Flesh and Blood: A History of the Cannibal Complex

In Flesh and Blood, Reay Tannahill explores the age-old practice of cannibalism. the author-of previous studies on eating and sex, she takes us on a fascinating historical tour of this darkest of gastronomic compulsions -- including a section on the recent upsurge in cannibalism-themed horror fiction and a study of serial killer cannibals such as Jeffrey Dahmer.At the dawn of man, the consumption of human flesh and blood was a legitimate ritual practiced by ancient Babylonians and Aztecs alike. The recent media focus may have brought cannibalism into the public eye, but the practice has never wholly left society and still echoes in religious traditions such as the Christian Eucharist.Here is a book that is sure to feed into our current fascination with people who eat people.