© 2025 Kansas City Public Radio
NPR in Kansas City
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

In 'Whack Job,' a Kansas author explores the bloody history of axe murder

Carly Hays
/
Rachel McCarthy James
The book 'Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder' by Rachel McCarthy James tells the story of the axe as both a tool of survival and a weapon of convenience.

"Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder' by Rachel McCarthy James traces the foundational and violent role of the axe from prehistoric times to the present. And — yes — the infamous Lizzie Borden case does get a chapter, as do a pair of relatively recent Kansas City murders.

For as long as the axe has been in our hands, people have used it to kill.

At least, that’s the idea behind "Whack Job: A History of Axe Murder" by author Rachel McCarthy James, who hails from Kansas.

"I got really fascinated with the phrase 'ax-murderer,' because you hear it used a lot, often as a joke," McCarthy James told KCUR's Up To Date. "You don't say 'gun-slayer,' you don't say 'knife-killer,' things like that."

The book spans some half a million years of history, as told through the axe as both a tool of survival and a weapon of convenience.

And "Whack Job" isn't McCarthy James' first foray into the topic of axe murder.

In 2017, she co-authored "The Man from the Train" with her father, baseball writer Bill James, about a series of families murdered around the turn of the 20th century.

Stay Connected
When I host Up To Date each morning at 9, my aim is to engage the community in conversations about the Kansas City area’s challenges, hopes and opportunities. I try to ask the questions that listeners want answered about the day’s most pressing issues and provide a place for residents to engage directly with newsmakers. Reach me at steve@kcur.org or on Twitter @stevekraske.
As a producer for KCUR’s Up To Date, I want listeners to leave the show feeling informed and empowered to make decisions in their daily lives. Whether we’re spotlighting the voice of a creative, business owner or lawmaker, I present stories that matter deeply to Kansas City’s diverse communities. Reach me at claudiab@kcur.org.
No matter what happens in Washington D.C., Kansas City needs KCUR. And KCUR needs you.

Our ability to report local news — accurate, independent and paywall-free — depends on you. Donate now to support fact-based news.