BLOOD IN THE WATER

The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy

THE PULITZER PRIZE IN HISTORY, 2017 · BANCROFT PRIZE IN AMERICAN HISTORY AND DIPLOMACY 2017 · RIDENHOUR BOOK PRIZE 2017 · NEW YORK CITY BAR ASSOCIATION AWARD 2016 · MEDIA FOR A JUST SOCIETY BOOK AWARD 2017 · LAW AND LITERATURE BOOK AWARD, 2017 · J. WILLARD HURST AWARD IN SOCIO-LEGAL HISTORY, 2017 · SILVER GAVEL AWARD FOR MEDIA AND THE ARTS (HONORABLE MENTION MAY, 2017) · NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST 2016 · LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE FINALIST 2017 · CUNDILL BOOK PRIZE LONGLIST 2017 · NEW YORK TIMES, PAPERBACK ROW, 2017 · SEATTLE TIMES, TOP TEN NON-FICTION, 2017 · NEW YORK TIMES MOST NOTABLE BOOKS OF 2016 · TOP TEN BEST BOOKS OF 2016 PUBLISHERS WEEKLY · TOP TEN BEST WORKS OF NON FICTION OF 2016 KIRKUS REVIEWS · TOP TEN BOOKS OF 2016 NEWSWEEK · BEST HUMAN RIGHTS BOOKS OF 2016 · BEST HISTORY BOOKS OF 2016 BLOOMBERG · BEST BOOKS OF 2016 BOSTON GLOBE · BEST NONFICTION BOOKS 2016 CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR · FAVORITE BOOKS 2016 BUFFALO NEWS · TOP TEN NON-LOCAL BOOKS OF 2016 BALTIMORE CITY PAPER · BEST BOOKS 2016 THE UNDEFEATED · BEST CRIMINAL JUSTICE BOOKS 2016 THE MARSHALL PROJECT · BEST NONFICTION BOOKS 2016 BOOK SCROLLING · CURATOR PICK BEST OF 2016, THE SMITHSONIAN · BEST BOOKS OF 2016, TROPICS OF META · AMAZON, #1 BESTSELLER LAW ENFORCEMENT · STARRED REVIEWS: KIRKUS REVIEW, PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, LIBRARY JOURNAL · VARIOUS “STAFF PICKS” AT LOCAL BOOKSTORES INCLUDING BARNES & NOBLE UNION SQUARE, MAINE BOOK SHOP AND CAFE, NORTHSHIRE BOOKSTORE, ETC.

blood in the water, pulitzer prize, heather ann thompson, attica, book

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THE FIRST DEFINITIVE HISTORY OF THE INFAMOUS 1971 ATTICA PRISON UPRISING, THE STATE’S VIOLENT RESPONSE, AND THE VICTIMS’ DECADES-LONG QUEST FOR JUSTICE.

On September 9, 1971, nearly 1,300 prisoners took over the Attica Correctional Facility in upstate New York to protest years of mistreatment. Holding guards and civilian employees hostage, the prisoners negotiated with officials for improved conditions during the four long days and nights that followed.

On September 13, the state abruptly sent hundreds of heavily armed troopers and correction officers to retake the prison by force. Their gunfire killed thirty-nine men—hostages as well as prisoners—and severely wounded more than one hundred others. In the ensuing hours, weeks, and months, troopers and officers brutally retaliated against the prisoners. And, ultimately, New York State authorities prosecuted only the prisoners, never once bringing charges against the officials involved in the retaking and its aftermath and neglecting to provide support to the survivors and the families of the men who had been killed.

Drawing from more than a decade of extensive research, historian Heather Ann Thompson sheds new light on every aspect of the uprising and its legacy, giving voice to all those who took part in this forty-five-year fight for justice: prisoners, former hostages, families of the victims, lawyers and judges, and state officials and members of law enforcement. Blood in the Water is the searing and indelible account of one of the most important civil rights stories of the last century.

