Eastern State Penitentiary: A History (Landmarks) by Paul Kahan

Eastern State Penitentiary: A History (Landmarks) by Paul Kahan

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Eastern State Penitentiary: A History (Landmarks) by Paul Kahan

The only comprehensive history of one of America's most infamous prisons, Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia, PA.


Looming on the horizon like a storm cloud made of stone, the Eastern State Penitentiary spent more than a century as the fortress that both the law-abiding and criminal feared. In this superbly balanced and thoroughly researched volume, Paul Kahan presents the history of this revolutionary penitentiary, from its inception as a model of the revolutionary Pennsylvania System of incarceration in 1829 to the demands for its closure in the wake of ever-increasing violence in 1971. Through tales of spectacular escapes, official corruption, reformation and retribution, Kahan chronicles the tensions that plagued Eastern State since the arrival of its first prisoners.

Kahan, Paul: - Paul Kahan is an adjunct professor of history and sociology at Philadelphia University. Dr. Kahan graduated with a BA from Alfred University in 2001, an MA in modern history and literature from Drew University in 2004 and, most recently, a PhD in American history from Temple University. He has also worked as an interpreter at the Eastern State Penitentiary, and a site administrator for the Fonthill Museum and the Bucks County Historical Society. He lives in suburban Philadelphia with his son, Alec. This is his first book.
SKU Unavailable
ISBN 13 9781596294035
ISBN 10 1596294035
Title Eastern State Penitentiary: A History (Landmarks)
Author Paul Kahan
Series Landmarks Ser
Condition Unavailable
Binding Type Paperback
Publisher The History Press
Year published 2008-09-01
Number of pages 128
Cover note Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.