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Reviews
Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy by Heather Ann Thompson
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.
jonfriesen78's review against another edition
5.0
A great, detailed, and timely history that everyone should read.
rebecca316's review against another edition
3.0
3.5. Really worth reading, but the second half could have been much more compelling with some tighter editing.
sujuv's review against another edition
5.0
I'd heard the chant "Attica" but never knew what it meant until I picked up Blood in the Water (thanks for the recommendation Marc Weingarten)- one of the finest nonfiction books I've read. A moving, comprehensive, revelatory (to me at least) telling of the lead up to the uprising at Attica prison in 1971, the unnecessarily violent retaking, the horrific abuse meted out on inmates as revenge by guards and state troopers, and the decades long fight for justice by inmates and former hostages. A damning indictment of a system of mass incarceration that has unfortunately only become worse over time and under the leadership of AG Session, is set to hit new levels of bad. And despite the seriousness and difficulty of the subject matter, it's wonderfully written and an easy read. Well worth picking up.
thecuriosityhourpodcast's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.75