The Common Hangman Author:James Bland In this book, the author of 'True Crime Diary' and other popular crime book presents a vivid and shocking study of men entrusted with the ghastly duty of carrying out public executions. Individual hangmen whose careers are explored in this gruesome history include: Gregory Brandon, John Ketch, John Price, John Thrift and William Curry. Despite i... more »ts many horrors, this book offers a fascinating gallery of outlandish figures, full of authentic details from contemporary sources of information. No serious student of crime will want to miss it; no connoisseur of the macabre will want to part with it.« less