Alcatraz # 1259
Scotts Valley, California: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform and William G. Baker, 2012. Presumed First Edition, First printing. Trade paperback. [14], 231. [11] pages. Illustrations. Minor cover wear and soiling. Inscribed by the author on the first page. Inscription reads To Greta William G. Baker May 12, 2019. Experience Alcatraz history come to life with this best-selling memoir written by former inmate and self-described "bad boy" William Baker. In 1957, when 23-year-old William ("Bill") Baker stepped onto the Alcatraz dock for the first time, he had no idea what the future held. He never would have guessed that 50 years later, he would return to the island...this time as a celebrated author. Bill was one of the last living Alcatraz inmates and delighted visitors with stories from his time on the Rock. In Alcatraz 1259, visitors can take this once-in-a-lifetime experience home. Written with Bill's characteristic candor and dry humor, this powerful first-person account of Alcatraz paints a revealing portrait of life at the world's most notorious prison. In 1972, then-president Richard Nixon signed legislation to create the Golden Gate National Recreation area. It became the first urban national park in the U.S. During peak season at Alcatraz, as many as 4,000 people a day take the ferry to-and-from the island to visit and learn about its long and storied history. Bill Baker is part of that living history. He was Alcatraz prisoner number 1259. He was one of the last surviving former inmates of Alcatraz. "When I was 18 I stole a car in Oregon. They caught me and put me in jail. I escaped, so they put me in prison," Baker explained. "When I escaped that prison they sent me to Alcatraz." Baker remembers his first impression of Alcatraz prison, walking onto the site and seeing other inmates playing cards, basketball and even sketching and painting their views of the Golden Gate Bridge. More than 60 years later, with permission from the National Park Service, he wrote a book about his experiences called Alcatraz, #1259, a reference to his inmate number. "He has a great perspective and a great history. He's one of the last remaining people who actually lived in the prison and was incarcerated here who's still able to come and talk about it," Park Historian Davis said. Condition: Very good.
Keywords: Law Enforcement, Corrections, Prisoners, Criminal Justice, Incarceration, Marcus Koenen, Inmates, Richard Bayless, Aaron Burget, Escape, Benny Rayburn, Cell Block, Solitary Al Doolin, Buck Poe
ISBN: 9781482754070
[Book #85607]
Price: $175.00