Customer Reviews

Eyewitness on Alcatraz, Life on The Rock as told by the Guards, Families & Prisoners.

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

AS A PERSON WHO HAS READ MOST BOOKS ON ALCATRAZ, I WANTED TO ADD THIS ONE TO MY COLLECTION, TO PICK UP ANY INSIGHTS THAT THE OTHERS MISSED...WELL, KEEP YOUR MONEY...JOLENE, NEVER MAKES A CASE FOR ANYTHING NEW, DESCRIBES MOSTLY SECOND HAND KNOWLEDGE, AND READILY ADMITS, THAT THE ONLY THING SHE REALLY REMEMBERS IS PLAYING ON THE CEMENT COURT YARD AS A LITTLE GIRL!!

THERE ARE BETTER BOOKS THERE...MOVE ON...

It was a great book featuring lots of imformation about the rock. It got me very interested in Alcatraz history. I hope you will enjoy this book as much as I did. Jolene Babyak is a great auther and has first hand experiance on this island we call The Rock.

I found this book to be a fascinating memoir of an aspect of the island that not many people stop to consider. Ms Babyak demonstrates both a superior knowledge of Alcatraz history, as well as a unique viewpoint of an island resident that is neither guard nor inmate.

This book has a great perspective of a child that lived and played on "The Rock". It is a different vantage point. Most books about Alcatraz are written by historians or guards but to see the island from a child's point of view is refreshing.

The book is also filled with some great pictures.

I purchased this book on "The Rock" and met Jolene the same day. I was surprised to hear that she had no significant encounters with the inmates. Her life on "The Rock" was very sheltered from the inmates. If you're hoping to read about her personal encounters you will be disapointed. This book is simply a compilation of mundane stories from others who lived on Alcatraz.

Jolene Babyak has written three excellent books about Alcatraz Island. This one is an easy read with no real heavy or serious material. But the purpose of the book is to describe what it was like as an Alcatraz resident. And Babyak again delivers.

If you're looking for stories of Al Capone and escapes, there are plenty of books by former inmates and guards. (Although Babyak's account of the escape of '62 is definitive.) But if you desire to swallow as much Alcatraz knowledge as possible, you must have this book.

Babyak is considered the top authority on Alcatraz. In fact, park rangers go to her with historical questions. She has personally interviewed more AZ inmates (including significant ones like Clarence Carnes who survived the "Battle of '46" and Dale Stamphill who was right beside Doc Barker when the guards shot him in the head) than any other author. This lady will educate you about Alcatraz.

The book is full of good stories about the scapes, but has to many notes about personal experiencies of the author, which in my case are not too important for my searching of stories more extensive over the inmates an their living at the rock.