Donn Pearce's classic account of life on a Florida chain-gang is a poignant indictment of a brutal regime and a eulogy to Cool Hand Luke, the prisoners' spiritual leader, who dominates the camp like a colossus. An army hero turned parking-meter thief, Luke inspires, through his strength and composure, adulation among the inmates and violent jealousy in the "freemen" who run the prison - with tragic consequences ultimately. Pearce did time himself for safe-cracking, and his lucid, humorous prose chronicles vividly the dogged monotony, gruelling work, jokey camaraderie and unenviable frustrations (there are many) of road-gang life. First published in 1966, the book was filmed a year later with Paul Newman. This neat edition is re-issued as a part of a "Film Ink" series of fine novels which were made into great movies, among them The Asphalt Jungle, Dr Strangelove and The Conformist.
