Forging His Chains: The Autobiography Of George Bidwell, The Famous Ticket-Of-Leave Man (1889)

""Forging His Chains"" is an autobiography written by George Bidwell, a notorious criminal who became famous as a ticket-of-leave man in the late 19th century. The book was originally published in 1889 and offers a firsthand account of Bidwell's life of crime, his time in prison, and his eventual release on parole. Bidwell's story begins with his childhood in England, where he grew up in poverty and turned to petty theft to survive. He eventually graduated to more serious crimes, including burglary and forgery, which landed him in prison multiple times. Despite his criminal record, Bidwell was able to secure a ticket-of-leave, which allowed him to leave prison on parole and work as a laborer.Throughout the book, Bidwell reflects on his experiences and offers insights into the criminal justice system of his time. He also discusses the challenges he faced in trying to reform his ways and build a new life for himself outside of prison. Overall, ""Forging His Chains"" provides a unique perspective on the life of a career criminal in the late 19th century, and sheds light on the complexities of the criminal justice system during that time period.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.