Not a bad book, but not a good one, either. Galvin's crime writer background (as indicated by the bookjacket interior) shows itself on every other page with ham-fisted attempts to inject levity into stories about criminality and death and the occasional sprinkling of the word "punk" into the narrative. The structure is repetitious and flat, but the subject matter itself is juicy and well-researched enough to mostly keep you reading.

Finally: Galvin? Writes a book about the electric chair? Really?6 s Susan “Sam”57

Multiple typos, inaccuracies and extremely poor editing. Don't waste your time.criminology needs-an-editor waste-of-time-paper-ink-or-mb4 s Charles Lehman11 11

Poorly researched, poorly sourced, poorly written. an extended high school history paper, with cutesy title and 9th grade language skills to match.3 s LibraryCin2,381 53

This book not only looks at the electric chair, but it starts off looking at hanging as a punishment. In the late 19th century, in the US, they were looking to replace hanging as the default punishment for anyone sentenced to death. The author starts by looking at hangings and why they thought it should be replaced. Over all the decades that the electric chair was used (it has only ever been used in the US), it was never upgraded or improved. There was a moratorium on the death penalty in the late 60s until 1976, but even then, there needed to be more rules governing when it would or could be used. Also, in 1976, states were looking at replacing the chair, primarily with lethal injection.

The book points out the issues with all three of these types of capital punishment. They can all be botched, badly, even when trying to find the most “humane” way to administer the death penalty. The book looks at notable cases where the electric chair was used – Ted Bundy being the one name I recognized. They also looked at the youngest child (a 14-year old innocent black boy) to be put to death, and also the youngest girl (16 or 17, I think). The author also has two chapters near the end on innocent people being put to death.

Not exactly Christmas reading, but I found this really interesting. Having always lived in a country that doesn’t have the death penalty, I have waffled. Must admit – it doesn’t make me sad that Ted Bundy was put to death. However, when you hear of innocent people, I’m not convinced. And innocent people being put to death may be a higher number than people want to believe. It’s also more expensive to hold someone on death row (I knew that already). I was horrified to read that – even when there is additional evidence found to prove that someone is innocent, the Supreme Court is ok with that innocent person being put to death! As long as they were convicted in a proper trial, there is no need to release them! It would require a new trial, but that will only happen if the trial was not done properly the first time around. THAT is horrifying. capital-punishment crime criminals ...more2 s Nikki in Niagara4,027 147

An engrossing read from start to finish. The book narrows down its focus quite quickly but does start broadly to illustrate how the author arrives at his premise. Starting with worldwide execution methods throughout history, Galvin quickly travels through medieval and renaissance Europe, then particularly Britain from whence the colonists brought their preferred execution styles with them to the new world. For most of Britain and it's colonies, hanging became the civilized method and was used almost exclusively in the US until a time when Britain was perfecting the method. What was the US to do? Follow Britain again? Was hanging the most humane method of execution? The French had the guillotine, the Spanish the garrotte, and the firing squad has been used in most civilized countries even up to today. But the US went a very American direction and invented a uniquely American device that is associated with the US only, the electric chair. This book then tells the making of, history of, use of, moratorium on, reinstatement of, replacement of by more modern technology, and the possibilities of its comeback. Quite fascinating stuff whether reading about Edison and Westinghouse's quarrels about A/C vs D/C electrical currents, reading about botched executions, prisoner's last meals, or case studies of numerous individuals who ended up in the electric chair.

One thing this book is not, is an argument pro or con death penalty. For the largest part the author presents an entirely unbiased introduction of the facts; he uses a slight bit of gallows humour which is expected in these types of writings. Personally, I am against any form of capital punishment for any reason and yet I found Galvin's writing style informative and entertaining. The last few chapters Galvin does seem to press heavy that the current state of affairs does need change/reform and here he loses his bias as he does lean more one way than the other, but his information is interesting, even if one tempers his statistics as over keen especially as he heavily pushes the innocent quotient. But these are realistic thoughts to be thinking of going forward: 1: the EU's refusal to sell lethal injection drugs to the US; supplies are currently already low; 2) the research data that concludes lethal injection has probably been one of the most painful methods of execution the US has ever used, hanging was more efficient, beheading is most humane; and 3) 1 in 25 death row inmates is innocent of the crime for which they have been sentenced to death. None of these factors affect any change in my own opinions as they are based on my faith which cannot be swayed. The majority of the book though is about the past, that which happened, without any judgement and is an exciting book to read. I read the first whole half in one evening! 2 s Katherine AddisonAuthor 17 books3,066

History of the electric chair. Badly copy-edited and mostly surface-y, facile, and kind of gossipy in tone, except for the last chapter where he talks about what happens when executions go wrong, both for the electric chair and for lethal injection. That chapter was horrifying, but also the most interesting chapter in the book.20th-century 21st-century2 s David Wright392 4

I was really looking forward to reading this book. Having a morbid curiosity for the darker side of human nature, this was always going to grab my attention.
The book details a brief history of the electric chair, it's victims and a little of the alternative methods employed to execute the guilty around the world. There are some strange stories of things going wrong and some gruesome ways of enforcing 'justice' on the guilty. What let's this book down (and quite badly at times), is the terrible cobbling together of facts, haphazardly going over the same things, not just in the same chapter, but some times on the following page. There are almost contradictory statements from one point to the next (one chapter states that un England, the USA was not happy executing juveniles, only to start the very following chapter stating that there was no issue with juveniles facing execution)! You will often read things again and again, getting an almost Deja Vu feeling and wonder if there was any editing done in this book at all....
It is such a shame that this was so poorly 'executed' (yes, I went there), as the general information is fascinating and not put across in a boring way - although the bias towards non capital punishment is glaringly obvious and a touch preachy towards the end.