PRAISE FOR HEATHER ANN THOMPSON’S BLOOD IN THE WATER

“Gripping . . . Not all works of history have something to say so directly to the present, but Heather Ann Thompson’s Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy, which deals with racial conflict, mass incarceration, police brutality and dissembling politicians, reads like it was special-ordered for the sweltering summer of 2016. But there’s nothing partisan or argumentative about Blood in the Water. The power of this superb work of history comes from its methodical mastery of interviews, transcripts, police reports and other documents, covering 35 years, many released only reluctantly by government agencies . . . It’s Ms. Thompson’s achievement, in this remarkable book, to make us understand why this one group of prisoners [rebelled], and how many others shared the cost.”
— Mark Oppenheimer, The New York Times

“Chilling, and in places downright shocking . . . [Thompson] tells the story of the riot and its aftermath with precision and momentum.”
— Bryan Burrough, The Wall Street Journal

“A masterly account . . . Essential . . . Blood in the Water restores [the prisoners’] struggle to its rightful place in our collective memory.”
— James Forman Jr., The New York Times Book Review

“A long, memorable chronicle . . . dense with new information . . . Thompson’s capacity for close observation and her honesty [are] impressive.”
— Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker

“Masterful.”
— Lewis M. Steel, The Nation

“Thompson’s book is a masterpiece of historical research; it is thoroughly researched, extensively documented and reads like a novel . . . Magnificent.”
— Terry Hartle, The Christian Science Monitor

“Heather Ann Thompson tracked down long-hidden files related to the tragedy at Attica—some of which have since disappeared—to tell the saga in its full horror.”
— Larry Getlen, New York Post

“Writing with cinematic clarity from meticulously sourced material, [Thompson] brilliantly exposes the realities of the Attica prison uprising . . . Thompson’s superb and thorough study serves as a powerful tale of the search for justice in the face of the abuses of institutional power.”
— Publishers Weekly Review of the Day (starred review)

“[A] real eye-opener for readers whose interest in Attica and knowledge of what happened ended when the headlines receded . . . Compelling . . . Sensitive . . . Impressively authoritative and thoughtfully composed.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Blood in the Water is extraordinary—a true gift to the written history of civil rights and racial justice struggles in America.”
— Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

“Remarkable... Blood in the Water is a historical tour de force. It sheds new light on these most important historical events, events that in part triggered the wave of exponential prison growth today. For those of us who have been tracing the rise of mass incarceration in this country, Heather Ann Thompson’s book is a must read.”
— Bernard E. Harcourt, Professor of Law and Political Science at Columbia University

“Heather Ann Thompson wields the powers of the historian with mesmerizing force. Forty-five years after the Attica uprising, Blood in the Water offers the most complete history to date on that tragic episode and does so with unflinching purpose: a clearer view of the consequences for human life, both past and present.”
— Glenn E. Martin, Founder and President of JustLeadershipUSA

“Blood in the Water tells of warning signs in 1971 that still exist more than forty years later. Heather Ann Thompson’s prophetic analysis is a sobering reminder that we must all care about what is happening to human beings behind prison walls.”
— Soffiyah Elijah, Executive Director of the Correctional Association of New York

