The last hangman

David R. Dow’s 2010 book The Autobiography of an Executionpresents an enthralling true crime narrative in which the author takes the reader into the world of prisons, the complex minds of judges, execution-administration chambers, and the experiences of death row inmates.

In doing so, Dow sheds light on an underexplored but important facet of society, providing insight into unexpected phenomena, such as the way even religious justices and lawyers can express deeply rooted support for the death penalty.

In The Autobiography of an Execution, Dow makes explicit the high stakes surrounding each word and action when someone’s fate of life or death is being decided.

Dow, who has represented more than one hundred death row inmates over twenty years, begins by highlighting some of the current trends surrounding the death penalty.

Statistics from the Death Penalty Information Center reveal that support for the death penalty is declining and that 88 perc