Letters from Alcatraz - by Michael Esslinger (Hardcover)

About the Book

In Letters From Alcatraz, the prisoners' stories come to life in their own words. With over twenty years of research, Michael Esslinger has salvaged and compiled an extraordinary collection of inmates' letters, many never before published.

Book Synopsis

REVISED, EXPANDED AND UPDATED (Special Edition). Letters from Alcatraz now includes a new chapter of author interviews with James "Whitey" Bulger, discussing his years on the Rock. Alcatraz Island was home to some of the nation's most notorious criminals including James "Whitey" Bulger, Al Capone, Mickey Cohen, George "Machine Gun" Kelly, Robert Stroud- the Birdman of Alcatraz, Alvin Karpis, Henry Young, Frank Morris, John & Clarence Anglin, and Roy Gardner. In Michael Esslinger's latest book, Letters from Alcatraz, the prisoners' stories come to life in their own words. With over twenty years of research, Esslinger, author of Alcatraz: Definitive History of the Penitentiary Years, has salvaged and compiled an extraordinary collection of inmates' letters, many never before published. Letters from Alcatraz features an impressive collection of original correspondence from inmates both on-and-off the Rock. Their letters capture the true essence of life in prison, with fresh and historical insights to their sufferings and occasional triumphs. It is a finer example of history from one of America's most historical treasures. This rare collection features many never before published personal letters and author interview material from James "Whitey" Bulger, Al Capone, George "Machine Gun" Kelly, Robert "Birdman of Alcatraz" Stroud, Alvin Karpis, Henri Young, John & Clarence Anglin, Roy Gardner and numerous others. Also included are narratives on the Battle of Alcatraz and other harrowing escape attempts. The letters are all presented in their original form... revealing in their authenticity, representing their lives suspended in slow motion while serving time on the Rock and other prisons. They are confessionals of earnestness and probe their introspective thoughts. Sometimes deep, and sometimes they are almost too overwhelmingly honest in their descriptive accounts. Many represent their torn and textured histories in crime and the intricately layered stories of life at Alcatraz. Letters from Alcatraz is an epic exploration of a secret cloak and dagger culture once hidden behind a mythical curtain. This book is much more than a mere exercise in myth busting. Paired with its contextual and intrinsic complexities, Letters from Alcatraz grants readers privileged access to the formidable confinement conditions endured by these inmates along with their compelling portraits, and a thorough overview of the rich history of Alcatraz Island. The depth of feeling in its story, its setting, its cast; these are their lives in prose and the stories of the forgotten...