media

TV

PBS/NPR/Pacifica (National), “Democracy Now!” Interview, live 9/9

WNET (PBS: New York), “Metrofocus,” Interview, aired 9/9

New York 1 (New York), “Inside City Hall,” Interview, aired 9/13

WIVB (CBS-TV: Buffalo), Interview, aired 9/13

WGRZ (NBC-TV: Buffalo), Interview, aired 9/13

WRNN-TV “Richard French Live,” Interview with Richard French, aired 9/13

WMHT (PBS: Albany), “New York Now,” 9/16

NBC (New York), “Weekend Today,” recommended in ‘Bill’s Books,’ 9/18

New York 1 (New York), “New York Times Close Up,” Interview, 9/17

C-SPAN (National), “Book-TV,” taping Roosevelt House event, 9/15

PBS (National), “Newshour,” interview with Jeff Brown, taped 9/13

RT, “On Contact,” 12/3

PBS (National), “Tavis Smiley Show,” 10/17

PBS, Interview during the Miami Book Fair, 11/19

PBS NewsHour, 12/21/16

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, 1/25/17

Pathways to Prison

The Detroit Journalism Collective: Detroit Incarceration

Click on Detroit: Michigan Professor Wins Pulitzer Prize

The New York Times

MLIVE, Pulitzer Prize Interview

RipRap, Interview with Heather Ann Thompson. June 17, 2017

CBS Sunday Morning. July 16, 2017

DIA 1967 Retrospect, July 21, 2017

Flashpoint, on the 1967 Rebellion. July 30, 2017

Need to Know, WXXI. October 5, 2017

Democracy Now. April 17, 2018

Michigan Media. June, 2020

RT News. September 22, 2020

Radio/Podcast

Publishers Weekly Radio, interview, 8/19

WNYC and PRI (NPR: National), “The Takeaway,” interview, 8/24

New York Times Book Review podcast, discussed by Jenny Schuessler, 8/28

WNBF (Binghamton), “Binghamton Now,” interview with Bob Joseph, 8/29

WURD Radio (Philadelphia), interview, 9/1

New York Times Book Review podcast, interview with Pamela Paul, 9/4

WICN 90.5 FM “The Public Eye,” interview with Al Vuona, 9/6

WNYC (NPR: New York), “The Leonard Lopate Show,” interview, 9/8

WCNY (NPR: Albany), “The Capitol Pressroom,” interview, air date 9/9

CBS Radio (National), “World News Roundup,” interview with Steve Kathan, 9/9

WHYY (NPR: Philadelphia), “Radio Times,” interview, 9/12

Focus on Albany, podcast interview, 9/13

WDET (NPR: Detroit), “Culture Shift,” 9/14

WEAA (NPR: Baltimore), “Marc Steiner Show,” interview, 9/14

WHYY (NPR: Philadelphia), “Radio Times,” ‘History in Review,’ 9/16

WATR (Connecticut), “Talk of the Town with Larry Rifkin,” interview, 9/20

Wisconsin Public Radio (NPR: National), “To the Best of Our Knowledge,” 9/26

WBUR (NPR: National), “On Point,” 9/28

WJNJ “The Law and Legal Issues”, interview with Fred Tromberg, 9/22, air date 9/30

WPFW-FM, interview with David Rabin, 9/27

WWOD (Washington, DC), “Get Up,” interview, air date tk

WOWD-LP (Maryland), interview with Michael Causey, airdate tk

Jefferson Public Radio (NPR: California), “The Jefferson Exchange,” 10/4

WDET (NPR: Detroit), “Detroit Today with Stephen Henderson,” 12/16

Woodstock Booktalk, interview with Martha Frankel, 10/12

WBTA (Batavia, NY) “Genesee Life”, interview with Lucine Kauffman, 10/12

Author Chats, interview with Elizabeth Kelley, 10/12

Michigan Public Radio (NPR), “Stateside,” 10/14

New Hampshire Public Radio, “Word of Mouth,” 10/14

Books, Beats and Beyond, interview with Taj Salaam, 10/17

Living Writers, interview with T Hetzel, 12/14

KPFK 90.7 “Beneath the Surface” (radio), interview, 10/28

KPFA Radio, “Upfront” 12/22/16

KPFA Radio “Letters and Politics”, interview, 11/1

WFAE (NPR: Charlotte), “Charlotte Talks,” 11/28

WUNC (NPR: Raleigh-Durham), “The State of Things,” 11/30

This is Hell! Radio, interview, 12/3

WITF, Smart Talk: Incarceration past and future, 1/3/17

NPR, All Things Considered, 2/5/17

WDET Detroit Today with Stephen Henderson: Pultizer Prize Winning Author Heather Ann Thompson Talks Attica and Mass Incarceration

Fulbright Podcast Book Review, 6/2/17

The Kathleen Dunne Show, 6/28/17

CBC–The Current. 8/1/17

Counterspin. 8/4/17

Dan Rather’s America, August 22, 2017

Matt Townsend Show, August 12, 2017

Jon Weiner Show, The Nation. October 5, 2017

Life of the Law, Getting Heard. Inside of San Quentin Prison.

Club Book. Episode, 67

Discussion of Blood in the Water with Kelly Lytle Hernandez. ALOUD. Los Angeles Public Library. January 18, 2018

The Michael Slate Show. February, 2018.

The Shorenstein Center for Media Policy. March 20, 2018

What's on your Summer Reading List? Vermont Public Radio. June 15, 2017

Book, Beats, and Beyond.

