xxi, 469 pages ; 23 cm

"Recently updated and derived from more than 100 in-depth interviews and tens of thousands of pages of documentary material, Among the Lowest of the Dead gives readers an unprecedented look into the actual workings of the modern system of capital punishment. No other book covers the subject as completely, from the grim confines of death row to the lofty precincts of the federal courts; from the passions of death penalty opponents to the cool deliberations of governors and wardens; from the warped minds of the killers to the endless sorrow left in the wake of their crimes. David von Drehle, a Washington Post journalist, strives to present an honest picture, rather than arguing a case. Through meticulous detail and strong narrative, Among the Lowest of the Dead offers a broad introduction to the complex human politics of capital punishment while showing why the death penalty system remains--nearly 30 years after its overhaul--costly, slow and unpredictable. Using the specific experience of a single state over a turbulent decade--Florida in the 1980s-- Among the Lowest of the Dead portrays complex controversies through intimate, human stories. All of the major issues surrounding the subject--political pressures, wrongful conviction, the byzantine appeals process, inconsistent sentencing, the difficulty of determining defendants' mental capacity and moral culpability, and more--are covered in a book that has been required reading in settings as diverse as freshman seminars and judicial orientations. Among the Lowest of the Dead is ideal for students and scholars interested in criminology, legal advocacy, religion, and the new literary journalism."--Publisher's website

Originally published in 1995 by Times Books, a division of Random House, Inc

Includes bibliographical references (pages 423-449) and index

Part 1. Loose the fateful lightning -- pt. 2. Dancing on the head of a pin -- pt. 3. A failure of execution

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