Gruesome spectacles Botched executions and America's death penalty

Originally intended as public spectacles, public executions eventually became distasteful to middle-class Americans, who viewed them as uncivilized. After many public hangings went terribly wrong and created a "gruesome spectacle" for observers, other methods of execution were proposed, each intended to be more painless and humane than the last. Yet in each case, the promise of a peaceful death proved wrong. Sarat (William Nelson Cromwell Professor of Jurisprudence and Political Science, Amherst Coll.), who has a special interest in the death penalty, covers various methods of execution, the theory behind each as a painless alternative, and the horrifically botched executions that belie this argument. He explains that despite the sensational nature of executions, newspapers tend to cover the mishandled ones as "misfortunes" rather than miscarriages of justice and all the reasons to question the death penalty-the gruesome and cruel and unusual punishment involved in the violent taking of a human life-have not swayed the general public. VERDICT The academic tone of this book may discourage casual readers, but the stories and ethical questions are riveting. Those interested in the history of criminal justice in America and true crime fans will be fascinated.-Deirdre Bray, -Middletown P.L., OH (c) Copyright 2014. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.