A look at axe 'murder' throughout history by the author of The Man on the Train. Had I realized this was by that author, I probably would not have requested it. While some loved that book, it was not for me at all because of writing style. Unfortunately, the writing style here was very similar. I also think calling this a history of axe murder is a bit misleading. It is more of short vignettes about times throughout history where maybe someone was a victim of axe murder. I love history books, but this was just not doing it for me. If you liked The Man on the Train, there is a chance you will enjoy this much more than I did.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press #partner for the gifted copy and to Macmillan Audio for the ALC to review.

I enjoyed this one via audio, and thought the narrator did a great job. This is basically a historical look into the axe from its inception to the current day and how it has been used, including for murder. It is not specifically a book on axe murdering alone. There were pieces of this that interested me, including how it was used in executions back in the day, Lizzie Borden, and the Wylie, TX case that has been made into a couple of made-for-TV movies.

This was more history and less true crime than I was expecting, but I still thought it was a pretty interesting read.
The first half or so of the book was about how axes were used to kill people before the modern era. This included stuff about everthing from pre-historic people, to Egyptians, to how Henry VIII beheaded people. I'm glad I read this, but will admit I was more engaged in the second half, when James talkes about specific American axe murders. Lizzie Borden was here, obviously, but there were also some I'd never heard of. Sprinkled throughout were facts about how the perception and use of the axe has changed through time and why it was probably the weapon chosen for the specific murders discussed.

I was hoping this would be a bit more quippy and had a bit more humor in it. It was very formal and a bit tough to get through.

It's an interesting idea for a book, and some of the chapters held my intereset while others dragged on and on and had me wondering what actually qualifies as murder. Some of the author's opinions were repeated over and over while some, like the idea that "A lot of forensic advances, even recent ones like blood spatter, are downright stupid." aren't explored at all. I don't think this one lived up to its promise.

It's such a fascinating topic. She starts with a great story of a small child referring to an axe murderer. And she thinks "How does a small child even know that term and has it in their lexicon". And excellent question that she attempts to answer by researching the history of axe murder. I wish she had been a little more organized. It often felt like there were stories she didn't know what to do with, so she just stuck them at the end of the chapter. Sometimes it related to the following chapter, but then why not put it in that chapter? Maybe if she worked more closely with an editor next time?

Though this was a well-researched book on axe murder, and has a great title, it was very dry in many sections - which made it kind of difficult to push through. I think it was a great concept, I can see that the author put a lot of time into the writing, and it is well done, but I think it would have benefited from some more anecdotal or narrative style storytelling within it. Overall, it is a comprehensive look at this killer topic.

An interesting anecdotal approach to the history of axe murder from prehistoric times to the present. A handy reference for fiction writers and of interest to general readers.
#StMartinsPress #Netgalley

Whack Job
By Rachel McCarthy James

This is a non-fiction study of the axe as an instrument of murder from as early as 430,000 BCE as found in northern Spain through to modern times. The author discusses the axe in early Egypt (1550 BCE) and its surrounding enemies; in China (1200 BCE) during the Shang dynasty; in Asia Minor (550 BCE), the Greeks, Persians and others. She takes us through the Vikings in Iceland and Greenland; through the England of the vicious and paranoid Henry VIII; through the indigenous peoples of the Americas and their dealings with the white invaders. We even read about the axe attacks that save the life of a free black man during the Civil War.
We read tales of Lizzie Borden and Frank Lloyd Wright as the parade of axe murderers and serial killers continues.

But there is more to this book than recounting these tales. I admit that I didn't expect to like this book. However, the author manages to teach us more about what the axe symbolized through time: power, survival, protecting the family unit. The author also floats ideas about human sacrifice committed with axes as ritual to make these deaths more acceptable – and gives two examples of what we practice now which might be construed as human sacrifice. One is the practice of triage during medical crises – the withholding of treatment from those least likely to survive in favor of treating those with better prospects. The other example of human-sacrifice ritual practiced today is the corporate decision to axe thousands of jobs in order to please stockholders! Ms. James' ideas really made me think!

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for this Arc.

I do love learning more about axe murderers 🪓

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review

Whack Job by Rachel McCarthy James was a disappointment. I was expecting some true crime stories of axe murder, as the title describes, but got mostly history and lectures with a few witty quips to keep it flowing. Overall, it was not something I would have chosen if the cover and blurb had been more accurate.

Until Next Time,
MC

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an ARC of Whack Job in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions that follow are my own.

Whack Job is a nonfiction novel that tells the story of the axe from the prehistoric period all the way to its influence on pop culture in th e modern age through a series of vignettes surrounding different people throughout history.