NPR Marketplace. April 12, 2019

Not a Pipe Podcast. May 23, 2019

The TakeAway, NPR. June 5, 2019

The Investigative Eye. August 4. 2019

Pandemics and Prison. May 7, 2020

A Conversation on Tulsa and the Long History of Dispossession of African Americans: What We Don’t Know. June 16, 2020

Perilous Chronicle. June 17, 2020

Urban Uprisings Against and Police. July 7, 2020

Reimagining Safety: Policing, Abolition, and the Future of Democracy. The Square One Justice Project. July 21, 2020

The Curious Man’s Podcast. July 28, 2020

Red, Blue, and Brady. September 2, 2020

Living on LOP. October 22, 2020

The Packaged Tourist. November 10, 2020

Haymarket Book Event: Police Violence, from the Black Panthers to Attica. December 16, 2020

Higher Ground Journeys. December 17, 2020

The Berkeley Socialist Behind Mass Incarceration. February 2, 2021

Attica 50 Years Later. National Lawyers Guild, Chicago. March 6, 2021

The Brief. April 7, 2021

Remembering Attica at the 50th Anniversary. Justice Talks. Sing Sing Museum. July 21, 2021

Print/Online

Shining Light on Civil Rights, Library Foundation of Los Angeles.

A Complete Story of Attica: At long last. New Politics.

On the Hard Path to Prison Reform: An Interview with Heather Ann Thompson. The Progressive.

The Millions, “Most Anticipated,” 7/13

Kirkus, starred review, 7/21

Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, news story by Gary Craig, online 8/13, in print 8/14

“New Book on Attica Uprising Will Reopen Old Wounds”

“Attica Yet to Give Up All Its Secrets”

Associated Press, news story by Michael Virtanen, on the wire 8/13

USA Today, major news story by Gary Craig, online 8/14, in print 8/15

Gawker, piece on the news reveals, 8/14

DailyMail.com, news story, 8/14

MSN, video, 8/14

New York Times, daily review by Mark Oppenheimer, 8/19

New York Post, feature, 8/21

Newsday, “What’s New in Books,” 8/21

Legal History Blog, roundup, 8/21

Time, online excerpt, 8/23

The Wall Street Journal, review, 8/23

Publishers Weekly, starred review, 8/23

AAIHS, piece on book by Ibram Kendi, 8/23

New York Times, arts section feature by Jenny Schuessler, 8/24

National Book Review, review, 8/24

Picked up by the Brennan Center for Justice, 8/24

Niagara Gazette, column on book by Don Glynn, 8/24

Deadline, piece on movie deal, 8/24

The Hollywood Reporter, piece on movie deal, 8/24

Democrat and Chronicle, piece on movie deal, 8/25

New York Times, ‘Revisiting Attica’ article based on the book, 8/26

Also ran on The Marshall Project, 8/26

Daily News (Batavia, NY), front-page Q&A by Joe Leathersich, 8/27

Columbus Dispatch, reprint of NYT review, 8/28

The New Yorker, long review by Adam Gopnik, 8/29 issue

Syracuse Post-Standard, front-page piece on the publication by John O’Brien, 8/30

