Inside the Walls of Alcatraz

by Frank Heaney, Gay Machado

Inside Alcatraz

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Reference

127 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1987

Reviews

[Charlie]

Violent, degenerate, incorrigible, brutal, are terms to describe the inmates of Alcatraz. This book was an account of a man who worked on Alcatraz as a guard and therefore able to give first-hand knowledge of life there. I did not find this book enjoyable, but educational and informative. A stark reminder that I never want to be in prison or work in one

[Mark Holencik]

I have read the auto-biographys of the inmates I could find. This is story is through the eyes of a guard. It reads a lot like the veiw of the biography's I have read.

[Bo]

This was an interesting book, full of photos as well, including information about what life was like there, some of the notorious prisoners, prison escape attempts, and a concluding chapter on the necessity of a place like Alcatraz. The author was the youngest prison guard there. I can not give the book a higher rating, due to the bad language in it. Additionally, there was a short bit on "sex" in the prison, which I did not need to know, and think that could have just as easily been left out, or covered by a simple statement, such as "Homosexual behaviour was common in the prison."

[Kristy G]

A great overview of prison “guard” life inside the infamous Alcatraz. Frank Heaney was the historical island prison’s youngest guard and he shares his experiences with the reader quite well. I was a bit bored during the sharing of the 1946 incident as it suddenly became very detailed despite the fact the author was not actually employed until 1948. The pictures were fascinating, and as someone who’s sold books the last several years, I was especially fascinated learning about Robert Stroud aka Birdman.
It’s a simple book, informative and straight forward.

[Karl H]

Great story from a prison guard. Experience at Alcatraz

[Jo]

Interesting stories from someone who worked in Alcatraz and knew the inmates; great pictures.

[Lavinia]

What I liked about this book is that it was written by an actual guard from Alcatraz, so presenting the history of the prison feels more like a story, or a legend. I visited Alcatraz this weekend, and took the audio guide, so I already knew most of the facts told in this book. It's a light read, the kind of book that you can easily read on a trip, or in parallel with a more serious book. The pictures are not so clear, but they are all old and in black and white, which adds even more realism.

[Eric]

I bought this on my honeymoon to San Francisco in 1997. I'll read it eventually!

[Heather Key]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13242939

[Pat Murphy]

A small history of some of the famous criminals and happenings at the island lockup.

[Kimberly Ann]

An interesting look at the history of Federal Prison Alcatraz and its inmates