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The Most Evil Men and Women in History
In conjunction with the Channel 5 series, this book contains 16 essays on the most evil men and women of all time. Included Nero; Vlad the Impaler; King John; Ivan the Terrible; Attila the Hun; Rasputin; Hitler; Pol Pot; and Idi Amin.
293 pages, Hardcover
First published August 15, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
May 19, 2010
Avoid this book. It is badly written, full of easy-to-avoid factual errors, and records every popular rumour you heard about these characters as fact. She actually uses "legend has it" occasionally, when what follows is too obviously nonsense. She should say "legend has it" on every page. If you want to really know what these characters were like, read a biography. If you don't have time, reading Wiki-freakin-pedia will tell you more than this book will. I want five hours of my life back.
March 29, 2018
I turned to the Dracula chapter.
I noticed an entire page had been plagiarized from In Search of Dracula: The History of Dracula and Vampires, rewritten like a 7th grader.
I put down the book.
Check for yourself.
Twiss is a hack.
I noticed an entire page had been plagiarized from In Search of Dracula: The History of Dracula and Vampires, rewritten like a 7th grader.
I put down the book.
Check for yourself.
Twiss is a hack.
June 7, 2015
This 189-page book is about as dark as you can get. Nothing is held back as these brutal mass murders of sometimes millions of people. You have to wonder how these bastards got away with it for as long as they did.
You only have to look toward the current situation in the Middle East with the ISIS terrorist situation to find your answer. The world just doesn't give a damn about its fellow human beings.
Each chapter covers a different villain. 16 in all. The political and religious oppression is the greatest of all. Millions of citizens were doomed at the hands of but a few remarkable murderers and murderesses that a single brave person could have ended the carnage of innocent souls.
History's Caligula, Nero, Attila the Hun, King John, Torquemada, Prince Vlad Dracula, Francisco Pizarro, 'Bloody' Mary, Ivan IV 'The Terrible', Elizabeth, Countless Bathory, (Count Dracula), Rasputin, Josef Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Isle Koch, Pol Pot and Idi Amin fill out nearly 200 pages of global bloodshed that collectively reduced the world's population by tens of millions--not thousands, but millions. 16 horrible people were never challenged during their darkness over massive populations of the world until the very end of the bloody reign. It speaks of human ignorance that repeated in history over and over and over again...
There is probably no darker book in print than this one, save, maybe The Iceman. But the Ice Man, as brutal as he was to his victims didn't nearly stack up to the millions of lives these barbaric men and women committed with their mass killing and genocide.
This kind of book isn't for the faint at heart or timid, but for the professional writer few volumes of historical accounting can be found to fortify research. I can't think of any good time to read this book, but certainly it would be a mistake to read it at bedtime.
You only have to look toward the current situation in the Middle East with the ISIS terrorist situation to find your answer. The world just doesn't give a damn about its fellow human beings.
Each chapter covers a different villain. 16 in all. The political and religious oppression is the greatest of all. Millions of citizens were doomed at the hands of but a few remarkable murderers and murderesses that a single brave person could have ended the carnage of innocent souls.
History's Caligula, Nero, Attila the Hun, King John, Torquemada, Prince Vlad Dracula, Francisco Pizarro, 'Bloody' Mary, Ivan IV 'The Terrible', Elizabeth, Countless Bathory, (Count Dracula), Rasputin, Josef Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Isle Koch, Pol Pot and Idi Amin fill out nearly 200 pages of global bloodshed that collectively reduced the world's population by tens of millions--not thousands, but millions. 16 horrible people were never challenged during their darkness over massive populations of the world until the very end of the bloody reign. It speaks of human ignorance that repeated in history over and over and over again...
There is probably no darker book in print than this one, save, maybe The Iceman. But the Ice Man, as brutal as he was to his victims didn't nearly stack up to the millions of lives these barbaric men and women committed with their mass killing and genocide.
This kind of book isn't for the faint at heart or timid, but for the professional writer few volumes of historical accounting can be found to fortify research. I can't think of any good time to read this book, but certainly it would be a mistake to read it at bedtime.
April 23, 2012
Having been ill for a week and suffering a fever during some of it, I needed a lighter read than usual. This book was found amidst a pile of books belonging to a roommate. Being a series of short, sensationalistic biographies it seemed to fit the bill.
It did, but it wasn't very good. A glance at what passes for a bibliography indicates that its author read a few books on each subject--and usually not scholarly or definitive ones--and hashed out her stories from them. Not only are a lot of unsubstantiated claims dished out, particularly as regards those figures historically most distant, but the text itself has numerous typographical errors that any proofreader could have corrected. This is definitely not a reliable history nor, despite its pious tone, is it a serious reflection about evil or anything else. The publisher and author appear to simply have been seeking money from easily entranced fools like myself.
