FRANCK COLLARD is Professor of Medieval History at the Universite de Paris X Nanterre. Apart from numerous published articles, he has also written Pouvoirs et culture politique dans la France medievale, Ve-XVe siecle (1999) and Pouvoir et Poison. Histoire d'un crime politique de l'Antiquite a nos jours, ed. du Seuil, Paris (2007).DEBORAH NELSON-CAMPBELL is Professor of French Studies and Director of the Center for the Study of Languages at Rice University. A scholar of medieval French and Occitan language and literature, she has published four books and numerous articles and book reviews mostly on French medieval topics, especially courtly narrative lyric poetry. She has taught at Rice University since 1974.

Recommended for academic libraries supporting graduate studies in history.

• ForewordIntroductionChapter I An Elusive Crime?The Crime as Event: The Emergence of the Crime in NarrativeThe Crime and Its Description: Its Existence in the Judicial CodeThe Difficulty in Quantifying Cases of PoisoningChapter II A Unique WeaponThe Poison MarketProducts that Were Used and the InstructionsA Invincible Weapon? How to Prevent and to Recover from PoisoningChapter III The Sociology of PoisoningProfiles of the Victims of PoisoningThe Faces of the PoisonersThe Crime of Poison in the World of RelationshipsChapter IV Horrendum scelus. An Abominable CrimeA Crime Described in SuperlativesThe Reasons for the Abomination: How to KillThe Reasons for the Abomination: Objectives and Effects of PoisoningChapter V Pursuit and PunishmentTheoretical Bases and Effective PracticeThe Poisoner on TrialSentences and SanctionsChapter VI Beyond Crime: Issues and Uses of PoisonPoisonous Aggression, Heroism and SainthoodThe Accusation of Poisoning and Social RegulationThe Use of Poison: A Theme of PropagandaConclusionMajor SourcesSelected BibliographyIndex of Major Historical Figures

FRANCK COLLARD is Professor of Medieval History at the Universite de Paris X Nanterre. Apart from numerous published articles, he has also written Pouvoirs et culture politique dans la France medievale, Ve-XVe siecle (1999) and Pouvoir et Poison. Histoire d'un crime politique de l'Antiquite a nos jours, ed. du Seuil, Paris (2007).DEBORAH NELSON-CAMPBELL is Professor of French Studies and Director of the Center for the Study of Languages at Rice University. A scholar of medieval French and Occitan language and literature, she has published four books and numerous articles and book reviews mostly on French medieval topics, especially courtly narrative lyric poetry. She has taught at Rice University since 1974.

Recommended for academic libraries supporting graduate studies in history.

• ForewordIntroductionChapter I An Elusive Crime?The Crime as Event: The Emergence of the Crime in NarrativeThe Crime and Its Description: Its Existence in the Judicial CodeThe Difficulty in Quantifying Cases of PoisoningChapter II A Unique WeaponThe Poison MarketProducts that Were Used and the InstructionsA Invincible Weapon? How to Prevent and to Recover from PoisoningChapter III The Sociology of PoisoningProfiles of the Victims of PoisoningThe Faces of the PoisonersThe Crime of Poison in the World of RelationshipsChapter IV Horrendum scelus. An Abominable CrimeA Crime Described in SuperlativesThe Reasons for the Abomination: How to KillThe Reasons for the Abomination: Objectives and Effects of PoisoningChapter V Pursuit and PunishmentTheoretical Bases and Effective PracticeThe Poisoner on TrialSentences and SanctionsChapter VI Beyond Crime: Issues and Uses of PoisonPoisonous Aggression, Heroism and SainthoodThe Accusation of Poisoning and Social RegulationThe Use of Poison: A Theme of PropagandaConclusionMajor SourcesSelected BibliographyIndex of Major Historical Figures

FRANCK COLLARD is Professor of Medieval History at the Universite de Paris X Nanterre. Apart from numerous published articles, he has also written Pouvoirs et culture politique dans la France medievale, Ve-XVe siecle (1999) and Pouvoir et Poison. Histoire d'un crime politique de l'Antiquite a nos jours, ed. du Seuil, Paris (2007).DEBORAH NELSON-CAMPBELL is Professor of French Studies and Director of the Center for the Study of Languages at Rice University. A scholar of medieval French and Occitan language and literature, she has published four books and numerous articles and book reviews mostly on French medieval topics, especially courtly narrative lyric poetry. She has taught at Rice University since 1974.

Recommended for academic libraries supporting graduate studies in history.

• ForewordIntroductionChapter I An Elusive Crime?The Crime as Event: The Emergence of the Crime in NarrativeThe Crime and Its Description: Its Existence in the Judicial CodeThe Difficulty in Quantifying Cases of PoisoningChapter II A Unique WeaponThe Poison MarketProducts that Were Used and the InstructionsA Invincible Weapon? How to Prevent and to Recover from PoisoningChapter III The Sociology of PoisoningProfiles of the Victims of PoisoningThe Faces of the PoisonersThe Crime of Poison in the World of RelationshipsChapter IV Horrendum scelus. An Abominable CrimeA Crime Described in SuperlativesThe Reasons for the Abomination: How to KillThe Reasons for the Abomination: Objectives and Effects of PoisoningChapter V Pursuit and PunishmentTheoretical Bases and Effective PracticeThe Poisoner on TrialSentences and SanctionsChapter VI Beyond Crime: Issues and Uses of PoisonPoisonous Aggression, Heroism and SainthoodThe Accusation of Poisoning and Social RegulationThe Use of Poison: A Theme of PropagandaConclusionMajor SourcesSelected BibliographyIndex of Major Historical Figures