Last words of the executed / Robert K. Elder ; with a foreword by Studs Terkel.

By:

Elder, Robert K [author.]

Contributor(s):

Terkel, Studs, 1912-2008 [writer of foreword.]

Material type: Text

TextPublication details: Chicago ; London : The University of Chicago Press, 2010.Description: 1 online resource (xi, 301 pages)Content type:

text

Media type:

computer

Carrier type:

online resource

ISBN:

9780226202693
0226202690
9780226202686
0226202682

Subject(s):

Genre/Form:

Additional physical formats: Print version:: Last words of the executed.DDC classification:

082 22

LOC classification:

PN6328.L3 E43 2010eb

Online resources:

Click here to access online

Contents:

The noose -- The firing squad -- The electric chair -- The gas chamber -- Lethal injection.

Summary: "Some beg for forgiveness. Others claim innocence. At least three cheer for their favorite football teams. Death waits for us all, but only those sentenced to death know the day and the hour--and only they can be sure that their last words will be recorded for posterity. Last Words of the Executed presents an oral history of American capital punishment, as heard from the gallows, the chair, and the gurney. The product of seven years of extensive research by journalist Robert K. Elder, the book explores the cultural value of these final statements and asks what we can learn from them. We hear from both the famous--such as Nathan Hale, Joe Hill, Ted Bundy, and John Brown--and the forgotten, and their words give us unprecedented glimpses into their lives, their crimes, and the world they inhabited. Organized by era and method of execution, these final statements range from heartfelt to horrific. Some are calls for peace or cries against injustice; others are accepting, confessional, or consoling; still others are venomous, rage-fueled diatribes. Even the chills evoked by some of these last words are brought on in part by the shared humanity we can't ignore, their reminder that we all come to the same end, regardless of how we arrive there."--Provided by publisher.

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Item type	Home library	Collection	Call number	Materials specified	Status	Date due	Barcode
Electronic-Books	OPJGU Sonepat- Campus	E-Books EBSCO			Available

Includes bibliographical references (pages 283-286) and index.

Online resource; title from e-book title screen (EBL platform, viewed April 7, 2016).

"Some beg for forgiveness. Others claim innocence. At least three cheer for their favorite football teams. Death waits for us all, but only those sentenced to death know the day and the hour--and only they can be sure that their last words will be recorded for posterity. Last Words of the Executed presents an oral history of American capital punishment, as heard from the gallows, the chair, and the gurney. The product of seven years of extensive research by journalist Robert K. Elder, the book explores the cultural value of these final statements and asks what we can learn from them. We hear from both the famous--such as Nathan Hale, Joe Hill, Ted Bundy, and John Brown--and the forgotten, and their words give us unprecedented glimpses into their lives, their crimes, and the world they inhabited. Organized by era and method of execution, these final statements range from heartfelt to horrific. Some are calls for peace or cries against injustice; others are accepting, confessional, or consoling; still others are venomous, rage-fueled diatribes. Even the chills evoked by some of these last words are brought on in part by the shared humanity we can't ignore, their reminder that we all come to the same end, regardless of how we arrive there."--Provided by publisher.

The noose -- The firing squad -- The electric chair -- The gas chamber -- Lethal injection.

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