The Letters of Sacco And Vanzetti (Penguin Classics S.) - Softcover

In May 1920, two Italian immigrants were arrested in Massachusetts and charged with the murder of two guards during a payroll robbery. In a trial that attracted worldwide attention, and impassioned protests, they were found guilty. On August 23, 1927, having exhausted all avenues of appeal, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were executed. Both men were dedicated anarchists, and their supporters believed them to be the victims of anti-radical and anti-immigrant hysteria. These letters reveal the men's thoughts and ideals, showing them to be more humanitarian than violent.

RICHARD POLENBERG is Golwin Smith professor of American history at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY. His books include ONE NATION DIVISIBLE: Class, Race and Ethnicity in th United States since 1938, and FIGHTING FAITHS: The Abrams Case, the SupremeCourt and Free Speech, both of which were published by Viking USA.