Doomed: Sacco, Vanzetti & the End of the American Dream, by John Florio and Ouisie Shapiro

     In the 1920s, the United States was gripped by fear - a fear of people who might not love America and everything it did and stood for. This was not the first time our country has experienced these fears, nor was it the last. In the book Doomed, authors Florio and Shapiro tell the story of two Italian immigrants who were living in the U.S., Sacco with his wife and daughter, Vanzetti on his own, in the early 1900s when a robbery occurred that resulted in two men being shot and killed. In a race to find someone - anyone - responsible for this crime, Sacco and Vanzetti were charged, although neither was at the scene of the crime at the time it occurred. They were charged because they were Italian immigrants, and because their political views did not match those of many White Americans. Sacco and Vanzetti were anarchists, which meant in some part that they were against the war that the U.S. was involved in (World War 1). Because they chose to leave the country for Mexico for a period of time, rather than be drafted to fight in a war they did not believe in, they were charged with murder, tried and convicted. Sentenced to death.

    Their story was circulated around the world, and many people spoke out in their defense and in favor of a fair re-trial. But in the spirit of the times in the U.S., there was not room for reason or justice. The system wanted someone to pay for the crimes, and these two men just happened to be who was chosen.

    This book tells an important story in our country's history, but isn't written as well as a book by, say, author Steve Sheinkin (my favorite non-fiction writer to date). Yet it's a story worth knowing. If you enjoy history, especially United States history, World War 1 or the early 1900s in the U.S., this book may appeal to you. I have studied U.S. history a lot, and knew of these two men, although this book helped me better understand their complete story better. But as a stand alone, I'm not sure it will appeal to most of you. So, read it if 1900s U.S. history is an interest to you. If it isn't, I don't think this book will hold your interest for long. 3 paws.