This is a critical analysis of the history of the American Civil Liberties Union and represents the first published account of the ACLU's record. Other works on the organization either dealt only with specific issues or have been simply journalistic accounts. Donohue provides the first systematic analysis by a social scientist. It is unquestionably the most serious work now available and is likely to remain the touchstone for any such work for many years to come.

The issue of capital punishment is a continually-debated issue because it calls into question the values and direction of society. How is a civilisation supposed to handle lawbreakers? Are some crimes so heinous and some people so dangerous that the death penalty is the only appropriate response? The United States Constitution prohibits 'cruel and unusual punishment', but opinions on whether that includes capital punishment are vehement on both sides. Many states have some form of death penalty, and public opinion seems to indicate support of it in principle. However, many firestorms have erupted recently over the application of the penalty, including the topics of its use on minors and those with mental disabilities. There are also questions raised about how much of a factor race plays in a capital sentence. Internationally, several countries have foresworn the death penalty, with certain countries in Europe and the Americas refusing to extradite criminal suspects (including suspected terrorists) to the US if capital punishment is a possible sentence. With such politically flammable and ethically challenging issues hanging over it, capital punishment is a vitally important issue to understand. To help facilitate that study, this book assembles a carefully selected and substantial listing of literature focussing on the death penalty. Anyone researching this area of criminal justice will find this book an important tool as it offers easy access to the most relevant works about capital punishment. Following the bibliography, further access is provided with author, title, and subject indexes.

The "Israel Yearbook on Human Rights- an annual published under the auspices of the Faculty of Law of Tel Aviv University since 1971- is devoted to publishing studies by distinguished scholars in Israel and other countries on human rights in peace and war, with particular emphasis on problems relevant to the State of Israel and the Jewish people. The "Yearbook also incorporates documentary materials relating to Israel and the Administered Areas which are not otherwise available in English (including summaries of judicial decisions, compilations of legislative enactments and military proclamations). The Articles section of Volume 34 contains articles on Current Issues in International Law and Military Operations.