A History of Cannibalism: From Ancient Cultures to Survival Stories and Modern Psychopaths

Desperation, duty and desire - the three primary motives for breaking what is the oldest taboo in the Western world, cannibalism. This book investigates all three and presents startling evidence that will challenge cultural and moral perceptions as never before.

It explains how in some societies, 'duty' cannibalism has been integral to existence and viewed as both necessary and socially acceptable. If most people find such a concept difficult to comprehend, they might just be able to reserve judgement on those driven to eat companions out of sheer desperation in order to survive.

But, by far the most disturbing of the three types is 'desire cannibalism', practised by men such as Albert Fish and Ed Gein who ate human flesh simply because they wanted to. If the second type of cannibalism shows what we humans are capable of under extreme stress, this third gives a chilling insight into what some of us require for emotional and sexual gratification. This book offers no easy answers but a fascinating insight into the forces that lie deep within the human psyche.

Nathan Constantine has been writing books on political, military and cultural subjects for thirty years. He has written about rock music, movies, football and cannibalism. He has written novels for adults, and history books for children.