Papillon (Harper Perennial Modern Classics)

An immediate sensation upon its publication in 1969, Papillon is a vivid memoir of brutal penal colonies, daring prison breaks and heroic adventure on shark-infested seas. Condemned for a murder he did not commit, Henri Charriere, nicknamed Papillon, was sent to the penal colony of French Guiana. Forty-two days after his arrival he made his first break for freedom, travelling a thousand gruelling miles in an open boat. He was recaptured and put into solitary confinement but his spirit remained untamed: over thirteen years he made nine incredible escapes, including from the notorious penal colony on Devil s Island. This edition of Papillon, one of the greatest adventure stories ever told, includes an exclusive new essay by Howard Marks. – ASIN: 0007179960 | ISBN13: 9780007179961 | ISBN-13: 978-0007179961