Sources: Famous Assassinations in World History: An Encyclopedia
Famous Assassinations in World History: An Encyclopedia. By Michael Newton. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2014. 2 vols. Acid free $189 (ISBN: 978-1-61069-285-4). Ebook available (978-1-61069-286-1), call for pricing.
Famous Assassinations in World History: An Encyclopedia includes two volumes of 266 entries of assassinations and attempted assassinations of world political leaders from 465 BCE to 2012. Notable names include John F. Kennedy, Abraham Lincoln, Adolf Hitler, Benazir Bhutto, Rasputin, and Osama bin Laden. The only nonpolitical person included is John Lennon, included because of his sociopolitical involvement toward the end of his life. Four entries are included on organizations involved in multiple assassinations such as the Ku Klux Klan. The entries, arranged alphabetically, include a description of the assassination, a profile of the victim, and an explanation of how the assassination or attempted assassination effected politics and society of the time.
Similar works include Encyclopedia of Assassinations by Carl Sifakis (Facts on File 2001), Assassinations and Executions: An Encyclopedia of Political Violence, 1900 through 2000 by Harris M. Lentz III (McFarland 2002) and Assassinations and Executions: An Encyclopedia of Political Violence, 1865-1986 also by Harris M. Lentz III (McFarland 1988). While these works share some of the same political martyrs, there are enough unique features to warrant the purchase of Famous Assassinations for those with collections in the area of history or politics.
Twenty-three primary documents, arranged chronologically, are included with entries ranging from a letter of Brutus to Cicero on Caesar’s assassination in 43 BCE, and official messages and correspondence relating to the shooting of President Lincoln, to excerpts from the Warren Commission Report on the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act that resulted from the attempted assassination of President Reagan. An appendix includes a timeline of an additional 486 cases not included in the text because of space limitations. Recommended for academic and public libraries.—Rachael Elrod, Head, Education Library, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida