Author Description
"Superb."—Kurt Vonnegut "Wicker's story though could not be more vital today.... A Time To Die compels us to understand the inhumanity of prisons in America, one of the greatest injustices of our time, and of a state that has no compunction about murdering prisoners and jailers alike. Think Attica forty years ago, think Pelican Bay today. Then act."—Michael Ratner, president, Center for Constitutional Rights "[ A Time to Die 's] lessons about the racist underpinnings of mass incarceration, about the cynical politics that determine life-or-death decisions, and about the conditions that deny prisoners their basic humanity—are as relevant today as when it was first published."—Liliana Segura, associate editor, The Nation In September 1971 the inmates of Attica prison revolted, took hostages, and forced the authorities into four days of desperate negotiation. At the outset the rebels demanded—and were granted—the presence of a group of observers to act as unofficial mediators. Tom Wicker, then the associate editor of The New York Times, was one of those summoned. In four crucial days, he learned more, saw more, and felt more than in most of the rest of his life. In the end, a police attack was launched, and as a result dozens of prisoners, as well as prison employees, were killed. Tom Wicker, a former reporter, Washington bureau chief, and columnist for The New York Times, is the author of several books, including On the Record. He lives in Rochester, Vermont.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
This work investigates the systemic failures and political motivations that culminated in the violent suppression of the 1971 Attica prison uprising. Tom Wicker, a prominent journalist for The New York Times, utilizes his firsthand experience as an observer during the four-day standoff to construct a detailed account of the negotiations and the subsequent state-sanctioned assault. The book argues that the tragedy was not an isolated event but a manifestation of deep-seated institutional inhumanity and racial inequality within the American carceral system.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- A chronological reconstruction of the four-day Attica prison revolt in September 1971.
- Analysis of the negotiation process between inmates, state authorities, and civilian observers.
- Documentation of the political pressures influencing the decision to launch a lethal police attack.
Scope Limits
- The narrative is primarily filtered through Wicker's personal perspective as a journalist and observer.
- The text does not provide an exhaustive legal history of the post-revolt litigation or individual criminal trials.
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Experts and critics frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the intersection of media, politics, and the American prison system. Readers often note the intensity of the prose, which captures the urgency and moral complexity of the crisis from an eyewitness vantage point.
Page Count:
432
Publication Date:
1978-10-26
Publisher:
Penguin Books Ltd
ISBN-10:
014004275X
ISBN-13:
9780140042757
History
True Crime
Sociology
American History
Prison Reform
Scientists