I didn't really enjoy this book for a variety of reasons. First off, I was expecting more of a true crime novel based on the summary of the book being used for marketing. I expected slight historical anecdotes but this book read more like a history textbook. Also, the author heavily relies on the term "axe murderer" throughout the book but never gives a definition as to what "axe murderer" means whether in the context of history or in her own opinion. This book also suffers from a lack of cohesion as well as tonality issues. Within one chapter, the author goes from quite informal speech, almost like a teenager geeking out, to a very scholarly form of speech and vocabulary. This makes it very hard to stay interested or grounded within the book. Even though it is a nonfiction book, it should still grip your readers like a fantasy.

While I didn't like the book for the reasons mentioned above, there were two standout chapters that were the most interesting to me. The first was the chapter surrounding Lizzie Borden and the second was the murders at Taliesin, the home of famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. These two stood out to me because they are recent enough in history that the author had actual information to draw from rather than just speculating and citing quotes from noted historians and researchers.

Overall, I would give this book a 2/5 stars.

I went into this expecting a true crime history focused on axe murders, but what I got was at first a history of axes throughout the ages specifically executions, myth, and war and then the true crime ax murder I expected.

The tone is sometimes academic and others quite casual. The writing didn’t always match the seriousness of the subject matter, There was one very disturbing chapter that included a graphic description of a six-year-old child’s murder.

There’s some interesting material here but I found it hard to stay interested.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a brief microhistory that focuses on various types of axes across time. Each section centers on a specific type of axe and at least one example of its use in unaliving someone. I love microhistories, so I really enjoyed this format. Due to the way records, reporting, and investigation has changed over the centuries, the tone of the cases presented shifts drastically over the course of the book. The early sections feel more academic, and the later sections feel more sensational. Personally, I don’t like scary movies or horror stories, so I appreciated the more academic approach of the earlier chapters. If you’re hoping for more of a true crime vibe, you may prefer the later chapters. I found the book as a whole to be interesting, informative, and well researched.

The axes (and associated acts of V10lenc3) that I found most interesting were: Stone Hand Axe (Prehistoric), Iron Ship Building Axe (Viking Axe), Executioner’s Axe (Tudor England), Claw-Hammer Hatchet (Lizzie Borden), Shingling Hatchet (Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin House)

Trigger Warning: This book depicts multiple acts V10lenc3, both with axes and other implements. There is also a section I personally found unsettling which features brutal violence (including SA) against a child by someone who was a known prior offender. The overall feel of this book is academic rather than sensational, but these aspects are still present.

This was a lot more inclusive than expected, I think it covered all ax history. It was quite interesting and I enjoyed a deep dive into a new topic. I would definitely recommend to anyone interested in true crime, narrative nonfiction or axes/tooks.

Aw man, I didn’t like this at all. I’m a big history nut, lover of deep dives, and true crime connoisseur, so I felt like this should have been a slam dunk, but it was a real whimper. It’s the opposite of a deep dive into a fascinating history— it’s a skim over the bare minimum.

I loved this book, the history of axe murder is not something I thought about on a deeper level before. The history behind this early hand tool up to today was fascinating to read about. As someone both interested in history and true crime this book felt like it was mixing two of my favourite subjects however I do think people only picking up this book for the true crime aspect might be disappointed that it talk about it more. The information was communicated in a way that I feel is very accessible to any type of reader, even non academics or people who haven't read much nonfiction. I will definitely be recommending it to customers and will probably shelve it both in history and true crime.

Whack Job, A history of Axe Murder is a very in depth exploration into the use of an axe over the history of mankind and it's use as a weapon against fellow humans. This is a very well researched but over all pretty dry explanation of the history as well as some of the cases in which an axe was used. Overall I think it would be a great tool for soeone who is interested in writing a true crime thriller as they would have a lot of information about how to make it "real"

Honestly this book was n0t was not what I was expecting. Well, the first 2/3rds was not what I was expecting. It was really around the last 1/3rd that it became a true crime book in my opinion. But it was interesting.

A smart and bloody examination of the axe's foundational role. From the murder of a Neanderthal-like man to the infamous Lizzie Borden, this nonfiction book gives a sarcastic and quirky look at the history of a rather simple tool often found at the scene of a crime. The author examines the social, economic, political issues and human nature that caused individuals to befall their fate to an axe. As such, the book, while having a true crime element, is ultimately a history crash course on the axe’s evolution — from a survival tool in 430,000 BCE to a modern-day weapon of murder. While the author has fun in describing what makes the axe the perfect weapon in each instance, kept me thoroughly engaged. If you are a true crime fan or not, James’ book is a great primer of “axe murder.”