DEADLY HEARTS

Gape at the many misdeeds of notorious leaders throughout history.

Ropes stretch limbs beyond limits. Sharpened poles pierce bodies. Severed hands litter the ground. These vivid images introduce 16 of humanity’s “deadly hearts” through a sampling of the gruesome violence and torture they sanctioned. The usual suspects (e.g., Genghis Khan and Adolf Hitler) join those perhaps less well known to younger readers (e.g., Elizabeth Báthory and Idi Amin Dada) to create a truly disturbing timeline of genocide, military force, religious persecution, and more. Though individual chapters are brief, each delves deeply enough into its subject’s crimes to provide additional biographical context. Curiosity is a common thread, with Burgan questioning why these people were impelled to inflict such horrors. Whether motivated by power, wealth, or just plain enjoyment, these villains remind us of human nature’s “dark side”—and provide a lesson to readers against history repeating itself. The structure closely mirrors Jim Gigliotti’s companion, Dark Hearts (2021); both titles include black-and-white cartoon portraits from Mountford. Black headers with drips of blood adorn chapters, a visual link to the book’s incredibly high body count. Arranged chronologically by the subjects’ birth order, the collection spans from 356 B.C.E. to 2003. Europeans (and men) comprise the majority of profiles, but women, Asians, and Africans are also represented.

Evil in content but engaging in form.