Counterpunch, review by Ron Jacobs, 9/2

Agence France-Presse, syndicated feature in English and French, 9/2

Dissident Voice, feature, 9/3

San Antonio Express-News, reprint of NYT review, 9/3

The New York Times Book Review, review by James Forman, 9/4

The Buffalo News, review by Lee Coppola 9/4

Chronicle of Higher Education, New Scholarly Books, 9/5

Raw Story, piece by Lorraine Berry, 9/5

TakePart.com, interview with Rebecca McCray, 9/5

Picked up by Yahoo.com

Baltimore City Paper, book write up and event listing, 9/7

Syracuse New Times, feature, 9/7

NBCNews.com, op-ed tied to Attica Anniversary, 9/9

Marshall Project, review by Tom Robbins, 9/9

Albany Times-Union, front-page Q&A, 9/9

Jacobin, interview with Shawn Gude, 9/9

The Atlantic, Q&A with Juleyka Lantigua-Williams, 9/9

Truth-Out.org, review by Alan Mills, 9/9

Timeline.com, cited in piece on Attica uprising, 9/9

New York Times Book Review, "9 Great Books to Start off September," 9/11

Democrat and Chronicle, story on Attica medical examiner john edland, 9/12

Albany Times Union, story on NY state’s forthcoming Attica website, 9/13

The Daily Beast, op-ed tied to Attica anniversary, 9/13

Christian Science Monitor, interview with Randy Dotinga (print & online), 9/14

Dallas Morning News, column on Attica with author interview, 9/16

Lansing City Pulse, feature and event promo, 9/21

Crimespree Magazine, review, 9/22

Michigan Today, interview with Deborah Holdship, 9/23

Lexington Herald-Leader, column on the book, 9/23

Christian Science Monitor, review by Terry Hartle 9/26

The Nation, review by Lewis Steel, 9/28

San Francisco Book Review, review, October issue

The Intercept, feature by Alice Speri, 10/3

The New York Times, “Reader’s Guide to This Fall’s Big Book Awards,” 10/5

Mother Jones, Q&A on prison strikes, 10/6

Bookforum, review by Jack Gross, 10/6

Dissent, Q&A, online 10/7, issue date tk

The Chief-Leader (Manhattan weekly), review by Mark Toor, 10/9

Washington Post, piece on John Edland featuring the book, 10/12

Commentary Magazine, review by Bob McManus, 10/19

Detroit Free-Press, Q&A and book mention, 10/21

The Daily Beast, op-ed on prison strikes, 10/21

Truthdig.com, feature, 10/23

PBS.org, “5 Important Stories Getting Buried by Trump & Clinton News,” October 24, 2016

The Missourian, review by Bill Schwab, 10/25

Newsweek, op-ed, 10/26

Washington Independent Review of Books, review, 10/26

Commonweal, blog post by Rands Richards Cooper, 10/26

Bustle, “The National Book Award Nonfiction Nominee to Read…”, 10/27

Publishers Weekly, Top 10 Best Books of the Year, 10/28

New Books in History Podcast, interview with Christine Lamberson, 10/25

New York Times Book Review, recommended in Trevor Noah’s ‘By the Book,’ 11/6

Boston Review, review by Robert Chase, 11/11

Kirkus Reviews, Best of 2016, 11/15

Attica. 11/17/16

Lansing City Pulse, ‘Readin Around the Christmas Tree,” 11/23

New York Times Book Review, “100 Notable Books of 2016,” 11/23

And in John William’s introductory column

Buffalo News, favorite books of 2016, 12/2

The Boston Globe, best of list, 12/7

Prison Legal News, 11/7/2016

The Economist, review, date tk

Corrections Managers Report, review by Russ Immarigeon, date tk

New Republic, review by Sarah Marshall, date tk

Signature, review, date tk

New York Law Journal, review by Emily Jane Goodman, date tk

Washington Independent Review of Books, interview with Michael Causey, date tk

The Militant, review, date tk

American Historical Review, June 2017

Punishment and Society, August 2017

Commonweal, January 17, 2017

Princeton Alumni Weekly, feature by Elizabeth Vogdes, (circ. 70,000), 1/11/17

LSA Magazine (U of M alumni magazine, circ 200,000), book featured, spring issue

Michigan Alumnus Magazine, December 2016

Left History, review, date tk

Gotham Center for New York City History blog, review by Colin Richardson, date tk

Democracy Journal, review by Scott Lemiuex, date tk

Federal Lawyer, review by Elizabeth Kelly

Mint Press News Blog, interview with Kevin Kelly

Publishers Weekly, “PW Top Authors Pick Their Favorite Books of 2016”

H-Net, H-Socialism Review, February 15, 2017

Esquire, podcast interview, date tk

Atlanta Magazine, mention, January issue

Washington Lawyer, review, January issue

The Morning News, 2/21/17

Detroit Journalism Cooperative

Big Ten Network, 5/6/17

The New York Times Magazine, 5/10/17

Savannah Morning News, 5/20/1

Syracuse Post Standard, 5/22/17

Batavia Daily News, June 16, 2017

Englewood Review, June 28, 2017

AV Club: Arcade Fire’s Win Butler on Blood in the Water, August 4, 2017

TruthOut, August, 25, 2017

New York Times, PaperBack Row. August 25, 2017

The Black Scholar, August 2017

VOX, 7 Can’t-miss pieces of pop culture to catch up on this Labor Day Weekend. September 1, 2017

Solidarity, September 6, 2017.

