The Complete Parkhurst Tales

by Norman Parker

Norman Parker spent 25 years of his life in a high security Category A prison. Convicted of murder and manslaughter in the 1970s, he was sentenced to life at the notorious Parkhurst Prison. Norman Parker has certainly seen a lot during his time on the inside, and this is his complete collection of tales from behind the bars. He encountered some of the highest-profile criminals in Britain, from the Kray twins to the Great Train Robbers, and met cannibals, IRA bombers, and cold-hearted killers. The Complete Parkhurst Tales is a shockingly powerful and intimate portrayal of the prison system filled with Norman Parker's sharp intelligence and witty observations on every aspect of the secret world in one of Britain's toughest jails.

352 pages, Paperback

First published March 16, 1995

About the author

Norman Parker served twenty-four years in multiple prisons across the UK, including the notorious HMP Parkhurst, after being convicted of murder in 1970. While incarcerated, Parker spent long periods of time in solitary confinement. He studied and gained an honours Open University degree, and published Parkhurst Tales based on his experiences in the prison. It became a best-seller, and he has published similar books depicting life in prison. In 2003, he gained a masters degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Surrey University.

Reviews

[Geraldine]

Eye-opening, horrifying and realistic.

There does exist an underworld. We just don't know about it.

[L (Lawliet) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A chilling insight into Norman Parker's experience in one of Britains most notorious prisons. For an ex-armed robber, this retelling of his time spent in HMS Parkhurst is really well written. He describes the sights and sounds of his surroundings enough to make you feel like your in there with him, which makes you feel for him even more.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not condoning the things these men have done, but find it fascinating to read about the consequences they have to face, from the actions they've taken. I especially like this era in 60's-70's England when bank robberies and gangland violence was rife.
The high point was reading about the infamous Kray twins when they were sent there after their gangster rule over the east end of London.

Overall this is undoubtedly one of the better books I've read in the true crime and prison genre. I read this quite a few years ago now, but the images of these tales are still etched into my mind.

[Trevor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some interesting tales of life behind bars in Parkhurst.

[Michael Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read

[mike smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Enjoyed reading it was true to the word parkhurst like most jails not good places this book has been thoughrly thought about before writing