Pick
up George Feathering's excellent dictionary and I can guarantee
you'll have a devil of a job putting it back down again. The title,
on the surface, seems to tell you what the book is about, and deeper
examination reveals, behind Feathering's exhaustive research, a
satisfying volume. You can delve into it now and then but it can sit
alongside any budding crime writer or trivial pursuit player. For
example, was Julius Caesar's last words actually, "Et tu Brute?"
as Brutus plunged the dagger ever deeper? No, it was "kai su
teknon," the former statement is thanks to a certain William
Shakespeare; Caesar spoke Greek not Latin. According to The
Stranglers (and others) we know that Leon Trotsky was killed with an
ice-pick that made his ears burn - wrong again, it was an Alpinist
ice hammer. And his assassin? One Jamie Ramon Mercader aka Jacques
Mornard aka Jacson Mornard aka Frank Jacson. These are but two
examples of the fascinating world of the assassin explored by George
Feathering and his research associate, Christopher Martin. This
serves as a fabulous research volume, and one I'd heartily
recommend.
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