Rating: 
Summary: Very good and true to life...
Review: ...the nick must be better than it was in 1970 ;) Thermos, radio, chocolate biscuits, track suits WOW!Extremely well written and memorized. How was Ronnie Biggs? That saddens me! British Tory in California
Rating: 
Summary: Enlightening story of British penal system
Review: I found this diary of the author's first three weeks in prison very interesting. Writing this account kept him sane. There were many quite awful moments with petty rules to learn about the routine and who to avoid. Also some funny moments like the prison librarian coming to scold him for signing his books which prisoners had taken from her library never to be seen again. I recommend this book to everyone who wants to know what prison life is like.
Rating:
Summary: Enlightening story of British penal system
Review: I found this diary of the author's first three weeks in prison very interesting. Writing this account kept him sane. There were many quite awful moments with petty rules to learn about the routine and who to avoid. Also some funny moments like the prison librarian coming to scold him for signing his books which prisoners had taken from her library never to be seen again. I recommend this book to everyone who wants to know what prison life is like.
Rating:
Summary: British prison system conditions exposed
Review: I have never read any books by this author and only read this because of news of his recent release. I found it very interesting. The details of daily living in prison are dreadful. Such petty rules. I can't imagine conditions are much better in the U.S. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to know what really goes on behind bars. His habit of writing every day saved him. I don't know how he could have survived otherwise.
Rating: 
Summary: only good for learning about conditions in a British prison
Review: I have read several of Jeffrey Archer's books and, in particular, his short stories which are really good. This book is whiny and has no plot at all. However, it does give a lot of insight into the British prison system. In fact, Archer, being a lord, is not really treated badly at all in comparison to the other prisoners. What is good is that we do learn about their stories, experiences and treatments. I gave this book 2 stars for the knowledge I gained from it, but it's hard to say that I enjoyed it.
Rating:
Summary: only good for learning about conditions in a British prison
Review: I have read several of Jeffrey Archer's books and, in particular, his short stories which are really good. This book is whiny and has no plot at all. However, it does give a lot of insight into the British prison system. In fact, Archer, being a lord, is not really treated badly at all in comparison to the other prisoners. What is good is that we do learn about their stories, experiences and treatments. I gave this book 2 stars for the knowledge I gained from it, but it's hard to say that I enjoyed it.
Rating: 
Summary: Scared Straight for the high-income set
Review: i tore through this book this weekend, and while I got a pretty accurate idea of what prison life in Britian is about, I can't help but think Archer's view is a little skewed - after all he's a multi-millionaire and is treated like so in prison. He talks often about getting extra food and favors from other inmates. Given that though, he does describe the conditions very well, and I found his accounts of other inmates and their crimes/sentences very interesting. I hope he will continue to release his prison story, as the book ends when his three weeks in the high-security prison is over, and he is transferred to another facility.
Rating:
Summary: Lord Archer still churns out wonders
Review: I was thrilled to get hold of this book before its release here in Singapore, as I've long been a fan of Jeffrey Archer's short stories. I haven't really followed through with Archer's perjury case so if you're like me, then this book won't help much with enlightening you about the case. Instead, it focuses on what Archer saw and who he met during his incarceration at Belmarsh Prison. The book also reveals a lot about how the prison system works in England, the knicks and knacks of shady deals that goes around behind the bars. The book describes how Lord Archer had a hard time integrating into the prison life - the bad food, hard bed and confined cells. I thought it seemed a tad disgusting that Archer tended to keep whining about the poor quality of life within the prisons because I'm sure, there are people living in worse conditions out there with no food or bed. Moreover, a prison is there to punish and reform, and not as a holiday resort. He should have considered himself lucky not to have been sent to a Singaporean prison - no bed, even smaller space, shaved heads and no freedom to wear your own clothes. At some parts in the book, Archer claims his innocence, and keeps mentioning the tremendous public support he has. A propaganda of sorts? The different characters that Archer had to put up with in his cell block are interesting, and at times, even heart-wrenching. The additions of little footnotes here and there by the author allows readers to further understand what's going on. A couple of illustrations also keeps the book more interesting. At times, readers might find details dealing with Archer's case a tad boring but otherwise, the book is a great read and keeps you entertained throughout.
Rating:
Summary: Some useful insights, but marred by excessive ego
Review: In 2001, Jeffrey Archer was convicted of perjury, arising out of his libel suit against a tabloid newspaper some years earlier, from which he had profited enormously. His conviction occurred as a result of new evidence indicating that there had been a conspiracy, instigated by Archer himself, to 'prove' that he could not possibly have been with a prostitute on the night in question. Convicted of perjury and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, Archer was initially sent to Belmarsh, a high-security jail in London, pending recategorisation to a lower-security prison based on being assessed as low-risk. He spent a period of just over a month in Belmarsh, and this diary - written while in prison - is the result. In reading it, one has to learn to ignore the continual hard-done-by attitude of Archer. He consistently pleads his innocence, despite his guilt being indisputable, and complains about the 'bias' of the trial judge. We are treated to a stream of commentary about the judge's summing-up, and as if that's not enough, Archer tells us all about the letters he receives sympathising with him and agreeing that he has been treated unfairly (he doesn't mention any correspondence which says that he got what he deserved!). He also name-drops constantly in relation to 'famous' people who are apparently on his side. He also has to name-drop in relation to fellow prisoners, so we hear about Ronnie Biggs, the Great Train Robber, who is also in Belmarsh, and also Barry George, on remand at the time awaiting trial for the murder of Jill Dando. In this respect, it is hard to understand how the book got published; it is apparently against Home Office rules to identify serving prisoners in this way. All that aside, there are some telling insights into prison life which deserve wider reading. For instance, Archer puts forward a vigorous argument against sending those convicted of minor offences and serving short terms to a high-security prison such as Belmarsh. The young man serving six weeks for breaking a red light is a telling example: he is being put under severe pressure to murder the witness in another prisoner's trial, once he is released. Another short-term prisoner was persuaded to try heroin for the first time while in Belmarsh, and within a couple of days is addicted: so when he is released once his six weeks are up, how will he fund his addiction? There are certainly lessons to be learned about the prison culture and the criminal justice system from Archer's book, and given the author's reputation as a novelist, this book is sure to get a wide circulation. However, it is far from being the best critical account of prison life in recent years; I would recommend that anyone wishing to read a less egotistical and melodramatic account might look for Erwin James' A Life Inside, available from amazon.co.uk
Rating:
Summary: An insight into the prison system
Review: Jeffrey Archer gives a great insight into the UK prison systems which is certainly a punishment. For anybody wishing to learn about prison and have an interest in this subject I highly recommned it. Those fans of Jeffrey Archer or even to those that do not have any interest I recommened this book. It reaffirms that prison are a suitable punishment for crimes however there can be improvements. Read this first book and a I guarantee you will get hooked and read all 3 that will be published.
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