Over six decades after the polemical Sacco and Vanzetti case, in which the two anarchist Italian immigrants were convicted of first-degree murder and executed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Young and Kaiser revisit the case's evidence as well as the key actors who determined its outcome. The authors situate their meticulous reexamination of the court evidence and prosecuting and defense arguments within the long-standing dispute between political leftists and conservatives regarding the integrity of the conviction, edifying the left's accusations of anti-Italianism and anti-anarchism. Their analysis magnifies both the likelihood of contrived evidence and the fallibility of our criminal justice system's impartiality, pointing to important questions concerning the nature of a fair trial and the influence of prejudice and politics in juridical processes. As such, Postmortem functions as a detailed introduction to the infamous 1921 Sacco and Vanzetti trial as well as a meditation on enduring dilemmas of the American judicial branch.
About the Author :
WILLIAM YOUNG was an American researcher and author who dedicated much of his professional career to investigating historical cases, particularly the controversial Sacco-Vanzetti trial of the 1920s. Young spent decades researching archival materials and gathering evidence related to the case, becoming one of the foremost authorities on this seminal American legal controversy. Shortly before his death in 1980, Young entrusted his accumulated materials and investigative findings to David E. Kaiser.
DAVID E. KAISER is an American historian and author whose scholarly work has encompassed a broad range of historical topics, from European military history and warfare to American legal history and culture. He has held academic positions including roles at the Naval War College, where he served as a faculty member in the Department of Strategy and Policy. Kaiser's work demonstrates his commitment to rigorous historical analysis and engagement with contested historical narratives. He maintains an active blog, "History Unfolding," through which he continues to comment on historical and contemporary issues.
Review :
"From now on it will be unnecessary for the friends of Sacco and Vanzetti to be defensive. The established likelihoods are now overwhelmingly on their side. The onus of proof is once more on their enemies' shoulders, and a heavy burden they will find it. Perhaps, rather than struggle with it, they will at last give up the bad job, and honourably admit defeat."--(London) Times Literary Supplement
"This concise, clearly written and cogently argued book may bring to a close six decades of controversy. . . . Postmortem is cool and unemotional. It sets forth but does not dwell upon the political atmosphere surrounding the case. . . . it is a psychological drama involving a prejudiced judge, a crafty district attorney, a defense lawyer who overplayed his hand, and slovenly policemen who cut corners when the facts did not fit their presuppositions. On the deepest level, this book like its several impressive predecessors is a testament to the enduring American passion to learn the truth and to do justice, even if posthumously."--Washington Post Book World
