Abu Ghraib: The politics of torture by John Gray, Barbara Ehrenreich et al (North Atlantic Books, 2004)
Nine essayists tackle what the prison abuse scandal means for America now and in the future. Compelling social critiques acknowledge the ramifications of these and other atrocities as Americans are exposed, many for the first time, to the politics of torture.
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Britain's Gulag: The brutal end of Empire in Kenya by Caroline Elkins (Jonathan Cape, January 2005)
A controversial and authoritative account of the waning days of British Empire in Kenya, and the little known torture and destruction of thousands of Kenyans at the hands of the British.
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Broken Spirits: The treatment of traumatised asylum seekers, refugees, war and torture victims by John P Wilson and Boris Drozdek (Brunner-Routledge, 2004)
Explores the enormity of the issues surrounding the numerous mental health problems of the millions of refugees, asylum seekers and torture victims around the world.
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Guantanamo: America's war on human rights by David Rose (Faber and Faber, 2004)
Rose's book is a well-informed indictment of the regime at Guantanamo – the most controversial prison in the world. He has visited the camp and interviewed guards, officials and the prison's commander. He has investigated the claims of British detainees released early in 2004, and describes a suffocating atmosphere of isolation, harassment, Kafkaesque accusation and physical brutality.
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The History of Torture and Execution: From early civilization through medieval times to the present by Jean Kellaway (Lyons Press, 2003)
A history of the cruel and violent ways in which humans have meted out punishment, from early civilizations to the present day.
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Inhuman States: Imprisonment, detention and torture in Europe today by Antonio Cassese (Polity Press, 1996)
A first-hand account of the often appalling conditions in prisons, police stations, psychiatric institutions, detention centres and other places where individuals are deprived of their liberty. Cassese documents torture in modern-day Europe.
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Nature's Government: Science, British imperialism and the improvement of the world by Richard Drayton (Yale University Press, 2000)
Written by a highly respected academic who doesn't pull any punches. Here is a quote from him on the British Empire: 'We hear a lot about the rule of law, incorruptible government and economic progress – the reality was tyranny, oppression, poverty and the unnecessary deaths of countless millions of human beings.'
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Take a Step to Stamp Out Torture by Amnesty International (Amnesty International, 2000)
Three-quarters of the governments of the world have used torture in the three years prior to the publishing of this book. Amnesty highlights the links between discrimination and torture, focusing on four major areas: racism, women, sexual identity and children. It shows that there is no shortage of information about torture, only a lack of political will.
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Unspeakable Acts, Ordinary People: The dynamics of torture by John Conroy (Vision, 2001))
Exhaustively researched, the author interviews torturers, torture victims and government officials, examining proven cases of torture by the military and police in the UK, USA and Israel to analyse the motivations that drive ordinary people to commit such unspeakable acts.
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