The Faithful Executioner

Life and Death, Honor and Shame in the Turbulent Sixteenth Century

By: Joel F. Harrington

Narrated by: James Gillies

Length: 9 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

Based on the rare and until now overlooked journal of a Renaissance-era executioner, the noted historian Joel F. Harrington's The Faithful Executioner takes us deep inside the alien world and thinking of Meister Frantz Schmidt of Nuremberg, who, during 45 years as a professional executioner, personally put to death 394 individuals and tortured, flogged, or disfigured many hundreds more. But the picture that emerges of Schmidt from his personal papers is not that of a monster. Could a man who routinely practiced such cruelty also be insightful, compassionate - even progressive?

In The Faithful Executioner, Harrington vividly re-creates a life filled with stark contrasts, from the young apprentice's rigorous training under his executioner father to the adult Meister Frantz's juggling of familial duties with his work in the torture chamber and at the scaffold. With him we encounter brutal highwaymen, charming swindlers, and tragic unwed mothers accused of infanticide, as well as patrician senators, godly chaplains, and corrupt prison guards. Harrington teases out the hidden meanings and drama of Schmidt's journal, uncovering a touching tale of inherited shame and attempted redemption for the social pariah and his children. The Faithful Executioner offers not just the compelling firsthand perspective of a professional torturer and killer, but testimony of one man's lifelong struggle to reconcile his bloody craft with his deep religious faith.

The biography of an ordinary man struggling for his soul, this groundbreaking book also offers an unparalleled panoramic view of Europe on the cusp of modernity, a society riven by violent conflict at all levels and encumbered by paranoia, superstition, and abuses of power. Thanks to an extraordinary historical source and its gifted interpreter, we recognize far more of ourselves than we might have expected in this intimate portrait of a professional killer from a faraway world.

©2013 Joel Harrington (P)2017 Novel Audio Inc.

enthralled

fantastic snapshot into the life of Nuremberg in the late 1500's as through the life of an executioner.

I honestly keep starting conversations about death by the wheel and the concept that a society that strictly condones torture also views isolation and prison as inhuman and repugnant.

crazy listen that I loved, good narration, great book

A very fulfilling book

Loved it, a relatable story about a controversial subject. You will find yourself moved by the life of Frantz Schmidt which is so beautifully chronicled by Joel Harrington. A masterpiece!

Have you ever felt compassion for the hangman?

Follow this reluctant yet effective executioner from the gallows to the gate of his home. This is a telling of a man who's destiny was chosen for him, much to the mortal dismay of those at the end of his sword!

A complex and fascinating character

This book would make for a great HBO series. It can occasionally be dry, and keeping track of the dates and German names can get confusing, but otherwise highly recommended if you're interested in little known history.

A Great Insight

A fantastic look into life in the Early Modern era. There are many fine details of life and culture of the 16th century that are touched upon, and made personal, through the words of Meister Schmidt. I also very much enjoyed the narrator.

Interesting look into the life of an executioner

I didn't know this topic was this interesting. I think, perhaps, we automatically get the notion that executioners of this time period were sinister, brainless automatons. The author, while not excusing the wrongs that may have been done, humanizes the executioner and gives us an account of one's life. I enjoyed this book a lot.

Excellent and unexpectedly fascinating

This was an excellent and unexpectedly fascinating look at the 16th century, a compelling exploration of both relativism and the illusion of relativism. While the primary source material of the executioner's journal is somewhat sparse the author fills in the context of the executioner's life and the city he lived in with aplomb from other period sources.

An interesting part of history

This is a piece of history that most of us would never stumble on. What was involved in the life of an executioner? How did they live? Who was in their circle of friends? This book tells the story of one of the most prolific executioners in Europe in the 16th century, and it is absolutely fascinating.

Fascinating, informative and personal.

Incredibly fascinating telling of a life, craft and environment that seems to be unknown to most people today.

Fascinating and enlightening

This is not a story of gruesome torture. The biography of this 17th century professional executioner gives context to the state of crime and punishment in his time. I don’t know how representative Franz Schmidt was of his profession. Perhaps he had uncharacteristic integrity. Regardless, he was an instrument of the state that regarded punishment as a necessary means of controlling unlawful behavior. Interesting, Schmidt’s skills were sought after for medicinal purposes, his preferred career. Also his insight into magic and witchcraft. Far more reasoned and nuanced than would be imagined. Great read.