The Death Penalty in America: Current Controversies (Oxford Paperbacks) [Paperback]

Hugo Adam Bedau (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195122860 | ISBN-13: 978-0195122862 | Publication Date: May 28, 1998 | Edition: Trade

In The Death Penalty in America: Current Controversies, Hugo Adam Bedau, one of our preeminent scholars on the subject, provides a comprehensive sourcebook on the death penalty, making the process of informed consideration not only possible but fascinating as well. No mere revision of the third edition of The Death Penalty in America--which the New York Times praised as "the most complete, well-edited and comprehensive collection of readings on the pros and cons of the death penalty"--this volume brings together an entirely new selection of 40 essays and includes updated statistical and research data, recent Supreme Court decisions, and the best current contributions to the debate over capital punishment. From the status of the death penalty worldwide to current attitudes of Americans toward convicted killers, from legal arguments challenging the constitutionality of the death penalty to moral arguments enlisting the New Testament in support of it, from controversies over the role of race and class in the judicial system to proposals to televise executions, Bedau gathers readings that explore all the most compelling aspects of this most compelling issue.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Death penalty abolitionists will find much to like about The Death Penalty in America: Current Controversies. Editor Hugo Adam Bedau makes his bias plain in the preface: "I ... am opposed to the death penalty in all its forms, no matter how awful the crime or how savage the criminal." Other than a token mid-1980s essay from Ernest van den Haag, then, the thrust of this collection is decidedly anti-death penalty. As such, it is a useful compendium of the abolitionist viewpoint, and its extensive bibliography will serve anyone as a starting point for research on the subject. The book also contains excerpts from important Supreme Court opinions and laws on the subject. Those of a quantitative bent will be frustrated by the argumentation and the short shrift it gives to the work of Isaac Ehrlich, who demonstrated the deterrent value of the death penalty. But those interested in an exhaustive survey of the arguments against all components of the death penalty will find this a must-have volume. --Ted Frank

From School Library Journal

YA. This third edition contains 40 new essays and statistics updated to cover the years 1972-1994. It includes a history of the death penalty, a discussion of its constitutionality, the question of racial and class disparities in death-penalty sentencing, and a discussion of it as a deterrence factor. The essays are not of overwhelming length or legal content. The statistical data is impressive; there are at least 40 tables with topics ranging from proposed state legislation over the past 25 years, to murders by type of weapon used, to length of time spent on death row by state. An extensive bibliography and an index that lists case names are helpful. The value of the factual information and the presentation of divergent opinions make this book an asset for assignments.?Clodagh Lee, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; Trade edition (May 28, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195122860
• ISBN-13: 978-0195122862
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #214,785 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well-researched, January 7, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Death Penalty in America: Current Controversies (Hardcover)

It is true that overall Bedau presents an argument in opposition to capital punishment. However, this argument is very well researched and documented. One may disagree with the conclusion, but it would be difficult to refute the evidence presented in the book. Furthermore, the very fact that the book is a collection of research may be the reason it appears one-sided. Having attempted objective research on the issue of capital punishment myself, it is often difficult to find solid research in support of capital punishment. More often support comes in the form of statements of belief or opinion. If you are looking for an equal collection of arguments for and against the death penalty in America, then this book is not for you. However, if you are looking for very solid research on the topic, presented in a logical, easy to understand format, then this is an excellent resource.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Indepth Analysis, November 21, 2000

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Death Penalty in America: Current Controversies (Oxford Paperbacks) (Paperback)

If you want an indepth analysis of the death penalty, this is the book for you! Jam-packed with history, statistics, trends, and lots of vital information, this book is a must-have for any serious anti-death penalty activist.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential Reading, February 25, 2001

By 

Robert D Peebles (Tulsa, Oklahoma) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Death Penalty in America: Current Controversies (Oxford Paperbacks) (Paperback)

Having read numerous books on the subject, I found this to be an excellent collection of studies and essays. It covers many of the key issues surrounding the death penalty and is a very readable and scholarly work. Bedau has done a fabulous job with this third issue.