The Combat Zone

"A great strength of Brogan's book is the broad context that she provides--one of overlapping divisions of race, class, and geography--to make sense of how the legal proceedings unfolded . . . Brogan writes with empathy for all involved in the events she so capably explores."--DigBoston "Brogan's background as a journalist shows in her careful reporting and historical context . . . The grim history of racism in Boston, the crime and corruption of the Combat Zone, and the legal permutations of the case take up the bulk of the book. But its heart lies in a character who wasn't even in the Combat Zone that fateful night--the victim's brother, Danny Puopolo."--Providence Journal "Brogan's work brings us into heart-wrenching, jaw-dropping contact with the reality of the crime and its times. It's the best form of narrative nonfiction, in that it covers race, class, busing, criminal justice reform and courtroom drama, but never strays far from the emotional reality of the case for both victims and defendants."--State House News Service "The careful, meticulous research, the compassionate yet balanced tone, and the compelling narrative thrust make this book read almost like a legal or crime thriller. Brogan does a superb job in untangling this complex case."--Stephanie Schorow, author of Inside the Combat Zone: The Stripped Down Story of Boston's Most Notorious Neighborhood "The Combat Zone effectively moves forward the conversation on race, highlighting the tumultuous time of busing in Boston and the racial strife that it caused, the conditions of minorities that were forced by circumstance to seek a livelihood in the Combat Zone, and how the media covered Black murder victims differently than white murder victims."--Christopher Daley, author of Murder and Mayhem in Boston: Historic Crimes in the Hub