The book 'Six Years in the Prisons of England', published anonymously in the 1860s, offers a fascinating glimpse into the harshness of Victorian prison life. Written by a once wealthy and respectable Dundee jute merchant, the author's first-hand account describes the conditions under which he and fellow convicts were kept and exposes the many failings in the prison system of the day. Now, a century and a half after his story was first told, the author is identified and the events leading to his fall from grace, his imprisonment and subsequent release are laid out alongside the original text. 'The Rise, Fall and Redemption of James Fairweather' provides a detailed and unique accompaniment to a fascinating human story and an important social commentary.