Customer Reviews

Last Train to Alcatraz: The Autobiography of Leon (Whitey) Thompson, Former Alcatraz Inmate

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

 

 

I could not agree more with the second review. I originally read this book in the seventh grade after my brother had purchased it from Alcatraz and read it himself. My only regret is that I haven't been able to find the sequel to the book, The Merry-Go-Round (he actually wrote so much for the first one that he separated it into two books). Leon does an amazing job of relaying his life and create a compassionate character who spends much of his early life struggling to survive.

Maureen, if your going to review a book, and criticize the writing style, you need to first learn how to spell correctly yourself. I have never met Mr. Thompson. However in 2001 I visited Alcatraz, and had a limited time in the giftshop. I bought this book, then wondered if I had wasted $20 in my haste? No, I couldn't put the book down. It was interesting from page 1 to page 332. He starts the book out by apologizing for only going to the 6th grade, hence the book. He is very modest. This is a well written book. Well thought out and planned. Its hard to find a really good book you just can't put down. I have read hundreds of books. However, I put this one (for content and keeping my interest) in my top 20 favorite books. I enjoyed it so much, I sent a letter to Mr. Thompson requesting the book to be autographed, which he was happy to do. Solid five stars. I promise if you want to know about prison life, and how puppet courts use to be (and I'm afraid some still are), then this is one damn fine book!

We met Mr. Thompson during a routine tourist tour of Alcatraz many years ago. We were struck by the fact that he was there at all, as well as his willingness to answer any questions posed to him. When we remarked that it must be strange to come back to a prison by choice, he nodded and said that he hadn't even expected to be alive at this point -- that's how perilous his life choices had been.

"Last Train to Alcatraz" presents a no-holds-barred look at life behind bars at the most notorious prison in California, maybe even nationally. Only the most hardened criminals made it to the Rock, and most never came off, from what I understand. Mr. Thompson does not gloss over anything, either his actions, the conditions behind bars, or the way he was treated.

I have made this book required reading for my two boys, ages 13 and 17. Its unflinching detail is suitable for teens and up. You need to get past the typos and grammatical errors and look to the point and message of the story. I'm not sure Mr. Thompson was a Christian, but his story is certainly one of redemption.

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Thompson at Alcatraz my senior year in high school. After my tour I stopped and visited the gift shop where he had a small table set up to sign his book. He was very quiet and friendly. He was not interested in talking about his time at Alcatraz with just anyone. However, that was okay because his book gives a detailed account of the life up to and in Alcatraz. I thanked him for signing my book and shook his hand. Later after I finished reading the book I realized I met a completely different man. Definitely a changed man. For only having a 6th grade education the book was put together very well. I would recommend it without a doubt!

Hedley, oh Hedley. If you're going to be all supercilious and attempt to put someone down for their spelling, perhaps it's best not to make your own spelling mistake within the first few words of your own review! See "your", which should be "you're", of course. Besides, the whole point of these review sections on Amazon is that everyone gets their say, no matter how accurate their orthography. There's no link between how well someone spells and how insightful or interesting their comments may be - as your review clearly shows.

Anyway, this a superb autobiography - a fascinating and well written account of criminality and the American penal system.

From the Forward:

Whitey dpent his four years on the Alcatraz in the same anonnimity as most of the hundreds of other convicts who lived on the rock. He was neither a "public enemy" in the Holloywood sense nor a punk kid new to prison life.

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This book is at best reambeling and tough to follow and at worst tottly confusing. However, there are few enough first person accounts of life on that rock so this is a vlaubale source for people doing work on the famous prison.


I think that Whitey's skills as a communicator have greatly improved since this was written and his presentation on TV untervews shows that "Last Train" could have been more enjoyable to to read with a little more work.