Hitler and fantasy figure drawing guides feature on prison libraries list of most borrowed titles

By Jamie Buchan

January 15 2018, 8:04am

Inmates are brushing up on the horrors of the holocaust, according to a new study of reading habits at Tayside’s biggest prison.

An unflinching account of Second World War atrocities by German academic Guido Knopp has topped a countdown of the most borrowed books at Perth Prison.

The book, Hitler’s Holocaust, has won praise for its extensively researched study of the “greatest crime” of the 21st Century.

Runner-up in the top 10 is Mafia Rat, a true crime tale by Pulitzer Prize winner Jimmy Breslin, followed by the more sedate Reflections on Scotland by Ian Wallace.

The list also reveals prisoners’ artistic side with Drawing and Painting Fantasy Figures by Finlay Cowan, amongst the most borrowed.

The list was compiled and released by Culture Perth and Kinross, the independent charitable trust which now runs libraries at HMP Perth and Castle Huntly on behalf of the local authority.

Science, But Not As We Know It by Ben Gillard tops the list for Castle Huntly, where inmates are preparing for their release.

Second on the list is Jamie Oliver’s money-saving recipe guide Save With Jamie.

The Scottish Prison Service recently revealed that the most requested book at Castle Huntly was Silencer by Andy McNab.

Library bosses have also released anecdotal details of the most frequently requests at both prison.

For HMP Perth, these include fantasy and historical fiction, as well as titles on “mindfullness” and how to quit smoking.

Art – particularly sketching and calligraphy – and poetry also feature on the list of most in-demand books.

At Castle Huntly, inmates are more likely to ask library staff about health and wellbeing, as well as engineering and teach-yourself IT guides.

In previous years, the most-borrowed-books lists have included guitar playing guides and joke books by comedian Harry Hill.