It did, but it wasn't very good. A glance at what passes for a bibliography indicates that its author read a few books on each subject--and usually not scholarly or definitive ones--and hashed out her stories from them. Not only are a lot of unsubstantiated claims dished out, particularly as regards those figures historically most distant, but the text itself has numerous typographical errors that any proofreader could have corrected. This is definitely not a reliable history nor, despite its pious tone, is it a serious reflection about evil or anything else. The publisher and author appear to simply have been seeking money from easily entranced fools like myself.
May 17, 2016
This book is full of sadistic, psychotic killers, most of whom were unfortunately leaders of a country or some how important in society. There are 16 truly evil people in this book. Many of them are depraved, sick sociopaths whose number of killings reach the thousands and even millions. While reading about their evil deeds and their insane thoughts, I was thoroughly disgusted. Many of the leader of the countries had political ideas that were so stupid I couldn't believe that people actually followed them. Its hard to believe that psychos like these people existed and unfortunately still exist today. While the people disgusted me, I still liked the book. After all, even the author writes in her introduction, that evil is fascinating.
People in this book are
1. Caligula~ "The Schizophrenic Emperor"
2. Nero ~"Fifth Emperor of Rome"
3. Attila the Hun~ "The Storm from the East"
4. King John~ "A callous, Cold Hearted Monarch"
5. Torquemada~ "The Spanish Inquisitor"
6. Prince Vlad Dracula~ "The Impaler"
7. Francisco Pizzaro~ "Conqueror of the Incas"
8. Bloody Mary 1~ "A Catholic Queen in a Protestant Country"
9. Ivan IV, The Terrible~ "Tsar of all Russias
10. Elizabeth, Countess Bathory~ "Countess Dracula"
11. Rasputin~ "The Mad Monk who brought down a Dynasty"
12. Josef Stalin~ "A Twentieth Century Tyrant"
13. Adolf Hitler~ "The Father of the Final Solution"
14. Ilse Kock~ "The Bitch of Buchenwald"
15. Pol Pot~ "Architect of Genocide"
16. Idi Amin~ "The Butcher of East Africa"
This review is also posted on The Book Owl Extraordinaire
People in this book are
1. Caligula~ "The Schizophrenic Emperor"
2. Nero ~"Fifth Emperor of Rome"
3. Attila the Hun~ "The Storm from the East"
4. King John~ "A callous, Cold Hearted Monarch"
5. Torquemada~ "The Spanish Inquisitor"
6. Prince Vlad Dracula~ "The Impaler"
7. Francisco Pizzaro~ "Conqueror of the Incas"
8. Bloody Mary 1~ "A Catholic Queen in a Protestant Country"
9. Ivan IV, The Terrible~ "Tsar of all Russias
10. Elizabeth, Countess Bathory~ "Countess Dracula"
11. Rasputin~ "The Mad Monk who brought down a Dynasty"
12. Josef Stalin~ "A Twentieth Century Tyrant"
13. Adolf Hitler~ "The Father of the Final Solution"
14. Ilse Kock~ "The Bitch of Buchenwald"
15. Pol Pot~ "Architect of Genocide"
16. Idi Amin~ "The Butcher of East Africa"
This review is also posted on The Book Owl Extraordinaire
April 2, 2015
If you want quick facts about some of history's most infamous rulers, I recommend this book. Though it rambles on about some irrelevant details, this book is quite informative for those who don't know a lot about these people. If you already know a lot about these evil rulers, then this isn't the book for you.
This book does a fine job of summarizing how they came to power and what they did once they got it, though sometimes it trails off topic. Some of it is opinionated, but these are controversial figures and some details about their lives are mere speculations and guesses, so I don't blame her too much. One thing that bugged me though was that she left out how exactly the death of Rasputin "struck the final blow" to the old regime of Russia. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and learning facts about the evil rulers of history.
This book does a fine job of summarizing how they came to power and what they did once they got it, though sometimes it trails off topic. Some of it is opinionated, but these are controversial figures and some details about their lives are mere speculations and guesses, so I don't blame her too much. One thing that bugged me though was that she left out how exactly the death of Rasputin "struck the final blow" to the old regime of Russia. Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and learning facts about the evil rulers of history.
March 14, 2013
Najgora do sad. Ni po čemu se ne izdvaja kao knjiga, jer sve ovde napisano se može naći i na vikipediji, kao i sajtovima slične namene. Neke činjenice čak nisu ni istinite a autorka ima previše grešaka, od godina do imena, pa čak i događaja.
Ne treba ni na rivju da trošim reči, dovoljna je ocena sama po sebi.
Ne treba ni na rivju da trošim reči, dovoljna je ocena sama po sebi.
