I found this title while searching for other stuff to download on my Kindle and just finished it. It tells the story of Frantz Schmidt, who was the official executioner and torturer for Nuremberg in the late 1500s and early 1600s and is based on the journal he kept. This is well-researched history and is not for those with ADHD, but is a fascinating look into politics, religion, plague, witchcraft mania, morality, and criminal punishment. How Schmidt came to be an executioner of around 400 people is both sad and fascinating, as is how his role was viewed in society.

Many of the little towns I frequented when I was stationed in the region in the 1970s are mentioned. I also learned that "breaking with the wheel" did not mean what I think it meant. A good window into a certain place and time.