Capital Punishment in the United States: A Documentary History (Primary Documents in American History and Contemporary Issues) (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Vila and Morris have created a highly readable and very timely compilation of some of the most important writings on capital punishment in the last 400 years. The debate will continue, and any criminal justice professional tasked with enforcing the laws of this country would be well-served to add this anthology to his or her professional library. Its insights and arguments are invaluable no matter which side one takes in the capital punishment debate.”–Corrections Today

“The volume provides an excellent overview of the debate on capital punishment and may well meet the documents needs of the general public and high school and college students, while providing a good starting place for more advanced researchers. This book is highly recommended for public, academic, and special libraries.”–American Reference Books Annual

Product Description

Both sides of the highly charged capital punishment debate in the United States are examined in this breakthrough collection of 112 key documents, arranged by historical period. The political and social aspects of the debate are represented through a wide range of documents, including congressional hearings, Supreme Court decisions, position papers, biographical accounts, and news stories. An explanatory introduction precedes each document to help readers understand how various and seemingly unrelated social, economic, and political factors have impacted public attitudes, legislation, and judicial decisions pertaining to capital punishment.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Greenwood Press (August 30, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0313299420
• ISBN-13: 978-0313299421
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,268,127 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars HISTORICAL PERSECTIVE, April 10, 2001

By	Cheryl Bertsch (Saipan, MP USA) - See all my reviews

This book by Vila and Morris provides a uniquely impartial look at capital punishment in the USA through the words of the people who have most influenced the evolution of the debate during the past 3.5 centuries; and the editors use excerpts from more than 100 original source documents to accomplish this mission. Instead of telling us what to believe, they help us to develop our own opinions by providing these excerpts covering a variety of perspectives, and desribing the political, social, and economic context in which the documents were recorded. We find that the volume is divided into six chapters - each covering a different era in the evolution of the death penalty debate. I found that there was a balanced selection of documents from a myriad of perspectives, and the materials were presented in a non-adversarial way. I enjoyed the book immensely. Who can use this book? First of all, political and human rights activists like myself, and of course, researchers, students, educators, speechwriters, members of the Criminal Justice System, prisoners, and concerned citizens. The book is well worth "a read" over several evenings, and will make us more aware of the highly charged issues dealing with capital punishment.