Alcatraz

The Gangster Years

By: David A. Ward, Gene Kassebaum (Contribution by)

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Paperback | 19 May 2009 | Edition Number 1

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584 Pages

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22.65 x 15.41 x 3.7

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Al Capone, George "Machine Gun" Kelly, Alvin Karpis, "Dock" Barker--these were just a few of the legendary "public enemies" for whom America's first supermax prison was created. In Alcatraz: The Gangster Years, David Ward brings their stories to life, along with vivid accounts of the lives of other infamous criminals who passed through the penitentiary from 1934 to 1948. Ward, who enjoyed unprecedented access to FBI, Federal Bureau of Prisons, and Federal Parole records, conducted interviews with one hundred former Alcatraz convicts, guards, and administrators to produce this definitive history of "The Rock." Alcatraz is the only book with authoritative answers to questions that have swirled about the prison: How did prisoners cope psychologically with the harsh regime? What provoked the protests and strikes? How did security flaws lead to the sensational escape attempts? And what happened when these "habitual, incorrigible" convicts were finally released? By shining a light on the most famous prison in the world, Ward also raises timely questions about today's supermax prisons.

Industry Reviews

"Enjoyable as well as informative. Anyone who has read it is unlikely to look upon the Rock quite the same way ever again." -- Martin Rubin San Francisco Chronicle "Alcatraz, as David Ward has re-created it, is irresistible to read about." -- Ben Pesta California Lawyer "Alcatraz: The Gangster Years deserves a place in the library of anyone or institution." -- Webb Johnson California Historian

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You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction History Regional & National History History of the Americas Social Services & Welfare Crime & Criminology Penology & Punishment Prisons Specific Events & Topics in History Social & Cultural History

Preface	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. xxi
Introduction: Reconstructing the Life of a Prison	p. 1
Alcatraz from 1934 to 1948
The Federal Government's War on "Public Enemies"	p. 13
A New Form of Imprisonment	p. 49
Selecting the "Worst of the Worst"	p. 70
The Program	p. 97
Organized Resistance: A Regime Tested	p. 120
Finding a Hole in the Rock: The First Escape Attempts	p. 150
Alcatraz on Trial	p. 181
The War Years	p. 205
The Battle of Alcatraz	p. 238
Life on the Rock for Resisters and Public Enemies
Resistance and Adaptation	p. 283
Outlaws among Outlaws	p. 304
Celebrity Prisoners	p. 338
Alcatraz As an Experiment in Penal Policy
Return to the Free World	p. 385
Lessons from Alcatraz for Supermax Prisons	p. 445
Epilogue	p. 461
Notes	p. 467
Bibliographic Commentary	p. 519
About the Authors	p. 523
Index	p. 525
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Alcatraz

The Gangster Years

At a Glance

Paperback

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

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