Hell in Barbados: The True Story of a Man Imprisoned in Paradise

by Terry Donaldson

Struggling against drug addiction, Terry Donaldson had started to make a success of his life, but it wasn't to last. His Jekyll and Hyde lifestyle--Tv presenter by day, scouring the streets of London for drugs and prostitutes by night--meant he lost everything, and led him to the point of desperation. Facing financial ruin, he agreed to smuggle drugs from Barbados, but was caught and sent to one of the world's worst prisons, where he remained for over 3 years. Honest and disturbing, Hell in Barbados is the true story of how Donaldson witnessed stabbings, beatings, shootings and a full scale riot as the prison went up in flames. In this extraordinary book, he describes the true horror of prison life in the Caribbean, the depravity that brought him there, and the years of brutality he was forced to endure. Terry Donaldson's story depicts how a drug-addicted smuggler found his salvation in the unlikeliest of places. Told with shocking honesty, Hell in Barbados takes us into the mind of an addict and shows us just how low a man can fall before he finds the strength to save himself.

Genres: Crime

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Steven Scaffardi · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s one thing if Terry Donaldson experienced what he considered to be Hell whilst he was stuck in a Barbados prison for three years, but that really was no reason to put the reader through the same ordeal of having to read this book. I can honestly say that having read a number of books about people being locked up in foreign prisons that this is by far the worst of the lot.

At the start of this book, Terry Donaldson explains about his early life and how he became to be a relatively successful British TV presenter in the 90s, but succumbed to the evils of drugs (and prostitutes) at which point his life spiraled out of control to the point where he agreed to smuggle drugs out of Barbados and into Britain...

Click here to read the rest of this review:
http://stevenscaffardi.blogspot.co.uk...

[Jp Sordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I looked up the author and what he's been up to and... yeah...

[stephen smitten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

Good Story of a mans time inside a prison in Barbados. The book has a strong message. Don't go down the slippery slope of taking drugs.

[Hannah McGhie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each chapter gets better

Reading whilst on holiday in Barbados possibly made this an even more compelling read, written very well & in such detail you really submerge into this life

[Dave · Rating 2 out of 5]

I so much wanted to give this more stars. It never really lived up to why it was so bad in the prison. Sure it sounded unpleasant, but the writing wasn't gritty enough to really convey the awful situation that the author found himself in. There was not one awful moment in the book which made me think 'how terrible'. I did not like Mr Donaldson. Sure he was a druggie and under drugs, people do dumb things. But he voluntarily ended up in the situation he found himself in, he knew what he was doing and therefore gets nil sympathy from me. His lifestyle choices leading up to this, made me feel that he was not a likeable person, used people for his own ends and really, just voluntarily screwed up his and his families lives

[Andrew Parkinson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've read a couple of books about foreign jails (damage done and hellhole) and this was a long long way off. yes his ordeal probably was frightening but this story is very poorly written. the start goes on for an absolute age about his drug addiction and travels to Afghanistan etc etc. so much so, I was ready to skip to the main part, just for something interesting to read. I think of jail stories as raw and exciting, this is neither. it's just him, hiding away fro everyone and worrying about his possessions being taken from him. I have never been so close to leave a book unfinished, in all my life! if it wasn't for the fact this guy actually survived, it wouldn't have even got 1 star.

[Kay]

An incredible story.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

gripping

[Allyson Langworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Real eye opener into the life of a drug addict/drug smuggler who gets caught and has to face judicial consequence in Beautiful Barbados. While he is doing his jail time it is when the burning of the only prison on the island occurred and he depicts in such depth how things were, where the were going how they got there.
Loved reading the story and then discovering the island and the old prison grounds.
Re-iterates why NOT to get involved in the illegal drug trade and more importantly what happens when you think you are above the law and can do as you wish in terms of smuggling.