Age of Assassins

A record of the West's love affair with violence, Age of Assassins presents an overarching history of assassination in Europe and America, from Abraham Lincoln to Ronald Reagan.

This audacious and beautifully written book connects less well-known stories, such as the shooting of an instigator of the Armenian genocide or the attack on an American 'robber baron' with the epoch-marking murders of the Kennedys and the killing that sparked the First World War. Taking in Tsars, Presidents, and pop stars, Age of Assassins traces the process that turned thought into action and murder into an icon.

In tackling the history of political violence, Michael Newton has created a work which is unique in its range and attention to detail. He is as aware of the human complexity that propelled the murder as the often tragic consequences. In this fascinating, magisterial book, he evokes an age of assassination that continues today.

Further Reading: Notes and Works Consulted.