Murder by Mail : A Global History of the Letter Bomb

Author: Roth, Mitchel P.

True crime

Published on 1 August 2024 by REAKTION BOOKS in the United Kingdom.

Hardback | 240 pages
223 x 147 x 27 | 452g

This book unfolds the gripping history of weaponized mail, offering the first-ever comprehensive exploration of this sinister phenomenon. Spanning two centuries, the book unveils the history of postal bombs, describing the evolution of both explosives and the postal services that facilitated their deadly use. From an eighteenth-century incident involving Jonathan Swift to modern acts of terror by groups like the IRA and the Suffragettes and lone wolves such as the Unabomber, it uncovers the surprising ubiquity of mail bombs. This chronological account meticulously covers each decade, from early anarchists and world wars through the Cold War to the rise of the serial bomber. Astounding in scope, this book sheds light on the psychopathy, motivations and political implications behind murder by mail.