April 23, 2013
My fascination with serial killers began with this book!
April 4, 2023
The Most Evil Men and Women in History by Miranda Twiss (Barnes & Noble Books 2002) (364.150922) (3754).
This reads like a collection of web pages assembled with the depth and breadth of information seen in third-rate slasher websites. It is a group of sixteen short biographies about notorious criminal actors and acts.
Other than the fact that author Miranda Twiss has included the tales of two wrongdoers who don’t generally make the list of “evil all-stars” (and it is not important who these two are), there is nothing about this book which makes it unique or special in any way.
I purchased a used HB copy in like-new condition for $0.75 from McKay’s Books on 6/1/22.
My rating: 6/10, finished 4/4/23 (3754).
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January 12, 2024
This book gives a great overview over sixteen men and women who wielded unlimited power over other people's lives and were cruel beyond imagination: Caligula, Nero, Attila, King John, Torquemada, Prince Vlad Dracula, Pizarro, Bloody Mary I, Ivan the Terrible, Elizabeth Bathory, Rasputin, Stalin, Hitler, Ilse Koch, Pol Pot and Idi Amin, Each of them a super criminal (with pictures and illustrations). Here you read all the details of their terrible crimes. Intriguing, shocking, disgusting. Nothing for the faint hearted as it is true crime and not fiction. Highly recommended!
June 28, 2020
I usually find nonfiction boring as it is but I thought the subject matter would help in this case. I was wrong, I found the writing oddly opinionated and biased in places, and numbing overall. *Involuntarily read in the voice of the guy from the visine commercials*
July 16, 2025
Fascinating — some you know some you probably have never heard of. Each person had about 10 pages of history so it did a good job of giving you the highlights and some details without over saturating. Did get some weird looks at the pool
September 8, 2018
Very interesting. Not a great book; but I had never learned about these important villains. I haven’t any claim to historical expertise. This book was perfect for giving me a cultural touchstone.
December 14, 2021
Nekako naterah sebe da je završim.
Jedva.
Jedva.
January 28, 2022
Written clearly and contains a lot of fascinating facts. The only troublesome thing is how few resources were used/cited, which leaves me to question the validity of all the material.
August 18, 2023
Unbelievably gruesome but fascinating.
June 8, 2019
Decent background information on historical figures, but the book is inconsistent. Some of the people in this book were obviously not nice people, but they shouldn't be included in a book about the most evil people in history. For example, King John may have been a cruel monarch, but he didn't murder nearly as many people as Attila the Hun or Hitler. The same can be said for Bloody Mary I. Why is she in the same book as Elizabeth Bathory?
The book is biased as there's no Americans listed. Surely the author could've found a general who massacred Native Americans. Or presidents and generals behind the Vietnam War.
The book is biased as there's no Americans listed. Surely the author could've found a general who massacred Native Americans. Or presidents and generals behind the Vietnam War.
June 21, 2011
Typically I’m not very critical of the books I read but this was probably the most poorly written book I’ve read to date. Some of the facts were inconsistent and there were obvious typos; even grammatical errors! Stalin wasn’t around in 1992 unless he was reincarnated. I even checked for an editor and didn’t see one so that was probably the problem. Most of it read like a text book and I spent most of the first half of the book waiting for her to elaborate on the so called evils of the people she was writing about. I kept thinking, really?!? My friends have juicier stories than this. Towards the end it did get a little better but all in all I felt like she missed an opportunity to showcase some real evil. My favorites were Rasputin, Countess Elizabeth of Bathory, and Ilse Koch. Although, Rasputin didn’t seem very evil just gross and interesting. Anyhoo, read at your own risk… of boredom. I wish I had read the reviews before I borrowed this from my friend.
November 12, 2012
A very fascinating read. Some of the editing was a bit shoddy ("they released their horses go and hid wagon wheels") in several places, but overall the voice of the piece was rather masterful. [return][return]The choice to include Bloody Mary didn't seem deserved from the book's standpoint; she's surrounded by people in the book whom had other's skinned alive, drawn and quartered, bled out, etc. yet her atrocities aren't really elaborated on. The extent of her "evilness" seems to be a (very minor) religious and political purging which, as is my understanding, was par for the course during that time. I would have preferred some more blatantly psychopathic and despicable people such as Mengele, Himmler or Ghengis Khan.
August 15, 2010
This book was an engaging and fast read. Though Twiss is not an incredible writer and I wonder what her editor was smoking; I enjoyed the stories and information she gave. If you are looking for a basic history of some of WESTERN cultures most evil people then this is a fun fast paced read. However, if you are hoping for a discussion on evil or even an argument about why some of he3r choices were evil people (I personally am unconvinced that King John or Bloody Mary belong on her list) you will be disappointed. I will give her five stars for telling these stories without getting too bogged down in the gore. While she does not gloss over the torture or the horror she talks about them in such a way that the reader doesn't want to throw up afterwards,
April 20, 2015
I chose this book for research purposes into the mind of the worst killers and leaders in history. I expected, however, to be given a background on each person, what had led them to their lives of violence and debauchery. Instead, there was merely a brief mention of their childhood (where they were from and the names of their parent's) and then an overwhelming laundry list of atrocities associated with them. Even the summaries of the wrong doings were vague.
Having done a fair bit of research on both Caligula and Hitler in high school, there was a good deal of basic details that were left from the pages that would have helped to define just how terrible they were.
Overall, while research was obviously done, a good deal more effort and effect could have been put in.
Having done a fair bit of research on both Caligula and Hitler in high school, there was a good deal of basic details that were left from the pages that would have helped to define just how terrible they were.
Overall, while research was obviously done, a good deal more effort and effect could have been put in.
October 24, 2012
Extremely interesting to learn about most of the people in this book. Some I had heard of and others I had never heard of. Some of the stories made my jaw drop and eyes pop and others made me want to sleep. None of the stories are boring, it is just that some went on and on to explain the same thing.
Side note: It would be interesting if it was known how some of these individuals viewed their life, because reading this makes you think everyone is crazy.
Side note: It would be interesting if it was known how some of these individuals viewed their life, because reading this makes you think everyone is crazy.
April 7, 2015
Attila the Hun , Bad king John ,Caligula ,Francisco Pizarro ,Hitler- IDI Amin ,Ivan the terrible, Joseph Stalin and Nero.
The book is looking at the dark side of history and most evil man and women in the history.
The book explain how these people got power and how they become so brutal.
Week spirit can be easily affected by reading this book. Women should read and say how women also contributed in brutality side by side of men.
The book is looking at the dark side of history and most evil man and women in the history.
The book explain how these people got power and how they become so brutal.
Week spirit can be easily affected by reading this book. Women should read and say how women also contributed in brutality side by side of men.
September 24, 2014
Book for beginners
Too many inconsistencies here and there, probably looked more like a short summary of what Wikipedia has, but the read is easy and gives a lot of information for newbies like I used to be. (This book made me dive into Dracula’s story and really understand that vampires never existed but IF they did they weren’t sparkling and sexy, simply bloodthirsty and murderous like Vlad Tepes aka The Impaler.) It’s a good start for someone who knows nothing or little.
Too many inconsistencies here and there, probably looked more like a short summary of what Wikipedia has, but the read is easy and gives a lot of information for newbies like I used to be. (This book made me dive into Dracula’s story and really understand that vampires never existed but IF they did they weren’t sparkling and sexy, simply bloodthirsty and murderous like Vlad Tepes aka The Impaler.) It’s a good start for someone who knows nothing or little.
May 29, 2017
This book it's great for people who are trying to find a basic book with historical facts.
I felt it more like I was reading a published web page of curious facts about mean people. Don't take me wrong, I don't think this is bad; actually, I think it's for newbies but If you do know more than the information that it's given, you will find it tedious to read.
It's a good start. You may want to search for more historial books after this one.
I felt it more like I was reading a published web page of curious facts about mean people. Don't take me wrong, I don't think this is bad; actually, I think it's for newbies but If you do know more than the information that it's given, you will find it tedious to read.
It's a good start. You may want to search for more historial books after this one.
April 4, 2016
If you would like to be virtually stupefied by the amount of evil contained in one organic mass of skin and blood, you should read this. It would be an interesting project to organize these tyrants into a list from most evil to least. Moral evil becomes daily existence for these men and women, if one may term them so.
August 24, 2011
I found this book fascinating but I do not pretend that it is for light reading. Each one of the characters mentioned could (and probably do) have entire books written about them. This book offers the readers digest version of their lives and conquests. I enjoyed the chance to learn about their earlier lives and then make my own opinion as to where I believe they fall in the "evil" spectrum.
June 21, 2014
This is a quick read. Very disturbing what people are capable of and their reasons for their actions. I think these killers got away with it for so long because most of us can't comprehend the magnitude of their insanity. We don't want to believe someone capable of these atrocities. Some didn't face judgement in this life or not severe enough.
February 19, 2021
This book was about some of the most well known dictators and other historical figures who were violent and murderous. It was interesting to read, but it wasn't as in depth as I hoped it would be. I did learn some things about some characters I had not learned much about up to this point. It was worth reading.
February 21, 2010
This is a book that I would definately recommend to everyone. It is a histoy book and very interesting. The people dicussed in this book are insane. They don't have any forms of a conscience and have no remorse for the crimes they commit or for the people they kill.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews