{"product_id":"why-torture-persists-hardback-9781509568987","title":"Why Torture Persists (Hardback) 9781509568987","description":"\u003cfont face=\"Georgia\"\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"6\"\u003eWhy Torture Persists\u003c\/font\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"4\"\u003eChristopher J. Einolf (Author)\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e9781509568987, Polity Press\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eHardback, published 20 February 2026\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e240 pages\u003cbr\u003e21.8 x 14.5 x 2.5 cm, 0.431 kg\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\"A vital contribution to the burgeoning scholarship on the logic of torture. Einolf turns the lens on the psychology of perpetrators, exposing a new sinister argument to explain why some governments feel compelled to torture. This is a provocative and important book.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRon Hassner, author of \u003ci\u003eAnatomy of Torture\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eWhy Torture Persists\u003c\/i\u003e provides a comprehensive history of the practice of torture in various contexts and for a variety of purposes, and it tackles the great paradox of torture – why is it so commonly used if it doesn't 'work'? Einolf provides a deeply informed answer.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLisa Hajjar, University of California, Santa Barbara\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"As unlikely as this sounds, \u003ci\u003eWhy Torture Persists\u003c\/i\u003e is a page turner, though a trigger warning is required. Brutal and eye-opening. A call to action: eradicate this beast.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLisa Henry, Secretary General, International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"We've been waiting half a century for a book like this. Einolf offers a desperately needed overview of the now enormous social scientific research on torture, while advancing his own thesis on why this evil persists. Well researched and documented, this is an essential sourcebook for those unfamiliar (and a good reminder for the old pros).\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eDarius Rejali, Reed College\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSince antiquity, governments have used torture to gather information and determine guilt. But its track record is shaky, to say the least: thinkers from Aristotle to the present have observed that torture does not work, and thinkers from Foucault to Orwell have doubted that this is torture's true purpose. Guilty people can resist torture and remain silent, while innocent people can give in and tell their torturers what they want to hear. Why, then, do governments keep using it?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn this timely and compelling book, Chistopher J. Einolf recounts the history of torture from public trials in ancient Athens to the international scandal of Abu Ghraib. He details its brutal use in the persecution of the Templars, the Spanish Inquisition, and early modern witch hunts; describes its abolition in the 18th century; and tracks its alarming resurgence across the 20th and 21st centuries. In exposing torture's sordid past, Einolf also explores the social science of torture, supplementing a broad historical account with relevant insights from sociology, political science, and psychology. The distressing reality is that governments use torture as a tool of oppression: convinced that they are beset by traitors and enemies, those with power torture victims until they confirm their worst fears.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eChilling yet vital, \u003ci\u003eWhy Torture Persists\u003c\/i\u003e is a call to face humanity's troubling weapons of political coercion and control head-on. Despite recounting a disturbing history, \u003ci\u003eWhy Torture Persists\u003c\/i\u003e ultimately concludes with hope. It is only by understanding torture that we can learn how to prevent it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eIntroduction \u003cbr\u003e1. Judicial Torture\u003cbr\u003e2. Police Torture\u003cbr\u003e3. Political Torture\u003cbr\u003e4. Explaining and Preventing Torture\u003cbr\u003eConclusion\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eNotes\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eIndex\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003eSubject Areas: History [\u003ca title=\"See our other books on History\" href=\"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/search?q=%22History%20%5BHB%5D%22\"\u003eHB\u003c\/a\u003e]\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/font\u003e","brand":"Polity","offers":[{"title":"Brand New","offer_id":52472073617688,"sku":"9781509568987","price":22.19,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0730\/2037\/5320\/files\/9781509568987.jpg?v=1785715888","url":"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/products\/why-torture-persists-hardback-9781509568987","provider":"Freshly Printed Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}