Reviews for Victims of Crime and Punishment: Interviews With Victims, Convicts, Their Families, and Support Groups

The average rating for Victims of Crime and Punishment: Interviews With Victims, Convicts, Their Families, and Support Groups based on 2 reviews is 5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2021-02-21 00:00:00 Ray Seekin Written with the assistance of Dr. Mudd's grandson, whose lifetime goal was to clear his grandfather's name. This book contains some real insights into the mind of slaveholders such as Dr. Mudd. He was reported to have treated his slaves well, but "put a little buckshot" into the thigh of one unruly slave. A confederate sympathizer, Mudd nevertheless did take the loyalty oath and voted for a union candidate in the 1864 elections. Those interested in medical ethics must consider the doctor's obligation to treat an injured man (Booth) along with his delay in reporting the whereabouts of a known federal fugitive. Those interested in legal procedure should take pause with the decision to try civilians before a military tribunal with no right for the accused to testify on their own behalf. Less than 3 months passed between the assassination, trial, and execution of some of the co conspirators. Dr. Mudd redeemed himself by his selfless care for others during the prison yellow fever epidemic. A good book with some historical inaccuracies. For example, the emancipation proclamation did not free any slaves in union controlled territory such as Maryland. Mudd's slaves must have walked away on their own accord.

Review # 2 was written on 2010-07-24 00:00:00 Kerri Sweetman Full disclosure: I work with Randy. Randy is a pioneer of comics librarianship. For decades he was the sole banner-carrier confronting the profession with its unjustifiable marginalization of comics. Always of good humor, though, his assessment of the issue here is never mean-spirited. It's funny and fun to read. His hard work and high spirits have paid off, with comics librarianship being an accepted specialization in the field, if still a rare job. Randy has worked harder, however, on the actual work of being a comics librarian. He's built the largest collection of comic books in the nation, a huge collection of comic strips, and a huge collection of scholarship on comics. MSU Libraries attracts scholars from far and wide because of Randy's life's work. His book represents the foundation of where he's coming from: basic ideas on why and how to do comics librarianship. As he has been a pioneering librarian, this is a pioneering book for it's day, but Randy acknowledges how out of date it is. He's been approached about a second edition, but says it would take a complete re-write, something he'd consider doing in retirement, but not right now when there's actual comics library work to be done. Nevertheless, anyone interested in comics librarianship, its history, or how to challenge the biased assumptions of the library profession should read this.