A wide-ranging history of the world's most famous crimes and criminals. Includes: portraits of true crime's most extraordinary characters, from serial rapists to glamorous gangsters, from ruthless killers to train robbers; criminal activities and techniques--from safecracking to blackmail, from bodysnatching to cannibalism--and a range of weapons: lawnmowers, champagne, snakes, and even rolling pins; the science of crime, from footprints to genetic fingerprinting; methods to bring justice to convicted criminals, including prison, the guillotine, lethal injection, and the electric chair. And, throughout history, a lucky few make the break, leaving as their legacy tales of famous escapes, from Alcatraz or Dartmoor, San Quentin, or Aspen.--From publisher description.