Synopses & Reviews
This study puts cannibalism into its social and historical perspective. Even in an age when almost nothing is sacred, numerous prohibitions surround the subject, and yet a dark fascination with the subject remains. Characters include Sweeny Todd, Jeffrey Dahmer, Armin Meiwes, and much to the pleasure of Boris Johnson the inhabitants of Papua New Guinea. All tastes are catered for in this hugely compelling book that is always vivacious but never salacious.
Synopsis
Cannibalism is unquestionably one of the oldest and deepest-seated taboos. Even in an age when almost nothing is sacred, religious, moral and social prohibitions surround the topic. But even as our minds recoil at the mention of actual acts of cannibalism there is some dark fascination with the subject. Appalling crimes of humans eating other humans are blown into major news stories and gory movies: both Hitchcock's Psycho and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre were based on the crimes of Ed Gein, who is profiled, along with others, in this book. In Eat Thy Neighbour the authors put the subject of cannibalism into its social and historical perspective.
About the Author
Daniel Diehl is an author and cultural historian. Mark Donnelly is a writer and lecturer on medieval subjects. They have produced a number of books together including Tales From the Tower and Management Secrets from History.