Poison: The History of Potions, Powders and Murderous Practitioners

Poison documents the tales of the users and victims of these mysterious substances. Profiles of the most commonly used toxins of each era reveal how poisoners have harnessed these natural killers to achieve their ends. "As every amateur toxicologist knows, the difference between a poison and medicine is often simply the dose."There is no weapon as insidious, as seductive or as mysterious as poison. In this terrifying account of history's silent assassin, discover the gripping tales of users, abusers and victims of these mysterious substances, from Cleopatra and Catherine de' Medici to contemporary secret service agents and terrorists.Documenting royal scandal, political upheaval and personal tragedies, Poison details a gruesome thread that runs often undetected through human history.