pretty gruesome - especially the red hot poker bit but then it was like that back then. Hung drawn and quartered, very nice.
If you are into these sort of things and how society worked (sex, religion, politics, church, food, judiciary and punishments, etc) 1215 by Danziger is a brilliant read.... 1215 I am sure you realise is the date of Magna Carta.
Imagine being at Berkeley Castle and having a red hot poker up your jacksey as Edward II was rumoured to have 'experienced' for his death in 1327.