Do you also think you will forever be interested in stories about people who escape prison? If so, we have bought you the top 11 non-fiction books about prison breaks to help you calm your prison break cravings. Let us not take too much of your time to start the article.
List Of Top 11 Non-Fiction Books About Prison Breaks
1. Papillon by Henri Charrière
An immediate sensation upon its publication in 1969, Papillon is a vivid memoir of brutal penal colonies, daring prison breaks, and heroic adventures on shark-infested seas. He was found guilty of a homicide that he did not commit. Henri Charrière, nicknamed Papillon, was then sent to the penal colony of French Guiana.
Forty-two days after his arrival, he took his first steps to freedom by making the arduous journey of a thousand miles in an open boat. He was captured again and thrown into solitary confinement.
Still, his spirit was not overpowered: in thirteen years, he made nine incredible escapes, including an escape from the notorious penal colony on Devil’s Island. One of the greatest adventure stories ever told, this edition of Papillon includes an exclusive new essay by Howard Marks.
2. Perdition by Ann Aguirre
Life inside is even darker. Known as the Dread Queen, the captive Desdemona “Dread” Davos controls one of the six realms of Perdition, with potential kings on either side eager to challenge her claim. Keeping them at bay requires constant surveillance and a constant influx of new people to replace those who have fallen. Existence is a continuous battle, and death is the only escape.
Only one of the latest culprits is worth Dredd’s attention. With his deadly gaze and attitude, the mercenary Gael may be the most dangerous criminal on board. If he doesn’t betray her first, his fighting skills may give her the edge she needs. Unfortunately, this is what he does best.
3. Alcatraz Escape Files by Golden Gate
When 23-year-old kidnapper Theodore Cole arrived at Alcatraz in 1935, he already had two violent escape attempts on his record. Not surprisingly, within twenty-four months, he made another run for freedom.
The people locked up in maximum-security, minimum-privilege USP Alcatraz spent their time thinking about it, dreaming about it, and plotting ways to achieve it. Although their plans had a chance of succeeding, that still prevented them from trying. And when it came to getting off the island, these people, who had time and plenty of motivation, devised some remarkably daring escape plans.
The apostles broke out of solitary confinement, slipped away from the dock, tunneled their way out of their cells, and used improvised tools to see through “tool-proof” bars. These accounts, taken from the official files of the Bureau of Prisons, show how desperate people will go to regain their jobs and take on a lot of work. Finding a more inventive gallery of escape artists would take a lot of work.
4. Ella by Diane Richards
Ella Fitzgerald, then fifteen, went to work for the mob to support her family after her mother passed away at the height of her depression. When law enforcement finally arrives, the “unruly” teen is imprisoned in the New York Training School for Girls in upstate New York, a rogue prison notorious for its harsh treatment of inmates, especially black ones. Determined to break free, Ella runs away. She returns to Harlem, where she is forced to dance for money on the street.
Looking for a break in show business, Ella drew straws to appear at the Apollo Theatre’s Amateur Night on November 21, 1934. Instead of dancing straight after “The World Famous Edwards Sisters” number, Homeless Ella wore men’s galoshes. Her size is enormous, and she risks everything when she decides to sing instead of Judy. Four years later, at barely twenty-one, Ella Fitzgerald has become the best-selling female singer in America.
Diane Richards’s Ella Fitzgerald is inspiring and exciting—an emotionally rich, psychologically complex character, a flawed mother and wife who grapples with deep emotional wounds and trauma and battles racism, sexism, and colorism as she makes her mark on stage. She learns to find her voice. Ella takes us from the brothels, speakeasies, and streets of Depression-era New York City to grand hotel suites, where Ella, now older and wiser, looks back on her life and ultimately confronts the childhood demons that haunted her with pain.
5. Two for Joy by Louise Collins
Step into the fascinating world of ‘Two for Joy.’ Here is a delightful collection of stories. Joe Ruskin Bond captures the essence of childhood life with a touch of magic. In this charming anthology, the author, like the beloved Bond, weaves stories that transport readers to the heart of a small town, where every house has a story to tell.
These stories, though standalone, are intricately linked and beautifully showcase the mundane yet extraordinary moments of the townspeople’s lives. Through the eyes of different child characters, each narrative unfolds, sometimes with a gentle humor that may make you laugh out loud and moments that tug at your heartstrings.
As you turn the pages, you will immerse yourself in the rich details of people’s lives, where the ordinary becomes extraordinary under the author’s pen. The writing style invites readers to see the beauty in the seemingly mundane. This book is a journey into the nostalgic realms of childhood, where every discovery, every friendship, and every adventure seem as alive and precious as they did years ago. With warmth, the author paints a picture of the eternal charm of innocence, laughter, and simple joys.
