The Governor
My Life Inside Britain’s Most Notorious Prisons
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The Governor
Buy Now for £12.99
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Narrated by:
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Vanessa Frake
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By:
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Vanessa Frake
About this listen
The Sunday Times top 10 best seller.
As seen on This Morning.
Back in the day, I was governor of security and operations for HMP Wormwood Scrubs. If you’re easily shocked or offended, you best look away now....
Having worked for 16 years in a high-security women’s prison dealing with the likes of Rosemary West and Myra Hindley, Vanessa Frake thought she’d seen it all. That was until she was transferred to the notorious Wormwood Scrubs.
Thrust into a ‘man’s world’, her no-nonsense approach and fearless attitude saw her swiftly rise through the ranks. From dealing with celebrity criminals and busting drug rings, to recruiting informers and being subject to violent attacks, this hard-hitting but often humorous memoir reveals all about life behind bars in unflinching detail.
Now, for one last time, the Gov opens the prison gates. Prepare for the madness and horror of daily life with the UK’s most ruthless criminals.
©2021 Vanessa Frake (P)2021 HarperCollins Publishers LimitedListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about The Governor
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Dawn C.
- 25-03-22
Good story, narration hard to listen to at times
Great story and insight. unfortunately the narration felt a bit stilted at times and wasn't always an ear pleasing listen, though was worth persevering at for the overall story content.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- EMMA
- 27-05-21
Amazing
I was hooked from start to finish! So interesting and well put together! Would highly recommend
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- sandra todd
- 23-04-21
Exceptional
Fascinating book, so enjoyable and interesting,. I'm sorry I finished it so fast. That's not because it's short, it's because I binged it!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Alex Banks
- 08-03-22
Brilliant book highly recommend!
What a woman! A fascinating insight into an incredible career. The kind of person society could learn a lot from.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- AudiobookDevotee
- 22-01-22
An interesting life's-worth of stories
Don't be put off by the narration. The author reads the story which we all know can be a mixed bag but she really sucks you into the narrative. Someone with a lyrical voice would sound detached from the story but Frake has a gruff, strong voice that really grounds you in the story. I also think that, since this was ghost written, the author doing the narration really validates the truthfulness of the narrative.
This is very much a set of memoirs with a generally chronological order. It's really interesting to hear the different stories, some humorous like the various adventures in smuggling (and the dreaded chair!) and some tragic like a few of the escape attempts.
I'm glad I read this. I gives and interesting insight into the prison system and, later in the story, we begin to see how funding cuts have a very real and serious impact on quality of life/opportunity for both the prisoners and the staff.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoyed "A Bit of a Stretch", "The Prison Doctor" or "Orange is the New Black".
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Big Phil
- 04-04-22
A Great Insight
Top story from an experienced operator, no disrespect but Vanessa has a bit of a bland voice, but stick with it, it’s good.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- go-go girl
- 07-10-23
An earthy, pithy, gritty and ultimately a compassionate story.
An ordinary, extraordinary woman! I’ve had Vanessa in my lug holes for a few days now. I love how she tells her own story, it sets a unique tone. So, put the kettle on, make your cuppa and settle in. It’s going to be a binge fest!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- JOANNE GREEN
- 13-01-24
Fascinating
Such a great book, Vanessa’s story is wild and I have recommended it loads already.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kirsty
- 11-02-24
Vanessa needs to make this a movie!!
Once bought I had to listen right till the end. An amazing life story. Gives me hope that there is light at the end of a career. What a giggle listening to Vanessa’s life journey.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Simmobb2
- 17-02-24
very informative and interesting
Thank you for your service Vanessa. The world needs determined and persistent characters like you to function.
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