Every year, several thousand people are killed completely legally in the world. Nations that have abandoned the practice of legalized murder are few in number. The death penalty is still provided for in the laws of states in whose territory nine-tenths of the world's population lives. In many countries, mass and public executions are carried out, in some executions are broadcast on television. Capital punishment causes a lot of controversy in modern society, but it makes no sense to judge the philosophical, moral, religious or legislative aspects of the problem without delving into the essence of what is happening. Based on a wealth of factual material, Martin Monestier (b. 1942), a famous writer and journalist, author of numerous studies in the field of social anthropology, introduces readers to the main methods of the death penalty, known from history and used today.