Some beg for forgiveness. Others claim innocence. At least three cheer for their favorite football teams. This book presents an oral history of American capital punishment, as heard from the gallows, the chair, and the gurney. It explores the cultural value of these final statements and asks what we can learn from them.

The product of seven years of extensive research, "Last Words of the Executed" presents an oral history of American capital punishment as heard from the gallows, the chair, and the gurney.