I was looking for a book for the Local History sweepstake. I like grisly local history and nothing is more grisly than my local asylum for the criminally insane. I can't wait to read this.

Although I'd heard of Charles Bronson, I didn't really know anything about him. I am however fascinated by Broadmoor as I live very close to it. As a teenager me and my friends used to spend ages wandering around it, occasionally having a picnic on the green opposite (We were a morbid lot).

Mixed feelings about this book. It's very entertaining. The way it's written keeps you turning pages, if you don't like bad language then I would avoid this one. Bronson particularly enjoys the C word. However I would take everything he says with a pinch of salt.

The foreword is written by his fiancée, one of those weird women who start randomly writing to prisoners. She lets us know that Bronson shouldn't still be in prison because he's never killed anyone. He is however prone to random acts of violence. Maybe he shouldn't have gone to Broadmoor, I don't know, I'm not a Doctor. But if he was sane, surely he would have realised the key to release would be good behaviour?

But no, he moans about being sent to the office after he's assaulted another prisoner. He moans about the guards being rough with them but I feel this is unfair as they are surrounded by people who commit random acts of violence all day, as Bronson documents here several times.

He has an 'I am a victim' air about him at times which gets on my nerves. He manages to get on the roof of Broadmoor three times(seriously! What were the guards doing?). And then moans he is lied to when he gets down. Oh woe is me! Look at the bloody damaged he caused! Why did they even give into any of his demands? I'm pretty sure you are not supposed to do that.

Also I understand why they kept the prisoners drugged up, what else are they supposed to do with voient people who can kick off at anytime? Surely it's better to keep them in a state where they can't hurt themselves or anyone around them?

I will agree with him on one thing though, Broadmoor is a prison and not a Hospital. They can change it's name all they want, no one around here refers to it as anything but a prison. Which brings me to my final point, he also moans that it's pretty hellish in Broadmoor and it should be made nicer. Yeah.....I'm sure that will go down well with the taxpayer. Well they are currently rebuilding the bloody thing, land that should have gone towards affordable housing if you ask me.

Would I recommend this? Yes! It's a cracking read but like I said about, I wouldn't take too much fact away from it. There are two sides to every story and I have a book about one of the guards to read next. I wonder how the accounts will differ?

Sandhurst does not have much of a literary scene (or so I thought....after reading this, I received a copy of the Sandhurst magazine in the post naming some local authors - I'll know for next time). So I had to get creative. Charlie Bronson was technically a local author in the 80s when he was housed in my local lunatic asylum.

It's a hot topic at the moment as they have just announced they are going to decommission the sirens which can be heard all over Sandhurst at 10am on Monday morning. A sound which will be missed by me as it always reminds me of home.

I hope you enjoy this book.

Thank you very much for sending this book my way

Congratulations, you have picked up a travelling book!
If you have a moment, we'd love you to let us know you have the book as we're keen to follow its journey. You can even post a review when you've read it before passing it on to the next lucky person.
Happy reading!


Not sure what to do? Follow these steps!

1) You may continue as an Anonymous Finder. Or, Register as a member , then you too will receive future journal entries on this book and track its journey around the world!

2) Make a journal entry on this book to let us know how you found it!

3) If you choose to read the book, please make another journal entry when you finish it to let us know what you thought!

4) Ready to pass the book on? Click on "make release notes" to let us know where it's going! Leave the book in a public place or give it to a friend!

***Please Note***
When re-releasing this book please be aware that airports are not a good place to leave books unless they have a specific book exchange shelf or area, due to security problems, so they may well just be disposed of. Also charity shops may well discard books that have been labelled in any way and they mostly chose only the books in the very best condition
to place on their shelves and discard the rest-so another bad release option.