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.
Last Words of the Executed is not a political book. Rather, Elder simply
asks readers to listen closely to these voices that echo history. The
result is a riveting, moving testament from the darkest corners of
society.
