A new book by David Dow, The Autobiography of an Execution, cap­tures the author’s per­son­al and legal expe­ri­ences in rep­re­sent­ing over 100 inmates on death row. The book is a per­son­al mem­oir of Dow’s encounter with the death penal­ty sys­tem, as he rep­re­sents defen­dants and wit­ness­es their exe­cu­tions. Publisher’s Weekly called the book ​“sober­ing, grip­ping and can­did.” Dahlia Lithwick of Slate said it is ​“a pow­er­ful col­lage of the life of a death penal­ty lawyer,” in a NY Times book review (Feb. 14, 2010).

Dow, a for­mer death penal­ty sup­port­er, is a pro­fes­sor of law at the University of Houston Law Center and an inter­na­tion­al­ly rec­og­nized defense attor­ney. He is the founder and direc­tor of the Texas Innocence Network.

(D. Dow, ​“The Autobiography of an Execution,” Twelve Publishers 2010). Click here for a list of author’s appear­ances, includ­ing Politics & Prose in Washington, DC, on Feb. 27. See also Books.

Citation Guide