A Basilisk Glance: Poisoners from Plato to Putin

by Robert Templer

Poison— invisible, unknown, hard to detect and deadly— taps into hard-wired anxieties about the risks of the world around us. From ancient times to the modern age, it has always created more fear than any other threats. In A Basilisk Glance: Poisoners from Plato to Putin, author Robert Templer takes us through the dark maze of poison. He traces its path from when Hercules dipped his arrows in the blood from the severed head of the Hydra to the use of chemical weapons in the Iran-Iraq War in 1980s, from the death of Socrates to the use of toxins as a weapon of assassination, from the mass suicide of Jonestown in 1979 to the sarin attack in the Tokyo metro system. Today, as the war in Ukraine rages, we are reminded of the use of radioactive and nerve weapons by Russian President Vladimir Putin to kill his opponents. His targets— like other victims of poison through the ages— know that they are never safe; a cup of tea, a door handle or even their own underwear might be tainted with a deadly toxin. In this panoramic survey, Templer also shows how history is littered with the bodies of those killed for poisoning or being seen as poisonous. Pogroms against Jews, the burning of witches an

448 pages, Paperback

Published September 3, 2024

About the author

Author, analyst, expert in climate and conflict, senior consultant at United Nations.

Reviews

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

An in depth study of how poison and the fear of poison have shaped history, society and culture. Skipping between narrative and analysis, this book manages to be entertaining, terrifying and thought provoking all at the same time. The most successful aspects are the in-depth dives into specific events, however, the analytic sections are also hugely interesting. The book is well researched (with lots of references to follow up with) and clearly and engagingly written.

[Lauren McGraw · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up and I want it known the half star was because of the JK Rowling Jump-scare in the last chapter. I don’t care that people in my generation only know what a basilisk is because of her I DO NOT CARE. It does not add a single thing to the narrative he’s telling and it just made me so annoyed. Just don’t read the final chapter intro quote.

Other than that this book was fascinating and honestly a very easy read for a non fiction. I was captivated the whole time, vacillating between moments of shock and sadness, righteous indignation and horror. I also learned so much. Sorry to all my coworkers who had to hear me spout random facts about poisoning for a week!

[Rebecca Von Martens · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting book! I'd expected it to focus more on the physical effects of poisons and how each is created, but it focused more on fear around poison. And of course how that leads to discrimination against different grouos of people. I learned a lot of new things. Mainly entertaining but sometimes it dragged a bit, so one less star.

[Abigail Munson · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the whole very interesting, sometimes dry and repetitive but in the end very thorough and well put together