In 1963, just weeks before the original publication of this book, the last prisoner was escorted off Devils Island and Alcatraz ceased to be a prison. Author J. Campbell Bruce chronicles in spellbinding detail the Rocks 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 Americas most violent and notorious prisoners resided in tortuous proximity to one of the worlds 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.From the Trade Paperback edition.