All God's Children: The Bosket Family and the American Tradition of Violence [Paperback]

Fox Butterfield (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 1996

Considered by many to be the most dangerous inmate in the history of the New York penal system, Willie Bosket is a brilliant, violent man who began his criminal career at age five. His slaying of two subway riders at fifteen led to the passage of the first law in the nation allowing teenagers to be tried as adults. Yet sadly, Willie is not an aberration within the Bosket family--but rather the latest in a long line of brutal, exceptionally intelligent malefactors who were driven by circumstances, racism, and a distinctly American craving for respect by any means necessary. In this groundbreaking work, award-winning journalist Fox Butterfield traces a troubled family's history back to the days of slavery in an attempt to get to the roots of the violence endemic in our society.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Willie Bosket was charming, magnetic, and brilliant. He was also the most cold-blooded criminal the New York State penal system had ever seen. By the time he was in his teens, he had committed over two hundred armed robberies and twenty-five stabbings. Fox Butterfield examines the heritage of violence that followed Bosket's family from their days in slavery in South Carolina to the present. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Through the history of an African American family, from slavery in South Carolina to its dissolution in contemporary Harlem, journalist Butterfield probes at the root causes of the cycle of violence.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 424 pages
• Publisher: Harper Perennial (November 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0380728621
• ISBN-13: 978-0380728626
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #508,745 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars All God's Children, March 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: All God's Children: The Bosket Family and the American Tradition of Violence (Paperback)

Excellent depiction of what the juvenile justice system in this country can do to a child. The historical perspective of violence has many interesting ramifications. One can argue that we can go back even further, to a time when England conquered the Scots and the Irish. Fox Butterfield has a very clear writing style, and he is non-judgmental in his prose. I recommend this book to any student, or anyone involved professionally with violence-prevention or criminology.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Prolific historical data collection teamed with today's real, October 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: All God's Children: The Bosket Family and the American Tradition of Violence (Hardcover)

Fox Butterfield did an excellent job of detailing the horrific impact that past cultural, racial, and economic deprivation and oppression has had upon the lives of Americans both black and white. The Bosket Family is a sociologists dream because they fit the mold of the theory of "the trickle down effects of hatred and violence. The author details to the reader the hard truth that America has not just become a violent country it has always been a violent country and this is a truth that we as readers and citizens must come to accept and learn from. Butterfields depiction of the terrible cycle of violence within this writing is prolific, it is well documented and well researched. Five stars is must. This should be required reading for every criminal justice student in this country. Great Book!! Loved the historical background information.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book., September 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: All God's Children: The Bosket Family and the American Tradition of Violence (Hardcover)

I have had this book for over a year and never read it. Now that I have started I can't put it down. I am not a social scientist or an expert on crime, I am a southerner by birth with an interest and education in literature. I bought this book after I saw it reviewed on some morning show because I am from Aiken County, South Carolina (the next county over from Edgefield) I grew up in North Augusta (formerly Hamberg) and have always been baffled by the tendency to violence that prevealed my home county. I also went to school with many Basketts (new spelling I believe). So I bought this book because of a personal interest; it was obvioulsy close to home. I begin to read it with that "oh i know where that is" sort of interest. The skill with which this book was written has been a very pleasant surprise. The emotions it has evoked in me even more of a surprise. The insights it has given me I will always be thankful to Butterfield for. I have come away from this book saddened, enlightened, inspired, and most importantly a much better person. Everyone with a desire to understand our society and the people that make it up should read this book. Everyone with a desire to develop tolerance should read this book. Everyone who supports capital punishment should read this book. The author has put his finger on and lifted up for all to see, the common criminal of our time. It is a picture we as a society need to see.