"This groundbreaking history of the country's
most notorious prison is the first to give an
in-depth analysis of the interaction between the guards and the prisoners.
Ward capturesthe Alcatraz experience with tthe accuracy ofsomeone who has practically been there and lays to rest many of the myths that have grown up around the prison.
No longer will thestorytellers be able to describe the inmates as
'the worst of the worst' without qualification.
Their individual stories come alive as the
author records the varied life experiences
that brought them to Alcatraz and describes
their coping machanisms.
A unique and fascinating study".
- MORTON SOBELL
Alcatraz Inmate # AZ-699, 1950-1963
author of On Doing Time
"This book is about life on the ROCK
and what became of its
convicts after they
were
returned to the free world".
- David Ward