Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder
Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder | Rachel McCarthy James
4 posts | 4 read | 4 to read
A brilliant and bloody examination of the axe's foundational role in human history, from prehistoric violence, to war and executions, to newspaper headlines and popular culture. For as long as the axe has been in our hands, we have used it to kill. Much like the wheel, the boat, and the telephone, the axe is a transformative piece of technology--one that has been with us since prehistory. And just as early humans used the axe to chop down trees, hunt for food, and whittle tools, they also used it to murder. Over time, this particular use has endured: as the axe evolved over centuries to fit the needs of new agricultural, architectural, and social development, so have our lethal uses for it. Whack Job is the story of the axe, first as a convenient danger and then an anachronism, as told through the murders it has been employed in throughout history: from the first axe murder nearly half a million years ago, to the brutal harnessing of the axe in warfare, to its use in King Henry VIII's favorite method of execution, to Lizzie Borden and the birth of modern pop culture. Whack Job sheds brilliant light on this familiar implement, this most human of weapons. This is a critical examination of violence, an exploration of how technology shapes human conflict, the cruel and sacred rituals of execution and battle, and the ways humanity fits even the most savage impulses into narratives of the past and present.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
review
MaggieCarr
Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder | Rachel McCarthy James
post image
Pickpick

An insightful and bloody examination of the axe's foundational role in human history, from prehistoric violence, to war and executions, to newspaper headlines and popular culture.

21 likes2 stack adds
review
MonicaLoves2Read
Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder | Rachel McCarthy James
post image
Mehso-so

2.5⭐️

Not exactly what I was expecting. I thought this would be more about the axe murders and murderers throughout history. Instead, it's more a history of the axe with some murders thrown in. I enjoyed the first half of the book, looking at before the 1700s. James had me engaged during the first half of the book. It involves prehistoric time and up til the 1700s (cavemen, Egyptians, and Henry VIII), while the latter focused on George ⬇️

MonicaLoves2Read ⬆️ Washington, Lizzy Borden, and some murders I never heard about. At times, James had me intrigued by what I was reading, but at others, I felt bored. She seemed to get long-winded on some things.

Published May 13, 2025
#ARC #History #Bookspinbingo #Read2025 @TheAromaofBooks
2w
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2w
17 likes2 comments
review
DGRachel
Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder | Rachel McCarthy James
post image
Pickpick

This is a fascinating look at the history of the axe as a tool of violence. The scope is huge, covering thousands of years, so there‘s not a ton of depth. That said, as an overview, it‘s interesting and held my attention. The audiobook is well narrated, too.

DogMomIrene Given the number of times I‘ve been overly cautious because there might be an axe murderer, I may need to listen to this one! 2w
48 likes2 stack adds1 comment
review
vlwelser
Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder | Rachel McCarthy James
post image
Pickpick

This title caught my attention. I have no other reason behind why I read a NF book about axe murders.

#BookSpinBingo @TheAromaofBooks

Pub date is 5/13/25
#ARC #Netgalley

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2mo
43 likes1 comment