Blood in the Water

I knew nothing about the Attica Prison riots of 1971 before I started this book. The first half is amazing. I learned so much about the political atmosphere and why it played a role in the uprising. I learned more about civil rights from the perspective of prisoners. I learned by heart could get absolutely broken over a past I was never apart of. And most important, I learned why the black communities and the police are still in power struggles, leaving young black males fighting for their lives.

I would highly recommend reading the first half of the book. When I got to the second half, I had to put down. So. Much. Politics. Too many names. It just got tedious. I wanted to learned about the aftermath of the uprising, but there were too many details and not enough arching history.

However, if you have a lot of brain cells and can pay close attention to names, committees, etc I'm guessing the second half is just as good as the first.