Among the Lowest of the Dead: The Culture on Death Row - Hardcover

Dr. David Von Drehle

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0812921666 ISBN 13: 9780812921663

Publisher: Crown, 1995

Synopsis

A study of the human side of the death penalty shares portraits of survivors of murder victims awaiting justice, lawyers on both sides of cases, judges who pronounce sentences, governors who sign death warrants, and, above all, the condemned. 50,000 first printing. $60,000 ad/promo. Tour.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

IPPING PORTRAIT . . . Von Drehle takes us inside the culture of the condemned seeking to live."
--The Washington Post Book World
From the cavernous halls of justice to the desolate cells on death row, from the brutal crimes of the convicted to the unbearable anguish of the victims, prizewinning journalist David Von Drehle takes us, as never before, into the harrowing world of the ultimate punishment. Here are the lawyers, on both sides, who dedicate their lives to saving or ending the lives of the accused. Here are the judges who pass the sentences and the politicians who pass the buck. And here are the inmates, staring at their walls and looking death in the face.
A work of profound insight and stark vision, AMONG THE LOWEST OF THE DEAD sheds a revelatory light on this deepest, darkest realm. Acclaimed as one of the most powerful books ever written about crime and punishment in America, it is certain to shock both you . . . and the system.
"BITTERLY HONEST . . . [Von

From Booklist:

Examining the death penalty from the perspectives of defense attorneys, prosecutors, death-row inmates, governors who sign death warrants, prison officials, judges, and the families of victims, the author demonstrates that there are only two truths: the law allowing executions is chaos and its application is as chancy as the lottery. In a fine and important book, Von Drehle writes elegantly and powerfully, having done an enormous amount of research. Shifting from micro to macro, the author zooms in for a riveting portrait of a wonderfully decent and intelligent prison warden before stepping back to look at the judicial system. Surprisingly, there are many heroes--notably, the skilled, dedicated, principled lawyers on both sides of the issue. Some of the condemned are monsters, but judges who ignore their own law and sentence with bizarre inconsistency seem to be the real villains. Anyone certain of their opinion about the death penalty ought to read this book, and most libraries should buy it. Thomas Gaughan

About this edition

• Publisher: Crown
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 0812921666
• ISBN 13: 9780812921663
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 469