Eyewitness on Alcatraz, Life on The Rock as told by the Guards, Families & Prisoners. by Jolene Babyak  (6)
$12.95
|
Alcatraz: A Definitive History of the Penitentiary Years by Michael Esslinger  (12)
$26.99
|
Battle at Alcatraz: A Desperate Attempt to Escape the Rock by Ernest B. Lageson  (15)
$11.53
|
Alcatraz Screw: My Years As a Guard in America's Most Notorious Prison by George H. Gregory (3)
$18.96
|
Inside the Walls of Alcatraz by Frank Heaney (4)
|
This item is not eligible for Amazon Prime, but millions of other items are. Join Amazon Prime today. Already a member? Sign in.
Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Quillen's autobiography focuses on his decade-long incarceration at the "Rock," the former federal prison on Alcatraz Island, Calif., including the 1946 escape attempt that left several inmates and guards dead. Arguing that the brutality of the system made the bloodshed inevitable, he calls Alcatraz "a prison where the sole purpose was to degrade, deprive, humiliate and break the inmates." But Quillen never proves his case; most of his anger arises from the constant surveillance and security that made escape virtually impossible. Indeed, what comes through the author's deliberately low-key account is the fervor with which he thought about, dreamed about and planned escapes. A veteran of two escapes from a state reformatory as well as one from San Quentin prison (during which he kidnapped two hostages), Quillen did try to escape from Alcatraz. Most readers will find it hard to empathize with his complaints of overly restrictive security given that record. Ultimately, however, the details of life inside jail are more intriguing than the failed attempt to blame the system. Those details, and the story of Quillen's eventual rehabilitation after release, redeem the book.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Quillen's autobiography focuses on his decade-long incarceration at the "Rock," the former federal prison on Alcatraz Island, Calif., including the 1946 escape attempt that left several inmates and guards dead. Arguing that the brutality of the system made the bloodshed inevitable, he calls Alcatraz "a prison where the sole purpose was to degrade, deprive, humiliate and break the inmates." But Quillen never proves his case; most of his anger arises from the constant surveillance and security that made escape virtually impossible. Indeed, what comes through the author's deliberately low-key account is the fervor with which he thought about, dreamed about and planned escapes. A veteran of two escapes from a state reformatory as well as one from San Quentin prison (during which he kidnapped two hostages), Quillen did try to escape from Alcatraz. Most readers will find it hard to empathize with his complaints of overly restrictive security given that record. Ultimately, however, the details of life inside jail are more intriguing than the failed attempt to blame the system. Those details, and the story of Quillen's eventual rehabilitation after release, redeem the book.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
See all 14 customer reviews...
What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?
 |
83% buy the item featured on this page: Alcatraz from Inside: The Hard Years 1942-1952 (14) |
 |
17% buy Inside the Walls of Alcatraz (4) |
