Praise for Heather Ann Thompson's Blood in the Water

Gripping . . . Not all works of history have something to say so directly to the present, but Heather Ann Thompson's Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy, which deals with racial conflict, mass incarceration, police brutality and dissembling politicians, reads like it was special-ordered for the sweltering summer of 2016. But there's nothing partisan or argumentative about Blood in the Water. The power of this superb work of history comes from its methodical mastery of interviews, transcripts, police reports and other documents, covering 35 years, many released only reluctantly by government agencies . . . It's Ms. Thompson's achievement, in this remarkable book, to make us understand why this one group of prisoners [rebelled], and how many others shared the cost. -Mark Oppenheimer, The New York Times

Chilling, and in places downright shocking . . . [Thompson] tells the story of the riot and its aftermath with precision and momentum. -Bryan Burrough, The Wall Street Journal

A masterly account . . . Essential . . . Blood in the Water restores [the prisoners'] struggle to its rightful place in our collective memory. -James Forman Jr., The New York Times Book Review

A long, memorable chronicle . . . dense with new information . . . Thompson's capacity for close observation and her honesty [are] impressive. -Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker

Masterful. -Lewis M. Steel, The Nation

Thompson's book is a masterpiece of historical research; it is thoroughly researched, extensively documented and reads like a novel . . . Magnificent. -Terry Hartle, The Christian Science Monitor

Heather Ann Thompson tracked down long-hidden files related to the tragedy at Attica-some of which have since disappeared-to tell the saga in its full horror. -Larry Getlen, New York Post

Writing with cinematic clarity from meticulously sourced material, [Thompson] brilliantly exposes the realities of the Attica prison uprising . . . Thompson's superb and thorough study serves as a powerful tale of the search for justice in the face of the abuses of institutional power. -Publishers Weekly Review of the Day (starred review)

[A] real eye-opener for readers whose interest in Attica and knowledge of what happened ended when the headlines receded . . . Compelling . . . Sensitive . . . Impressively authoritative and thoughtfully composed. -Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Blood in the Water is extraordinary-a true gift to the written history of civil rights and racial justice struggles in America. -Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

Remarkable. Blood in the Water is a historical tour de force. It sheds new light on these most important historical events, events that in part triggered the wave of exponential prison growth today. For those of us who have been tracing the rise of mass incarceration in this country, Heather Ann Thompson's book is a must read. -Bernard E. Harcourt, Professor of Law and Political Science at Columbia University

Heather Ann Thompson wields the powers of the historian with mesmerizing force. Forty-five years after the Attica uprising, Blood in the Water offers the most complete history to date on that tragic episode and does so with unflinching purpose: a clearer view of the consequences for human life, both past and present. -Glenn E. Martin, Founder and President of JustLeadershipUSA

Blood in the Water tells of warning signs in 1971 that still exist more than forty years later. Heather Ann Thompson's prophetic analysis is a sobering reminder that we must all care about what is happening to human beings behind prison walls. -Soffiyah Elijah, Executive Director of the Correctional Association of New York

From the Hardcover edition.