Analysis Of Rack, Rope, And Red-Hot Pincers By Geoffrey Abbott

The following essay concerns the book Rack, Rope, and Red-Hot Pincers, by Geoffrey Abbott. Included in the essay, is a brief synopsis of the book, followed by a detailed analysis. Rack, Rope, and Red-Hot Pincers gives a brief history of torture, beginning in the early Middle Ages. The subject of torture is quite fascinating– a meticulously intricate art, yet reaping gruesome and blood-curdling results. Thus, Rack, Rope, and Red-Hot Pincers, seemed like the perfect choice for this book report. Geoffrey Abbott, a retired Yeoman Warder of the Tower of London, conveys his own intrigue in the art of torture in Rack, Rope, and Red-Hot Pincers, telling of the horrific consequences faced by criminals in medieval, and even modern, times.

As stated in the introduction, Rack, Rope, and Red-Hot Pincers discusses torture through the ages, covering a period stretching from about 1076 to 1964. In the book, Abbott gives gruesome details about some of the most infamous torture devices, such as the rack and Skeffington’s Gyves, yet also touching on some of the lesser-known methods of torture, such as the thumbscrews and the cucking stool. Indeed, sometimes the instruments of torture appeared so wicked in design that simply imagining them in action would be enough to obtain the desired information or confession from the victim. Others proved more resistant, requiring that the instruments of torture be put to use. Human anatomy did not make the task particularly difficult – humans are usually quite susceptible to pain, as pointed out by Abbott in the introduction.

“Human flesh, soft and sensitive? Well, let’s apply heat to it, cut it, pierce it with needles and spikes, lash it with whips. Limbs were only meant to bend one way? Then let’s see how far we can bend them the other way. Shoulder blades, hip and leg joints can only operate when moving smoothly in their sockets? Right, let’s dislocate them, then” (2).

Throughout Rack, Rope, and Red-Hot Pincers, Abbott emphasizes the horrors of torture and the ways in which wrongdoers were often unjustly punished in the name of the king, queen, church, or God.

Beyond that, he explains the wide scope of torture, in which anything could be used – time, pain, imagination, deprivation, starvation, humiliation, etc. – to reap the desired results. Abbott speaks of torture almost commendingly, especially when he describes the ways in which torturers would exploit every facet of human nature to break their victims. This is demonstrated perfectly in the following quote:

“It says much for man’s inventive spirit that he is not restricted to the more stereotypes methods of persuasion and punishment, but can let his fertile imagination conjure up more ingenious deices, all based on the same premise, that of causing pain or death. With men like these around, torture and execution may be abhorrent and detestable, but never boring or routine” (Abbot 179).

However, the undeniable underlying theme of the book is the utter horror of torture: being boiled alive in scalding hot water, being forced down unto the gridiron to be grilled by the fires beneath, or being caught in the embrace of the Virgin Mary herself, with spikes to pierce the skin throughout the

hug.
The book is written in a familiar tone, which makes it all the more enjoyable.

Abbott’s writing style is relaxed and informative, and pulls the reader in within the first few sentences. Yet, throughout the book, Abbott’s dark sense of humor comes in here and there, as in his introduction of two of the most fiendish devices in the history of torture.

“Allow me to present two very forceful ladies, one the daughter of John Holland, Duke of Exeter, Earl of Huntingdon, and the other the daughter of Sir Leonard Skeffington, Kt. So captivating were they, that once they had you in their grasp, you would not be able to tear yourself away from them. And they are certainly not the sort of girls who would take ‘no’ for an answer. Actually they were not the type of females you would wish to meet on a dark night or even on a sunny afternoon. To be more precise, the two ladies in question are more shudderingly known as ‘The Rack’ and ‘Skeffington’s Gyves’” (39).

The style of Abbott’s writing is in perfect concordance with the content of the book – grim humor for a grim topic. Illustrations given halfway through the book were quite helpful in understanding the material – the mechanics of the finger pillory were a bit difficult to understand, but the drawing helped to clarify things a bit. No biased feelings are apparent in the book – Abbott’s main goal appears to be informing the audience, not pushing his own agendas. Abbott speaks of torture with a mixture of respect and horror, but

keeps the content factual.

Rack, Rope, and Red-Hot Pincers was very enjoyable, and is definitely now a favorite history book. It was interesting, engaging, and thought-provoking. It most interesting reading about the Pendulum, a device used during the Spanish Inquisition. As described by Abbot, “this sanity-destroying device consisted of a large pendulum suspended high the roof of the torture chamber the bob being replaced by a crescent-shaped blade about twelve inches from horn to horn, and honed razor sharp” (76). In this torture, the victim would be tied down directly beneath the blade of the Pendulum, and forced to watch the mesmerizing movement of the blade as it moved gradually lower and lower with each swing. Usage of the Pendulum usually reaped a quick confession. In other cases, if the victim proved more resistant, he or she either “went out of their minds or died the most hideous death imaginable” (76). The Pendulum is so much different from the other torture devices of the age. Rather than actually inflicting pain, the Pendulum simply relied on time to wear down the victim, as realization of the impending doom sunk in.

Rack, Rope, and Red-Hot Pincers was far more interesting than anticipated. Geoffrey Abbott’s style was engaging, informative, and, at times, darkly humorous. Puns throughout the book, especially in chapter titles, such as “Pressed to Reply,” were rather amusing. Thus, not only did it teach a great deal regarding the nature of torture and its instruments throughout the Middle Ages and into modern times, but also made the learning experience quite pleasant. This book is definitely worthy of being recommended to a friend.