McVicar by Himself (Paperback)

~ (Author) "The first edition of this book was published in 1974, then roughly a year after I was paroled from a 26 year jail sentence a..." (more)
Key Phrases: defence document, other cons, special wing, Captain Davies, Charlie Richardson, Home Secretary (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The cult movie "McVicar" was based on McVicar by Himself ( first published by Hutchinson in 1974 and by Arrow in 1979) the book.

Artnik Media discovered that the ex-KGB spy Goronwy Rees, who edited the book misread Mc Vicar's handwritten manuscript that was smuggled out of prison. We commissioned Mc Vicar to write the real story.

A timeless tale of one man taking on the prison system in England and staging two spectacular escapes from the most secure penal institutions, it is said to have inspired the story of the Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King.

This is the true story of the legendary McVicar who served a partial sentence for a string of armed bank robberies in the 1960s, and emerged from prison to become one of the most distinguished writers and media pundits on the Continent.

It is written with humor and self-deprecation. The author has re-written the old manuscript in order to underline the message within the story.

A must read classic and one of the great real life escapes of all times.

Mc Vicar by Himself is one of those books you do put down... because you want it to last. It reads like a comedic thriller that between the beats of your racing pulse makes you grin in delight. Yet it can also touch your soul.

About the Author

John McVicar grew up in East London, where he was a chess champion and scholarship schoolboy but as a 16-year-old turned to crime in the mid-1950s. He quickly racked up a number of jail sentences, then at the age of 26 years escaped from an 8 year stretch and on recapture received an extra 15 years. In 1968, he escaped from Durham Prison’s Special Wing and for over two years was hunted down as Public Enemy No 1. Yet, during that time, at the height of his infamy, he took an intellectual look at himself and on the basis of that self-examination decided that if he was returned to prison he would neither escape nor, after he released, return to crime. When he was recaptured, he did hardly anything except study and after achieving an external degree from London University was released in 1978 to continue a post-graduate thesis at Leicester University. He then went on to establish himself a reputable journalist and broadcaster.

Product Details

• Paperback: 239 pages
• Publisher: Artnik; 3rd edition (December 16, 2001)
• ISBN-10: 1903906059
• ISBN-13: 978-1903906057
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,266,675 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding, October 29, 2001

By	Tina Statoff (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: McVicar by himself (Hardcover)

An absolutely outstanding book and the basis of a cult movie.
A reprint of it would be great.
Does anyone know what John McVicar does these days?
I would love to read some more by and about him.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars McVicar book, December 2, 2007

By	Michelle Mills - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a gift which has not been given to the person yet. It would be premature to rate it until it has been viewed.