I’ll be totally honest: originally I thought this review was going to be scathing, primarily because I thought it had the air of a cash grab. There is a definite positional slant to this book because it is written by one of the family members of the Anglin brothers, who participated in this escape attempt. In many cases, the best intentions are read from these, let’s be honest, career criminals. However, by the end I thought this was justified. The positive view of Whitey Bulger and Mickey Cohen, less so, but there are some real miscarriages of justice that the Anglins endured, and continue to endure to this day, for no reason other than the infamy behind this.
The most egregious allegation to me, and the moment I really turned a corner with the story, came from the claim that another Anglin brother died under torture in the electric chair. It’s just an allegation, but it’s a convincing one, and since this brother was the most intelligent in the crop, it’s unlikely that he made the mistake alleged by the authorities. Given what we know about prison abuses, especially in places like Alabama where this took place, I find it very plausible.
Anyways, the story is a full account of the lives of the Anglins as well as Frank Morris, the more famous participant in the escape. It seeks to set the record straight: show what caused these boys to take the path they did, make the claim that they were as much participants in the planning and execution as were the literal genius, Morris, and to provide convincing evidence that the escape was actually successful. By far the most speculative and the most interesting part (aside from the technical execution of the escape, which I loved) is the content around the likelihood that they survived. It is speculation, but the author provides hard evidence everywhere. That willingness to provide such evidence is another reason why I turned on the story in a favorable way: the author, despite having an agenda, does very little “trust me bro” and instead tries to make an actual case. More of this in 2025 America, please.
This is a solid story. It’s the sort of drama you like to see in a popular adaptation, but it’s all true, regardless of the outcome of the escape. I strongly recommend this story.