This is worth a read for fans of true crime, historical punishments and people interested in the darker side of humanity. If you can get past the terrible editing, there are things to learn and this may still be on sale which will be a much better deal as I'm not sure I would buy anything else from this author. 3.5 stars.1 Ana-Maria Bujor961 64

I read a lot about the criminal justice system and the death penalty and I can say this book did its job as an introduction. It presents brief details on the history of the death penalty, the history of the chair, some of the most notorious executions, as well as the controversies. The book never goes to gory details for the sake of it and never gets disrespectful. Also it raises some pretty good moral issues regarding innocence, suffering during execution and the actual role of the death penalty itself. A good read to be introduced to the topic.crime non-fiction1 Papaphilly267 68

Not a bad bad book by any means. Yet it is a bit of a misnomer. It calls itself a history of the death penalty and electric chair, but there is plenty of other material that is not either and it is nothing but filler. It is not that it is bad, but the filler is not needed. This could have been much more in depth searched and enjoyable, but it is just pedestrian. This is a People Magazine version of both an important subject and history.history law micro-history ...more1 Russ270 7

A fascinating book. Only 4 stars because there was too much (in my opinion) technical explanation plus the debate over capital punishment. Capital punishment, in many forms, some bizarre, goes back many centuries in many countries.
I was more interested in some of more well known cases and the circumstances surrounding them. Some of the executions went well, while others didn't. Some went peacefully, some went kicking and screaming. Famous last words of the last person to be electrocuted..."Pog mo thoin" in Gaelic.




















1 Karen57 6

This book was extremely disappointing. While the subject matter was fascinating and the topics covered in each chapter interesting, it was poorly written and in desperate need of a good editor. Chapters seemed to be written in isolation from each other, often repeating verbatim something mentioned just a few pages before and at times within the same chapter just a few paragraphs before! There was one chapter where a particular case was discussed over two or three pages and the name of the accused kept changing from Atkins to Aikens and back again. If you’re looking for a good book to read on the electric chair, this isn’t it. Keep looking.1 Anthony Ambruso278 2

Shocking

This was an interesting history told in a sometimes light-hearted manner. I think the facts were presented in a dispassionate tone. I look forward to the day when the U.S. no longer executes criminals.1 Chris Rutledge42 7

An interesting overview of capital punishment, but pretty poorly written. 1 Claudia1,220 39

Sounds the name of the family dog who has been around for years but the author is actually referring to the original three versions of the electric chair. Well, there really hasn't been any modifications once Davis - the first New York State electric executioner - finished his feature adjustments just before the turn of the century.

Galvin provides numerous tales of various individuals who met their ends via the electric chair. The first man being William Kemmler. The first woman, Lizzie Halliday. A day in Kentucky when seven men - one-after-another - met their ends. And sadly, the execution of 14-year-old George Stinney. There are the botched executions - which are simply horrific.

The author goes into the history of the death penalty over the centuries as well as previous forms of execution - hanging, stoning, guillotine, firing squad, cannon (seriously), burning, beheading, and quite the variety of inflicting death upon individuals. Then there is the Gerry Commission or the New York Electrical Death Commission - who investigated all those ways and more in an attempt to find the most effective method of capital punishment.

Galvin really doesn't go into much detail - in many cases, there could be a few less, especially when dealing with the actual executions. For those that think that lethal injections are more humane, he also reveals where these forms failed to perform as expected. Partly due to the fact that those performing the procedure of inserting the IV were not medically trained. It would be a conflict of interest to be a healer and yet be involved in the execution of another human being.

Today - or rather in 2015 when the book was published - capital punishment is a controversial topic. The electric chair - still an option in several states (inmates on death row determine whether to die in the chair or by lethal injection) - could be making a comeback as the chemicals used in the lethal injection option are becoming difficult to obtain. The only manufacturer is in Europe and the EU has forbidden the export of them for the use in capital punishment.

Or maybe the possible sentence of death will be removed from the law books across all states. Maybe.

