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Rating: 
Summary: Could not put it down!
Review: All I did between reading this book is eat and sleep. See how Whitey through the years banned the hate out of his heart, and how difficult his first step into freedom was.
Rating:
Summary: Great
Review: I am still shocked that it took me 11 years to finally open the pages to this book, but when I did I never put it down, Why you might ask? Whitey is cold, hard and calculating throughout the book, never giving into anything and showing the reader into the mind of a hardened criminal. I for one have a better knowledge of what life was truly like in Alcatraz, if just for a period of five years. If you want to read a book cover to cover in one day, pick this book up, and i know you will want to buy Merry go Round, which is the conclusion of Whiteys life in and out of prison until now. By the way, Whitey has really turned his life around, and I am proud to have met him.
Rating:
Summary: Unbelievable !
Review: I bought the book, written by Leon Whitey Thompson, who happened to be on Alcatraz signing books. His name will forever, not only, leave an impression in my book but also in my mind. This was an absolutely fantastic book which I could not put down. Basically, I bought it the day I left San Francisco and finished it by the time I had made three transits in Asia and finally back to Australia 40 hrs later. But one thing I did regret is that I should have read the book before I visited Alcatraz. I strongly recommend the book to everyone.
Rating:
Summary: Escape from lonelyness
Review: I read the book in two days, and all I did between was eat and sleep. A great story of a former inmate who at last banned the hate out of his heart. He gives us a very good understanding of his life in prison, with much details and humor also. A "must read".
Rating:
Summary: Wow.
Review: Leon "Whitey" Thompson shares his experiences serving time in what is undoubtedly one of America's most (in)famous prisons, Alcatraz aka The Rock. To better put his time and personality changes there in a clear perspective, Thompson also tells of his tortured childhood at the hands of an abusive alcoholic father and the criminal exploits it led him to and which subsequently got him into prison. Using the third person narrative, Thompson paints himself as a dangerously volatile man prone to violent outbursts of temper. It is these outbursts that landed him on The Rock, but it is there that he overcame those troubles and attempted to turn his life around. Sadly it was not to be, Whitey returned to prison one more time...Rock Hard is an engrossing read that is a tad melodramatic. At times it reads more like a dimestore pulp novel than a true to life account, but the old cliche 'life is stranger than fiction' should be kept in mind. Thompson details how life in prison can be a maddening repetition of the same boring routine, one that can drain the sanity from you. Yet it can also contain moments of humanity and humor. After reading the book I can feel nothing but respect for Thompson and what he has managed to accomplish in his reformed life. Highly recommended to True Crime buffs and those interested in studies of prison life.
Rating:
Summary: Wow.
Review: Leon "Whitey" Thompson shares his experiences serving time in what is undoubtedly one of America's most (in)famous prisons, Alcatraz aka The Rock. To better put his time and personality changes there in a clear perspective, Thompson also tells of his tortured childhood at the hands of an abusive alcoholic father and the criminal exploits it led him to and which subsequently got him into prison. Using the third person narrative, Thompson paints himself as a dangerously volatile man prone to violent outbursts of temper. It is these outbursts that landed him on The Rock, but it is there that he overcame those troubles and attempted to turn his life around. Sadly it was not to be, Whitey returned to prison one more time... Rock Hard is an engrossing read that is a tad melodramatic. At times it reads more like a dimestore pulp novel than a true to life account, but the old cliche 'life is stranger than fiction' should be kept in mind. Thompson details how life in prison can be a maddening repetition of the same boring routine, one that can drain the sanity from you. Yet it can also contain moments of humanity and humor. After reading the book I can feel nothing but respect for Thompson and what he has managed to accomplish in his reformed life. Highly recommended to True Crime buffs and those interested in studies of prison life.
Rating:
Summary: Loved Down under
Review: Rock Hard Rock Hard: The Autobiography of a Former Alcatraz Inmate is a prime example of an insider¡¯s view to the life behind bars. Leon Whitney Thompson, nicknamed ¡°Whitey¡±, grows up into the criminal life. As a child he robbed stores and escaped the law, only to begin his life-long journey of crime. When he is caught and forced to join a chain-gang he begins to make friends that live the same way he does. Eventually he escapes and is sent to ¡°The Rock¡±, which you might know as Alcatraz. Leon ¡°Whitey¡± Thompson is one of the many criminals that were sent to this ¡°inescapable¡± island to be set as an example to other criminals. The most infamous were usually sent to Alcatraz. Names such as Al ¡°Scarface¡± Capone, and George ¡°Machine Gun¡± Kelly were common to Alcatraz. This autobiography went in-depth and gave a first-hand perspective into the life of Leon ¡°Whitey¡± Thompson. It was definitely realistic to the world we live in. I would recommend that everyone read this book to get a better understanding of Leon Whitney Thompson, criminal life, and ¡°The Rock¡±.
Rating:
Summary: Great Book!
Review: Rock Hard Rock Hard: The Autobiography of a Former Alcatraz Inmate is a prime example of an insider¡¯s view to the life behind bars. Leon Whitney Thompson, nicknamed ¡°Whitey¡±, grows up into the criminal life. As a child he robbed stores and escaped the law, only to begin his life-long journey of crime. When he is caught and forced to join a chain-gang he begins to make friends that live the same way he does. Eventually he escapes and is sent to ¡°The Rock¡±, which you might know as Alcatraz. Leon ¡°Whitey¡± Thompson is one of the many criminals that were sent to this ¡°inescapable¡± island to be set as an example to other criminals. The most infamous were usually sent to Alcatraz. Names such as Al ¡°Scarface¡± Capone, and George ¡°Machine Gun¡± Kelly were common to Alcatraz. This autobiography went in-depth and gave a first-hand perspective into the life of Leon ¡°Whitey¡± Thompson. It was definitely realistic to the world we live in. I would recommend that everyone read this book to get a better understanding of Leon Whitney Thompson, criminal life, and ¡°The Rock¡±.
Rating:
Summary: Highly recomended
Review: This book is a page turner and it offers an unique insight in the life of a convict on Alcatraz. I found it fascinating and hard to put down. The book is also exceptionally well written, I really enjoyed reading it.
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