When the Guillotine Fell: The Bloody Beginning and Horrifying End to France's River of Blood, 1791–1977

When the Guillotine Fell tells the true story of Hamida Djandoubi, the last person executed by guillotine in France. In 1974, Djandoubi tortured and killed twenty-two-year-old Elisabeth Bousquet in Marseille, subjecting her to severe violence before strangling her in the Provencal countryside. He was executed by guillotine in 1977. Jeremy Mercer examines this case within the broader history of the guillotine and French capital punishment. The book explores how long the device remained in use—contrary to assumptions that it was abandoned in the late 1800s, the blade continued to be used well into the twentieth century. Mercer pairs the account of Djandoubi's crime and execution with historical context about France's relationship with the guillotine and the death penalty, considering how the case reflects French attitudes toward violence and foreigners.