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. September 7, 2017

The Socialist Worker. September 8, 2017

Livingston County News. September 8, 2017

The Seattle Times, October 5, 2017

The Hoya, October 18, 2017

Fordham News, November 7, 2017

The News Reporter. Washington, GA. November 7, 2017

New York Journal of Books. February, 2018

Spectrum Culture, February 8, 2018

Truthout.org, February 18, 2018

The Medium, March 21, 2018

The Hedgehog Review, April 1, 2018

Brennan Center for Justice. August 24, 2016

Englewood Review of Books. June 29, 2017

H-Socialism. February, 2017

Medium. March 21, 2018

NLG Review.

Black Perspectives. January, 2017

Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Book Review. January, 2017

CrimeSpree Magazine. September, 2016

San Francisco Book Review. September, 2016

British Journal of Criminology. January, 2018

The Guardian. November 2, 2018

Reviews in American History. December, 2018

Madison.Com. February 6, 2019

Fingerlakes.com March 11, 2019

Stanford Prof Picks July 16, 2019

Albany Times Union July 18, 2019

Jacobin. April 14, 2020

Michigan Media. May, 2020

The Death Row Book Club. May, 2020

Washington Post. May 4, 2020

Harvard Crimson. May 8, 2020

Wired. May 18, 2020

The Inside Hook. June 2, 2020

Vox. June 2, 2020

The New York Times. June 4, 2020

Crime Story. June 16, 2020

Le Monde. June, 2020

Time. June, 2020

Wall Street Journal. June, 2020

Commonwealth. June, 2020

NYT. June, 2020

Crains. June, 2020

MLIVE. June, 2020

The Hill. June, 2020

Vox. June 2, 2020

Boston Globe. June, 2020

Business Insider. June, 2020

Fashion Journal. June, 2020

New York Times, June 30, 2020

ABC News. June, 2020

Wired Magazine. July 1, 2020

The AP. July 7, 2020

New York Magazine, July 31, 2020

Book Riot. September 29, 2020

Michigan Quarterly Review. October 18, 2020

European Group for the Study of Deviance & Social Control. May 21, 2021

Keynote Talks and Panel Discussions

The Schomburg

Roosevelt House

Politics and Prose

The National Museum of African American History, DC

The Museum of African American History Detroit

The National Book Awards

Princeton University

UVA Law School

Columbia Law School

The Movie

Film Rights for Blood in the Water have been optioned. Read more here.

Studio: TriStar Pictures

Producers: Amy Pascal and Rachel O’Conner

Screenwriters: Anna Waterhouse and Joe Shrapnel

Updates

Re Medical Testing at Attica:

Since the publication of the book there has been some renewed interest in the issue of medical testing in prisons. Although it is the case that there was medical testing at Attica, there is no evidence, nor should anyone assume, that the physician working in this facility, Dr. Michael Brandriss, put any prisoner in danger. Dr. Brandriss himself questioned the rigor with which consent was mandated in prisons, but was committed to seeking such consent. Indeed, Dr. Brandriss was well-respected in his field as someone who worked tireless to find cures for serious illnesses, while also being careful not to subject anyone to harm. Nevertheless, the broader point in the book and in a subsequent piece I wrote on this topic--that prison officials at Attica allowed those in their charge to be placed in that potentially harmful position--remains worthy of note. Evidence from other prisons in this period such as Holmsburg, etc., make that clear that prisoners in this period lacked the power necessary to grant consent--the power to say no when prison officials wanted them to do something--even if that something was submit to medical experimentation. It is a blessing that Dr. Brandriss had them read their consent forms and took care not to subject them to anything dangerous, but it remains deeply problematic that NY state prison officials allowed such medical testing to go on in their facilities. This history is important to consider today since prison officials, physicians, and pharmaceutical companies have begun mobilizing to relax barriers to medical testing in penal institutions,