The Poison Principle by Gail Bell
A truly moving memoir and a fascinating exploration of the history of poison.When Dr William Macbeth poisoned two of his sons in 1927, his wife and sister hid the murders in the intensely private realm of family secrets. Like the famous poisoner Dr Crippen, Macbeth behaved as if he were immune to consequences; unlike Crippen, he avoided detection and punishment. Or did he? Secrets can be as corrosive as poison, and as time passed, the story of Dr William Macbeth, well-dressed poisoner, haunted and divided his descendants.Macbeth's granddaughter, Gail Bell, who grew up with the story, spent ten years reading the literature of poisoning in order to 'read' and understand Macbeth's life. A chemist herself, she listened for echoes in the great cases of the nineteenth and twentieth century, in myths, fiction and poison lore.Intricate and beautifully written, with a moving twist at the end of the story, this is a book about family guilt and secrets. It is also an exploration of the nature of death itself, as Bell turns to her grandfather's poisonous predecessors - from Cleopatra and Madame Bovary to Napolean and Harold Shipman.
Gail Bell was born in Sydney in 1950. She graduated in pharmacy and teaching from the University of Sydney. She has worked as a journalist, written award-winning short stories, and many thousands of words about medicines and poisons.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780333989159 |
| ISBN 10 | 0333989155 |
| Title | The Poison Principle |
| Author | Gail Bell |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Pan Macmillan |
| Year published | 2002-07-19 |
| Number of pages | 288 |
| Prizes | Short-listed for NSW Premier's Literary Award Douglas Stewart Prize for Non-Fiction 2002, Short-listed for Ned Kelly Awards for Australian Crime Writing: Best True Crime Category 2002 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |