Product Description

In 1978 Warren Fellows was convicted of heroin trafficking between Thailand and Australia. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in the notorious Bang Kwang prison - better known as the Bangkok Hilton. It was the beginning of 12 years of hell in a place where sewer rats and cockroaches are the only nutritious food, where prison guards laugh as they deliver pulverising blows and where the worst punishment is the khun deo - solitary confinement, Thai style. The Damage Done is one man's story of an unthinkable nightmare. It is not Warren Fellows' plea for forgiveness nor his denial of guilt, but a story of endurance and survival and the abuse of human rights during the decade of a life wasted in leg irons. It is an essential read: hearbreaking, fascinating and impossible to put down.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #574034 in Books
• Published on: 2000-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Customer Reviews

FINEST Tale of SE ASIAN PRISON I Have Read
Yes, this is the finest 'diary' of life in a SE Asian prison I have yet come across. The horrors & atrocities are nothing new to a seasoned prison diary reader, though what makes this book different is Fellows' intelligent, rather deep self-analysis, investigating the reasons/choices/mistakes he has made in his life & their consequences. Furthermore, he is MAN enough to admit his wrongs, something rare in these kinds of books. He also goes into detail about the difficulty of the ex-con in readjusting to life on the 'outside' which is perhaps similar to that experienced by a soldier returning to the 'world' from war; something I can relate to.
I enjoyed reading this book, straight-through, because rather than merely describing the horrors he sees & is subjected to, he analyzes & studies them, seeking a meaning in all the ostensible madness & chaos surrounding him. This is what sets this book apart & reveals the unbelievable mental strength of the author, not only to have survived it all in one piece, physically & mentally, but to have the courage & perseverance to look back on it w/ an inquisitive eye & to challenge the chaos by seeking a hidden meaning underlying it.
For those of you who wish the man ill for being involved in the drug-trade, I would suggest you study the drug-trade a bit deeper until you realize your own government's involvement in it & come to terms w/ the fact that someday soon all drugs will be decriminalized.
The very first page of the book, in which Fellows points out, rather subtly, that Thailand has never been invaded, (whilst being surrounded by some of the most barbaric & fearsome cultures in history) may lead one to question whether the famous "Land of Smiles" is merely a front for a society burying a gruesome & terrifying ferocity in its heart. Rarely does a tourist visiting Thailand witness it, unless you're unlucky enough to get locked up & beaten by the local cops - or worse a gang of drunken thugs or soldiers - but it's there . . . simmering, revealing itself in this particular tale through each beating, act of torture, corruptness & injustice perpetrated by Thai police officers, prison guards, judges & lawyers.
Books like this NEED to be read until not one prisoner is forced to endure the horror of what this man had to go through & which no sane person would wish on his worst enemy,

R

Good Seller
I received the book in a prompt manner.
The author isn't Dean Koontz, but he does tell a tale which can make you cringe at times. I am now interested in ordering more books by other prisoners about this prison!

Also, having traveled to Thailand, it now makes me very leery to think that if I were to ever cross a line, unintentionally, theres a chance I could wind up in "The Big Tiger" prison! Scary thought, after reading this book!

The original Hilton book........
I read this book a few years ago and found it to be a good read keeping in mind that "The Damage Done" was the first (Hilton) book of its genre. You can pick this book up at almost any bookstore in Thailand. Although it paints a negative image of Thai prisons, I don't think the Thai government minds this so much since it re-enforces the country's zero drug policy. Of course Mr. Fellows plays the role of victim very well like most of your former "Hilton" residents, by minimizing their own responsibility is to be expected when reading this type of book. Atleast this book has originality to add to its credit where other "Hilton" books fail in comparison to the point of reguritation. The Damage Done is no "Midnight Express" but still makes for a worthwhile read.