Alcatraz, the Prison
by J. Campbell Bruce
Category: Social Science

In 1963, just weeks before the original publication of this book, the last prisoner was escorted off Devil_s Island and Alcatraz ceased to be a prison. Author J. Campbell Bruce chronicles in spellbinding detail the Rock_s transition from a Spanish fort to the maximum-security penitentiary that housed such infamous inmates as Robert Stroud, aka the Birdman of Alcatraz, and mobster Al _Scarface_ Capone. The chapters describing the daring escape attempts by Frank Morris and two accomplices from this _inescapable_ prison became the basis for the 1979 Clint Eastwood movie. Discover the intriguing and absorbing saga of Alcatraz, whose name is still synonymous with punitive isolation and deprivation, where America_s most violent and notorious prisoners resided in tortuous proximity to one of the world_s favorite cities. The true-crime classic first published in 1963 is reissued in this special edition. Includes archival photos of the prison and prison life. This story will appeal to Bay Area locals and tourists alike. Alcatraz hosts more than a million visitors each year.