Pulitzer Prize History Winner
Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy
by Heather Ann Thompson
Summary
Heather Ann Thompson delivers a detailed account of the 1971 Attica prison uprising, the violent retaking of the facility, and the long cover up that followed. She draws on records the state tried to keep sealed to show how prisoners, hostages, and their families fought for the truth for decades. The book matters because it ties one bloody event to the wider story of mass incarceration and the failure of prison reform in America.
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Historical Context & Significance
Thompson's book won both the Pulitzer Prize for History and the Bancroft Prize in 2017.