In the Shadow of Papillon: Seven Years of Hell in Venezuela's Prison System - Softcover

Kane, Frank; Tilsley, John

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1845962516 ISBN 13: 9781845962517

Publisher: Mainstream Publishing, 2008

Synopsis

Following the collapse of his business and the loss of his home, Frank Kane made a catastrophic decision—he agreed to smuggle cocaine out of Venezuela. Almost inevitably, he and his girlfriend Sam were caught. Frank tells the story of their 10-year sentence in the overcrowded Venezuelan prison system, notorious for official corruption and abuse, and rife with weapons and gangs. He tells of being held in the remote El Dorado prison better known for being the one-time home of Henri Charrière, or Papillon. He tells of witnessing countless murders as gang leaders fought for power, of having to become as ruthless as his fellow inmates in order to survive, and of succumbing to drugs in an attempt to dull the reality of the horrendous conditions. After enduring years of systematic beatings by the guards and attempts on his life by inmates, Frank suffered more than one breakdown and was riddled with disease, yet somehow found the strength to survive until his release in 2004.

About this title

About the Author:

Frank Kane was born in Cheshire in 1953, attended grammar school and college. After many years working in the electrical industry he started his own electrical wholesale business which collapsed after 12 years of very successful trading. Since his release from prison, Frank is now settled and working as a truck driver.

Review:

"Thrilling . . . as true stories from savage foreign hellholes go, this is up there with the most extraordinary."  —Ice

About this edition

• Publisher: Mainstream Publishing
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1845962516
• ISBN 13: 9781845962517
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• Number of pages: 287