6. Viper Prison Break: The untold story of a daring escape from Kala Pani by Neelam Francis
In the days of the expansion of empires and the flourishing of penal colonies, a fearful chain of islands, known since ancient times for fierce tribes and inhospitable climates, was chosen as a place of punishment for all those who violated the colonial powers. Even the slightest crime or accusation is enough to condemn a person to a colony for life from which no one ever returns.
Hemraj, an innocent villager, becomes the victim of a conspiracy that sends him across the black waters with no hope of return. When his requests for parole were repeatedly rejected, Hemraj chose the only option left for him – escape! Viper Prison Break is the daring escape story of Hemraj and his fellow convicts. Although partly fiction, it is a true story.
7. Zek: An American Prison Story by Arthur Longworth
Johnny’s relationship has broken down, and he is serving time in a prison in eastern Washington and will probably never see the outside world again. Johnny will likely find a bad book when sent to the hole. At first, intending to savor it, reading only a little at a time, he turned up a few hours later, the book finished, and Johnny changed. Zeke is his story, exposing the cruelty of a life behind bars. It is ugly. And it is beautiful.
Arthur Longworth was born in Tacoma, Washington, raised in the state, and entered prison at age 21 with a seventh-grade education. He has been published widely. There are three National PEN Awards. Completed in 2005, Zech uses the literary structure of Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich to tell the story of a day in the life of a prisoner in the Unes. It is Arthur Longworth’s most widely read work, as it has been passed among prisoners and correctional officers for over a decade. Zeke is now available for the first time.
8. Escape from Venezuela’s Deadliest Prison by Natalie Welsh
In 2001, Natalie Welsh took her daughter Nikita on a forever vacation in Venezuela. But Natalie was hiding a terrible secret – in a moment of desperation, she had agreed to smuggle a suitcase of cocaine for a lump sum payment, hoping it would change her life. Hopelessly naïve and struggling with a drug addiction that left her unable to even reason, Natalie had no idea of the danger she faced.
Natalie, who was captured by Venezuelan authorities, was sentenced to 10 years in prison. In the blink of an eye, she entered a nightmare world where the guards were too powerless or corrupt to control the increasing violence. It was a world of almost unimaginable horror, where armed and powerful prisoners carried out murders, rapes, and even gang warfare.
After six terrifying years, and against impossible odds, Natalie becomes the first Western woman to escape from a Venezuelan prison to freedom in a death-defying flight through Colombia. Hell’s Punishment is an incredible story of how one terrible mistake can almost destroy life and how Natalie’s love for her daughter saved it.
9. Trials of Conviction by T.A. White
His niece was gone; his best friend- gone.
Now, only one mission matters – to save your loved ones from the hands of the enemy.
Forced to embark on a dangerous journey, Kira will need all her allies in the most significant life battle. With his mind and body failing, it is a race against time to locate Tsavite’s homeworld. The alien race intends to take over the universe.
A shadowy force watches his every move. His intentions could be more precise. As secrets are revealed and threats deepen, Phoenix will be forced to rise.
One thing is clear – not everyone can make it out of this monolith.
10. Breakout by Kate Messner
Nora Tucker is excited for her summer vacation at Wolf Creek, which will include two months of swimming, popsicles, and developing her journalistic talents for the school newspaper. But everything changes when two prisoners break the city’s maximum security prison.
The doors are locked, helicopters are flying over the forest, and police are patrolling the school grounds. The worst part is that everyone is on edge, and fear brings out the worst results in some people that Nora has seen in her entire life. Even if the prisoners are caught, they worry that the house will never feel the same.
11. I Will Find You by Harlan Coben
David Burrows was once a devoted father to his three-year-old son Matthew, living a dream life just a stone’s throw from the working-class suburb where he and his wife Cheryl first fell in love—until one fateful night. David is sleeping just down the hall when he suddenly wakes up and discovers that Matthew has been murdered.
Half a decade later, David is wrongly accused and convicted of murder, leaving him to serve out his time in a maximum-security prison—a fate that, saddened and guilt-ridden, David has no desire to fight. The world has gone on without him. Then Cheryl’s younger sister, Rachel, makes a surprise appearance during the visit, carrying a strange photograph.
It’s a vacation shot of a bustling amusement park that a friend shared with him, and in the background, barely in the frame, is a boy who bears an uncanny resemblance to David’s son. Although it may not be, David knows that Matthew is still alive.
David plans a daring escape, determined to achieve the impossible – save his son, clear his name, and discover what happened. But with his life at risk and the FBI tracking his every move, can David elude capture long enough to uncover the shocking truth?
Conclusion
The human desire for freedom burns bright even when they are behind bars. The above article, which consists of 11 nonfiction books about prison breaks, offers a glimpse of the remarkable resourcefulness and determination of those who dared to defy the system. Moreover, each book sheds light on different prison environments, escapes, and consequences. We hope this list has inspired you to dive deeper into nonfiction books. With countless book summaries like No Judgement by Lauren Oyler, many more are waiting to be discovered only at non fiction books.