★Literary non-fiction that takes you to the most controversial stage of the 16th century: the scaffold
★Witness an execution through the eyes of the executioner, his "patient," and the crowd, while gaining insight into major events of the time, such as the Dutch Revolt and witch burnings

A gaunt, shackled prisoner steps onto the scaffold. The ruthless executioner stands ready, sword in hand. A frenzied crowd gathers, shouting for blood. This is how we often imagine executions in the early modern era.

But is that really how it was? Historian Isabel Casteels studied thousands of eyewitness accounts of executions and, for the first time, reveals what people truly thought. Contrary to popular belief, the public did not see an execution as entertainment, but as a solemn and meaningful event. The crowd watched with a critical eye, often feeling compassion for the condemned. Yet if the executioner, the prisoner, or even fellow spectators failed to meet expectations, chaos erupted – and the audience itself could turn into executioner.

The Chronicles of Death offers a unique perspective on the executions in the 16th century. What unfolded on the market squares of Antwerp, Amsterdam, and countless other towns in the Low Countries? And what do these events reveal about human nature and society at the time? Told through shifting perspectives – from judge to criminal to the corpse itself – this book casts an entirely new light on one of the darkest chapters of Western-European history.

Isabel Casteels studied history at the University of Amsterdam. For her PhD research at KU Leuven and Leiden University, she explored executions in the sixteenth-century Low Countries.