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Reviews
Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy by Heather Ann Thompson
ttodd86's review against another edition
4.0
An intricately detailed history of the Attica riot from its root causes through the absurdly drawn out legal fights that were its aftermath. Sadly, although you want to be able to read this thinking "these events happened a long time ago," they are not limited to the past. The legal maneuvering by the state ended only very recently and much of the sentiment expressed by some of the key figures in the early 1970s sounds very similar to some of the rhetoric we hear today.
My only criticism of this book is that it is a very long book that seems to read even longer, if that makes sense. It took me an extremely long time to finish this book compared against my usual reading pace. Some of this is due to the subject matter, but I think some of this is also due to the writing. There are a lot of redundancies in the text -- some of this is necessary in a long and complicated work for reader clarity, but I felt like here it was just too much, at least in the case of some of the prisoners. I think this book would have benefitted a lot from a list at the front that would have eliminated the need for some of the redundancy and perhaps created a smoother, and more engaging read.
That said, this is an important book with an amazing amount of work and research behind it.
My only criticism of this book is that it is a very long book that seems to read even longer, if that makes sense. It took me an extremely long time to finish this book compared against my usual reading pace. Some of this is due to the subject matter, but I think some of this is also due to the writing. There are a lot of redundancies in the text -- some of this is necessary in a long and complicated work for reader clarity, but I felt like here it was just too much, at least in the case of some of the prisoners. I think this book would have benefitted a lot from a list at the front that would have eliminated the need for some of the redundancy and perhaps created a smoother, and more engaging read.
That said, this is an important book with an amazing amount of work and research behind it.
nderiley's review against another edition
3.0
DNF bc my library loan ran out, but this was sad and interesting. Extremely well researched - it's appalling how much the police were able to get away with in their cover up.
gemrvn's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
5.0
alliebex's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
tense
medium-paced
5.0
This book is heartbreaking, especially as you read and consider the conditions of prisons now, over 50 years after the Attica event. The writing is excellent; keeps you engaged in this story spanning decades and hundreds of different individuals who found themselves impacted, one way or another.
jarrahivy's review against another edition
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
5.0
This book was incredibly well-researched but contained some of the most harrowing descriptions I've ever read. I frequently read true crime novels and still struggled to get through parts of this book. I will have nightmares about the things I read, but I think this is SUCH a necessary read. The first 50% of the book flew by with an account of the before, during, and aftermath. The second half regarding the subsequent investigations and lawsuits was definitely tougher to get through. Don't be deterred by the number of pages, there's over 100 pages of acknowledgements.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, Police brutality, Torture, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Gore, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, and Violence
rkmelcher's review against another edition
4.0
A disturbing, important book rich with detail (sometimes shocking detail) and information. Sometimes a bit of a slog, hence why it took me months to finish.