The Royal Art of Poison: Filthy Palaces, Fatal Cosmetics, Deadly Medicine, and Murder Most Foul

Description

Review Included in Northern Virginia Magazine's "What We're Reading This Month," June 2018 "Reads like juicy historical gossip." ―Buzzfeed"Morbidly witty... Among the chapters packed with information on the appalling health habits of past generations, my favorite is 'Putrid Palaces.'" ―Marilyn Stasio, The New York Times"[A] macabre and entertaining romp...[Herman] writes vividly and with great humor, combining detailed research with easy narrative, making her book both enthralling and sinister." ―The Washington Times"Potions nerds, this one's for you. In this fresh new book, Eleanor Herman dives into the history of poison, and all the truly strange "remedies" people used to use in an attempt to prevent poisonings. Slughorn would totally approve." ―Bustle“I want to read The Royal Art of Poison, Eleanor Herman’s history of poisons. Were I to commit murder, poison would be my weapon of choice. Please note that I do not intend to murder anyone.” ―A.J. Finn"Rip-roaring pop history...By turns fascinating and stomach-churning, the book’s detailed descriptions of different types of poisons will both shock and delight history buffs and enthusiasts of the macabre." ―Publishers Weekly"A pernicious history that will make jaws drop and pages fly." ―Booklist "This book is filled with blood and guts and other unsavory things, so it’s not for the squeamish. Curious folks will love it, though, and European history lovers won’t want to pass on The Royal Art of Poison.” ―Terri Schlichenmeyer, "The Bookworm Sez" "Herman has a delightful appreciation for all things beautiful and terrible. With her dishy signature style and a dazzling command of the facts, she brews up a heady mix of erudite history and delicious gossip." ―Aja Raden, New York Times bestselling author of Stoned“Whether deliberate, accidental or the result of an antidote, the gruesome outcome of ingestion of toxins is deftly described in The Royal Art of Poison. Add political intrigue, disgusting sanitation, ubiquitous filth, horrendous medical procedures, and every sort of vermin and you get a very different picture to what we romantically assume to be the 'good old days.'” ―Penny Le Couteur, author of Napoleon's Button Read more About the Author Eleanor Herman is the author of Sex with Kings, Sex with the Queen, and several other works of popular history. She has hosted Lost Worlds for The History Channel, The Madness of Henry VIII for the National Geographic Channel, and is now filming her second season of America: Fact vs. Fiction for The American Heroes Channel. Herman, who happily dresses in Renaissance gowns, lives with her husband, their black lab, and her four very dignified cats in McLean, VA. Read more