2006 · Arcturus Publishing
4.0star
22 reviewsreport
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319
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About this ebook
Desperation, duty and desire - the three primary motives for breaking what is the oldest taboo in the Western world, cannibalism. This book investigates all three and presents startling evidence that will challenge cultural and moral perceptions as never before.
It explains how in some societies, 'duty' cannibalism has been integral to existence and viewed as both necessary and socially acceptable. If most people find such a concept difficult to comprehend, they might just be able to reserve judgement on those driven to eat companions out of sheer desperation in order to survive.
But, by far the most disturbing of the three types is 'desire cannibalism', practiced by men such as Albert Fish and Ed Gein who ate human flesh simply because they wanted to. If the second type of cannibalism shows what we humans are capable of under extreme stress, this third gives a chilling insight into what some of us require for emotional and sexual gratification.
A History of Cannibalism treats seriously, and with great erudition and understanding, a subject that causes many people to recoil in horror and disbelief. It examines the various - and sometime conflicting - motives, and assesses the background to many notorious cases. It offers no easy answers but a fascinating insight into the forces that lie deep within the human psyche.
It explains how in some societies, 'duty' cannibalism has been integral to existence and viewed as both necessary and socially acceptable. If most people find such a concept difficult to comprehend, they might just be able to reserve judgement on those driven to eat companions out of sheer desperation in order to survive.
But, by far the most disturbing of the three types is 'desire cannibalism', practiced by men such as Albert Fish and Ed Gein who ate human flesh simply because they wanted to. If the second type of cannibalism shows what we humans are capable of under extreme stress, this third gives a chilling insight into what some of us require for emotional and sexual gratification.
A History of Cannibalism treats seriously, and with great erudition and understanding, a subject that causes many people to recoil in horror and disbelief. It examines the various - and sometime conflicting - motives, and assesses the background to many notorious cases. It offers no easy answers but a fascinating insight into the forces that lie deep within the human psyche.
Ratings and reviews
4.0
22 reviews
Mr Ghosting
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August 8, 2014
Good book. Some parts harder to read than others due to gruesome details. Well worth reading.
1 person found this review helpful
DAVE PANKHURST
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December 24, 2019
A very interesting book indeed, about a very interesting subject. I enjoyed it very much, and reccomend it.
Jennifer Paris
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December 28, 2014
My copy had lots of pages missing.
About the author
Nathan Constantine has been writing books on political, military and cultural subjects for thirty years. He has written about rock music, movies, football and cannibalism. He has written novels for adults, and history books for children. He has lived in America and travelled extensively in the Third World. He now lives in southern England with a wife and two cats.
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