The Royal Art of Poison

Fatal Cosmetics, Deadly Medicines and Murder Most Foul

This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
*This page contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app

1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date 22 Aug 2019 | Archive Date 4 Sep 2019

Talking about this book? Use #TheRoyalArtOfPoison #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!


Description

The story of poison is the story of power...

For centuries, royal families have feared the gut-roiling, vomit-inducing agony of a little something added to their food or wine by an enemy. To avoid poison, they depended on tasters, unicorn horns and antidotes tested on condemned prisoners. Servants licked the royal family’s spoons, tried on their underpants and tested their chamber pots.

Ironically, royals terrified of poison were unknowingly poisoning themselves daily with their cosmetics, medications and filthy living conditions. Women wore makeup made with lead. Men rubbed feces on their bald spots. Physicians prescribed mercury enemas, arsenic skin cream, drinks of lead filings and potions of human fat and skull, fresh from the executioner.

Gazing at gorgeous portraits of centuries past, we don’t see what lies beneath the royal robes and the stench of unwashed bodies; the lice feasting on private parts; and worms nesting in the intestines.

The Royal Art of Poison is a hugely entertaining work of popular history that traces the use of poison as a political - and cosmetic - tool in the royal courts of Western Europe from the Middle Ages to the Kremlin today.

The story of poison is the story of power...

For centuries, royal families have feared the gut-roiling, vomit-inducing agony of a little something added to their food or wine by an enemy. To avoid...


Advance Praise

‘Agatha Christie’s spirit must be loving this poisonous new historical entertainment.’ The Spectator

‘Reads like juicy historical gossip, looking at the ways royals throughout history have been poisoned — not only by others, but often, unwittingly, by themselves.’  BuzzFeed

The Royal Art of Poison by Eleanor Herman will, for once in your life, make you happy you are not a princess or a queen or someone who lives in a palace. The book is amazing and really makes me wonder how we’ve managed to survive. It will make you glad to be in your own home.’ Forbes

‘In her gruesome book… Herman explores assassinations and stories of poison… and questions if some stories of death by poison could be inaccurate… truly scary.’ Daily Mail, Book of the Week

‘Agatha Christie’s spirit must be loving this poisonous new historical entertainment.’ The Spectator

‘Reads like juicy historical gossip, looking at the ways royals throughout history have been...


Available Editions

EDITION Ebook
ISBN 9780715653135
PRICE US$8.99 (USD)

Links


Average rating from 12 members


Featured Reviews

Tracing the history of poison - and all its uses - through the history books. Succinctly written, hugely entertaining, informative and served up with a dry, wry and delicious dose of humour. Wickedly superb.

Was this review helpful?

An accurate and detailed account of the history of poison throughout the history, from ancient Rome to the Modern Era.

Thanks to NetGalley and Prelude Books for a copy of this book to read and review.

Was this review helpful?

The Royal Art of Poison is a superb book. From the moment I started reading it I was hooked.

It was well written and full of facts. Some fun and some stomach turning!!! My goodness Im so glad we live in a cleaner world now with toilets and washing facilities!!!

I really enjoyed the middle section of the book where the Author investigated mysterious deaths of famous people throughout the ages and told of how they thought the person died in those days and now with modern medicine if they actually were murdered of died of natural causes.

Definately a book I would go back to read again.

Thanks to Netgalley and Prelude Books for the ARC Copy. (My review is my own opinion.)

Was this review helpful?

A fascinating book, well written and well researched. I liked the style of writing and how the book is organized.
I learned a lot and was entertaining but facts and stories.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Was this review helpful?

The Royal Art of Poison is definitely the most humorous non-fiction I have ever read. It is the perfect blend of learning about a topic and laughing at the hilarious commentary.

Herman writes in a style that is both easy to read and invites the reader to learn so much about such a dark topic. I found the ways that kings and queens would try to ward off poison amazing with the unicorn horns but it was very real then. The quest to prevent poison, not the unicorns!

My favourite section was the use of poisons in daily life. Women putting arsenic on their face as foundation or painters slowly getting driven mad by their lead based paints.

I would completely recommend the Royal Art of Poison for anyone trying to get into the non-fiction genre but needs a bit of humour around an interesting topic.

*ARC received from netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Was this review helpful?

Whether you’re a history aficionado or just someone who gets their kicks reading about nauseatingly repulsive diseases and the medical treatments endured by our predecessors in the name of science you will love Eleanor Herman’s THE ROYAL ART OF POISON.

Ms. Herman’s in-depth research reveals that most suspected poisonings of folks from the twelfth century forward were in reality caused by perforated gastric ulcers, bacterial infections, typhoid, cosmetics and ointments, kidney failure, as well as filthy palaces a lack of hygiene. (Regular bathing was frowned upon and considered “unhealthy”). The remedies prescribed by physicians of the day ranged from mercury enemas and unicorn horns to arsenic and lead based “medications” and elixirs made from rat or rooster dung. (and that was only the tip of the iceberg).

I must admit that never before has a history lesson been presented in a manner that is as intriguing, informative and entertaining as THE ROYAL ARE OF POISON. I loved it!

Was this review helpful?

This was wonderful - but obviously only for those of a non-squeamish nature with an interest in the subject. Even I grimaced a time or two!
You can tell how incredibly detailed the author's research was and I just found it absolutely fascinating.

I will definitely be reading the author's other works as soon as possible.

This was set up in three parts:
Part 1 - was 5 chapters describing poisons used throughout history not only to kill but also to 'cure' afflictions, enhance make up and health, as well as beliefs in miracle cures such as unicorn horn and the poisonous towns and buildings people lived in.

Part 2 - case studies of historical figures who had died one way or another from poison. These famous figures include Napoleon, Ivan the Terrible and King Edward, the son of Henry VIII. Following each case study was a modern day autopsy, or in the cases of British monarchs whom we are not allowed to disturb from Westminster by order of the Queen or the French ones who were destroyed during the French Revolution, modern day explanations from historical accounts.

Part 3 - Poisons in the modern era, not only what we use them for today but more modern cases of poisons being used against political dissenters, such as enemies of the Russian regime.

Trigger warnings for the following:
gore, bodily fluids, blood, cannibalism, surgery, torture, animal torture and death, descriptions in detail of autopsies, mention of rape, death of babies, miscarriages, desecration of graves.

Was this review helpful?

I am interested in the history of science, so I was really happy to receive a copy of this book and it didn't disappoint.
The author explains in layman terms how prevalent poisonous materials were in everyday life and then examines some supposed cases of poisoning from a modern perspective. This shows most supposed poisonings were actual due to poor lifestyle choices or the medicine of the time.
The book finishes with some examples of modern poisons.
An interesting read

Was this review helpful?

This is a fairly interesting book regarding life in the middle ages, quite an eye opener about the prevalence of poisons both in the use of killing others and killing ones self. I did like the murder/ poison analysis of case histories which took up the second part of the book.

Was this review helpful?

This a fascinating look through the links between poison and the nobility (not just royalty). This contextualises poison an its time and place. Enough detail for the knowledgeable, not too much for the less strong of stomach!

Was this review helpful?

This book was interesting from a historical viewpoint. I enjoyed reading about the prevention methods and found that to be fascinating. Recommended to those who enjoy reading this type of book.

Was this review helpful?

Readers who liked this book also liked: