"I FINISHED JERRY'S RIOT and enjoyed it immensely. I’d started it while at your place but never got back to it with all our stuff going on when we got home but – I picked it up a couple of days ago and started again and could not put it down. Really enjoyed it – brilliant - very well done – the detail and obvious research was incredible – I kept remembering our visit to Deer Lodge and the prison and thought it would be great to see it again having now read the book."-- From GREGORY HILL, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
"I COULD HEAR THE FRIGHTENING clang and loud, eerie echo of the prison's steel door and chills overcame me time and again when reading Kevin Giles' account of the 1959 fatal riot at Montana's first territorial prison in my hometown of Deer Lodge, Montana. The riot overtook and held hostage our tiny town for days. "LIFE" magazine even covered the event where my girlfriend, Phyllis Rothe, was taken from our senior classroom to learn that her father, Deputy Warden Ted Rothe, had been savagely murdered by a crazy man named Smart. Giles' detail in "Jerry's Riot" is absorbing. He repaints the picture of those formidable and threatening days with a fine brush. The picture Giles paints is haunting and unforgettable."
-- SUZANNE LINTZ IVES, prize-winning journalist and author, "Bob, the Tree Who Became a Star"
KEVIN GILES HAS TAKEN the Prison Riot that we lived through as little kids from vague memories to vivid recollection and cleared up the mystery. I was with Kevin when he interviewed one of the participants and it is now clear that not many people knew what really happened. I have toured the prison museum and this book should be on display and for sale to help everyone understand what really happened."
-- From FRED DENTON, Denver, Colorado
THANK YOU for telling us about this book. I ordered it, and it is great!!!! It's a
very hard book to put down.
-- CATHY MURPHY, Montana Probation & Parole Officer
"TOM GAVE ME your book, Jerry's Riot, for my birthday. I started reading it and couldn't put it down. Your writing is just terrific, putting related stories in while describing the riot. Never read a book like that."
-- From HARLEY KARVONEN, Perham, Minnesota
"I'M FROM ANACONDA, MONTANA and have always had an interest in Montana History. When I heard Kevin Giles was writing the book about the 1959 Prison Riot I couldn't wait to read about it. Over the years, I've known several people, including my brother, that have worked at the Montana State Prison. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and was amazed at the hours that must have been put into researching this book. I bought the book for several of my family members and they also thought it was a great read. I have taken tours of the old Montana State Prison in the past, but this book made me want to rush home again and re-tour the site. I certainly have a new respect for the guards who devote their careers to these institutions. This is an excellent book to read."
--From CONNIE PETROVICH, Las Vegas, Nevada
"MY NAME IS MIKE BENSON and I am the Assistant Chief of Police with the Glendive Police Department. I am also the son of Ted Benson and grandson of Bill Benson. For years I have heard the story from my dad about the prison riot, based on what Grandpa told him. It was great to read your book to find out, as Paul Harvey would say, the rest of the story. It was obvious that your research into this book was very extensive. Thank you for writing such a fabulous book. I really enjoyed learning about the full story about why the riot happened. I also enjoyed learning more about my Grandpa."
"I HAD THE PLEASURE of purchasing Jerry's Riot for my father-in-law for Christmas. He read the book cover to cover on Christmas Day. To our mutual surprise, he was mentioned in the prose several times. Lieutenant James Girard now lives in Seattle and was quite impressed at the accuracy of your information. He asked, (since he does not own a computer), that we send you this message expressing his appreciation and congratulations. Good Luck with your future books."
--From JAMES GIRARD, DOUG & JAN CHRISTI
“I ALWAYS HAD AN INTEREST in the riot. I thank you for your efforts, it is obvious that you did much research. You have made events clear, and I thank you. I knew many of the people cited in your book. I was thinking about MSP since I read the book. I hated going into the place, even though it was only once or twice a week at the most. It was a tough joint (1964-66). The Inmates still had terrible conditions in the cell houses. They had to march in formation to meals. I believe all the staff hated to be there. It reminded me of when I went to work in the mines out of high school, everyone probably hated the mines, but we had to be macho and not talk about our fears with each other. When I went to work at Walla Walla [in Washington state] I was uptight because it had a reputation as a big maximum Pen. It was a tough joint but compared to MSP it was a country club. You wrote a great book. I can tell you put your heart into it."
-- From LAW RISKEN, Olympia Washington, who worked at Montana State Prison and also worked with former MSP Warden Floyd Powell in Washington state.
"KEVIN, I RECEIVED A GREAT Christmas gift from my wife this year . . your book, Jerry's Riot!! I couldn't wait to get started on it and found out that I had a difficult time laying it down. You did an excellent job and one could tell that you took great pains in ensuring for accuracy of the facts and the characterization of those involved on both sides. Having worked with the hostages after the riot I gained a greater respect for what they went through and the courage they displayed not only during the riot but also for the years following. Having worked in Corrections for a number of years your book has reinforced my great respect for those staff who work in our nation's prisons and especially those who I worked with at Montana State Prison. They are definitely underappreciated. It was clear that you were very proud of your father and after reading your book I am certain he would "be very proud of his kid". Thanks Kevin for writing this book.The story had to be told one day and having the "true" story emerge has provided a great tribute to all those involved.
-- From JIM BLODGETT, former Deputy Warden of Montana State Prison from 1968-1981
"JERRY'S RIOT IS not for the fainthearted. Kevin Giles provides a chilling look into the mind of a madman and the institution that created him. His account of the 1959 Montana State Prison Riot gives us an insider's look at both sides of prison society and the predatory misfit who was at home in it. Jerry’s Riot is a good read."
-- From BOB PITMAN, Columbia Falls, Montana, who grew up in Deer Lodge.
"THANK YOU FOR writing and publishing such a fine and accurate account of Jerry's Riot. I read every word and enjoyed it very much! I must admit that I had to stop every two or three chapters to fall back and regroup. It was like putting in a very strenuous eight-hour shift all over again. Memories came out like crazy. I was remembering names, faces, places, times, etc. I remembered also that every day of my 32 1/2 years of working there I was reminded of that terrible 36 hours. It was either by people I knew who survived and the accounts they gave, or the physical evidence left behind. However, most of all the realization that the same type of people exist in that bastille as they did in 1959. The only difference between now and then is time itself. I must admit that I also took a certain amount of satisfaction and gratefulness in that I survived that place as long as I did without getting seriously injured. I know that you spent years researching and it shows. I appreciate your endeavors, but most of all, the way you did it, factual, accurate and honest."
-- From retired Montana State Prison guard BOB MCNALLY
"IF YOU ARE a Montana history buff, this is a must-read book. Kevin's extensive research and dedication to this book makes it a wonderful contribution to Montana's history."
-- From VICKI L. ROSS, President of ComSense, Inc.
"CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR book Jerry's Riot. Having worked with your Dad and most of the hostages after the riot and then with the inmates involved, the book had a special interest to me.The time and research spent provided the reader with a most accurate and interesting description of the riot and all those involved."
-- From retired Capt. DON DEYOTT, more than 30 years at Montana State Prison
"READ YOUR OUTSTANDING book and salute you for your accomplishment. I am a Correctional Lieutenant and 14-year veteran of Montana State Prison and was
seized by a real sense of deja vu on almost every page. Its obvious that you
know MSP and understand its 130 yr culture. While a lot's changed there still
remains the relationship between the prisoners and their keepers with all
its dynamics. Your book helped me gain insights to the continuality of my
position. I recognize the tactic your Dad employed, "talkin the talk," and that still
happens. ... Your book is spreading throughout the prison and I've yet to hear anything negative about it."
-- From Lt. MICHAEL D. ZUBER, Montana State Prison
"I WANT TO tell you that your book Jerry's Riot is a wonderful book. Your writing is superb and excellent. My aunt Sharon Thompson has told me the book is hard for her to read because it's so true to our family. It is very well written and accurately true. My Aunt Phoebe "Thompson" Parish said the book helped the living understand the reason of an institution on how it worked/ works and clarifies some history. It is very emotional to her. She had to put the book down a few times. Aunt Phoebe and Uncle "Frosty" were very close. My mom and Aunt wanted also to say that your classmates are reading and appreciating your book and your years of research has paid off for a wonderful true story. Thank you for writing it."
-- From DIXIE COOK of Dillon, Mont., writing on behalf of the Thompson family, who also live in Columbia Falls, Whitefish and Kalispell. Her great uncle, DEFORREST "FROSTY" THOMPSON, was a hostage in the riot.
"I GOT MY copy of Jerry’s Riot on Wednesday and finished it last evening. It was mesmerizing and very insightful. I really enjoyed reading it and frankly, learned a lot about the prison in the 50’s. Your writing style is terrific. You really have a wonderful way with words and the descriptions are outstanding—I could feel, see, smell, and hear through your words. Thanks for writing the book—I loved it."
-- From Deer Lodge native TODD ELIASON
"JUST FINISHED READING Jerry's Riot, of great interest to me for multiple reasons. Kevin is an old schoolmate I walked to school with for years. My dad was a purchasing agent for the prison for 17 years ... and for a short six months I worked there. I realized shortly into the book how sad and desperate a life as a prisoner must be. Kevin has successfully worded the book where one can actually feel the true emotions and despair of prisoners. As with others, having lived in Deer Lodge all my life I was unaware of many of the real facts of the riot, and being only 7 at the time I probably did not ask many questions. Congrats to Kevin on a fine book to give us all great insight to one of the true gutwrenching events our small town had ever endured. This book will be a fine gift for anyone who has lived in Montana or has worked at the prison."
-- Missoula, Mont., resident GARY NEWLON, who grew up in Deer Lodge
