Crashout ~ James Preston

COLLECTABLE RARE FIRST EDITION 

Publisher: John Long Limited
Year: 1968
ISBN: 09 085690 2
Format: Medium hardcover with dust jacket
Condition: Very good

Every prison guard has, at some time, wondered whether he could shoot a man in cold blood. If a prisoner is escaping, does the guard shoot to kill or would his conscience force his rifle barrel that fraction of an inch too high?

This is the problem, vital to the guard on the wall and to the two prisoners planning an escape, which forms the theme of this unusual story of the tension, suspicion, and worry which precedes a prison breaka crashout.

James Preston is uniquely equipped to write this novel because, as a former prison officer, he knows the thoughts and fears of the guard doing his first tour of duty on a key post, and his prison experiences have also given him a deep insight into the emotions and reactions of the prisoners themselves. In Crashout, the author has used this first-hand knowledge to create an authentic background and life-like characters.