“Sacco and Vanzetti, Bruce Watson’s spirited history of the affair, does a great service in rescuing fact from the haze of legend. . . “ — New York Times

“The most thorough and readable plumbing yet of the case record.” — The Nation

“An unusually even-handed look at a case more often politicized than understood.” — The New Yorker

 As their execution loomed in August 1927, protests raged in London, Paris, Tokyo, Sydney, Buenos Aires, Johannesburg. . . . Since their conviction for murder seven years earlier, “the good shoemaker and the poor fish peddler” had become the most famous men in the world. And a supposedly simple murder case had spiraled into charge and counter-charge, conflicting witnesses, dubious evidence, a biased judge, and rising cries of protest. There have been many books on the case, but this is the first to blend trial transcripts with deep archival research, including publications and letters in Italian, the latest ballistics evidence, and recent revelations about guilt and innocence. Were Sacco and Vanzetti innocent or guilty? Read and decide for yourself.