2022-005only-the-one y2022 z2022-nf-challenge1 Murrie Redman22

While reading about global capital punishment, I felt disgusted that so-called decent, "moral" human beings devise ways of killing criminals in the name of legal justice and I was also fascinated but laden with guilt at the same time. A life for a life is but one biblical viewpoint for the treatment of offenders. And while we do have to keep killers "off the streets", it is also a fact that four percent of those killed in the name of justice are innocent. Finding that out later is too late. Did you know that it takes three charges in the electric chair amid internal burning vital organs to "execute" a human being? Not painless! Learn the facts about botched executions and that non medically trained personnel administer lethal injections that may not, therefore, be as painless as you would hope. It appears that the old guillotine is the most messy, but the most painless form of killing. In our enlightened society, we should all be ashamed of calling capital punishment, justice no matter the crime. And did you know, it costs, by far, much more to execute a prisoner than it does to keep them incarcerated for their life? Check the figures. This book is a must read for today's socially aware folks. Linda Appelbaum519 5

This interesting book went into the history of capital punishment and development of the electric chair and other methods of capital punishment. It relayed several cases and showed how nothing is really perfect when it comes to killing a prisoner, even old sparky is imperfect and can lead to rather nasty developments. One think that really struck me is that the Supreme Court will not nullify a pronouncement of the death penalty if after that decision has been determined proof of innocence is found. It is up to the lower courts, prosecutor, etc, to set a new trial to exonerate the prisoner! So innocent people can still be executed and indeed many have been. Rather shocking! Gareth Thomas8

Fortunately, the well researched content outweighs the awkward writing style: too many dad jokes. The content is gripping enough to make the book hard to put down and you're treated to a detailed history of the the death penalty in the US including various firsts, lasts, youngests, oldests etc. By its nature there are some fairly gory details - to be honest, I suspect that this will be appealing to anyone who even considers reading the title (you can't be expecting a fairy tale!). Worth a read. Mrs. Eileen M. Babb60

Old Sparky

A very insightful book both from a philosophical and psychological point of view it covers the subject from all types of victims ie juveniles the innocent the retarded and the blatantly guilty it also demonstrates that man's inhumanity and compassion to his fellow man is alive and well in the 21st century it also explores the old chestnut of nature/nurture are some people born bad or does inequality and circumstances make them that way. All in all.a very interesting read Tim Franklin1 review

Very interesting look at an old custom in the United States. Most revealing was the fact one in twenty five are innocent and even if new evidence ie dna, they can still be executed as dictated by the supreme court. Very valuable read.


Some countries have moved away from capital punishment while America being plagued by mass atrocities has leaned towards it. This intrigues me as an emotional dilemma for past and future.

Candace2 1 follower

This book was very well written and I found it to be very interesting, decently a page turner!!!

I chose a rating of five stars because it was a book that I could not put down, it was very interesting to say the least. The book was very well written and researched. A lot of work and deadaction went into writing the book. I would recommend this book to family and friends. Thank you for this great book!!!! Thumbs up!!!
Kim Stiegel138

Fascinating and chilling subject matter, and I learned a lot, but this book was exceptionally poorly edited (in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't actually edited at all). There were dozens of misspellings, grammar mistakes, unnecessary/ cluttered wording, and the exact same content was used in multiple places. Overall, this book feels a very lengthy middle school-level essay. It's quite a shame, because this book could otherwise have been excellent!i-own-this-book Phyllis Wright1,552 18

This book tells one things you would never think to ask, I can tell you. I have a vivid imagination but damn! What stands out is the elephant, Topsy, and of course all of those poor stray dogs used by names I wouldn't ever thought... It may take some time to not think about what I have read as much, if ever. This may be one of those things that can be better off not knowing about, because now that I do? There are no words. Joe218 1 follower

Interesting book and pretty well researched. However, I wish the author would have enlisted the assistance of someone with an electrical engineering background; there were a couple of factual errors early in the book. The author is clearly against the death penalty but made a decent attempt to not make that overly obvious.misc Lacey Conrad234 2

I find it horrifying that the federal government says it is constitutional for innocent people to be executed if they have been found guilty in a fair trial, despite whatever new evidence comes to light. I am still rather torn on the death penalty, but this book was really informative and certainly leaves me able to form an educated opinion. Darel Krieger428

I thought this was a really good book. Lots of history on capitol punishment and what led to the use of lethal injection as the preferred method to use in death penalty cases. I could have done without the author's preachiness at the end on whether the death penalty and the methods used to carry it out were humane and that eventually it may be done away with etc etc. Bob Buice20

Interesting read. However, I wonder about his facts. He indicated the New York uses lethal injection. In fact, we do not have a death penalty in New York. The State Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional. The governor closed down death row and eliminated the killings apparatus. I view many of his facts with caution. Tan196 1 follower

I only made it through parts of the first four chapters. This book requires a stronger stomach than I have. I can't imagine why I thought I would a book about the electric chair, and (as it turns out) the death penalty in general, plus means of delivering it. In case you read the book, I got as far as "shooting from a cannon" and then returned it to Audible.books-i-couldn-t-finish Matt560

Good informative book on the history and process of the death penalty in America.
The book starts with the last execution by Old Sparky and then backtracks to the start and how the electric chair came to be.
The book covers some of the more well known executions and some of the stranger 1’s.
It is written in a neutral way and is neither for or against capital punishment. Caprice139 1 follower

Simple typos and/or poor editing made me question the validity of the information, with which this book is packed solid. I would have really d to have used the book as a recommendation and reference since my job entails interpreting capital punishment but I cannot with high confidence; unless I cross referenced every date, stat, and case presented. Ben EastAuthor 2 books10

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