In today's episode we take a look at 5 of the most amazing prison escapes in history.
We'll travel to South Korea, Mexico, Germany, and the US, and discover some of the ingenious ways in which prisoners evaded their guards.
Full transcript, key vocabulary, and bonus episodes available on www.leonardoenglish.com
Aug 27
#629 | “Please, Sir, I Want Some More": The Truth About Victorian Workhouses
Charles Dickens made the Victorian workhouse famous, but the reality behind Oliver Twist was even worse than fiction. This episode tells how workhouses treated Britain’s poorest people, and how pensions and the welfare state finally replaced them. Oliver Twist and the image of hu ... Show More
22m 37s
Aug 13
#626 | The Strange Story of Punch and Judy
He wears a red hat, carries a stick, and laughs as he beats almost everyone he meets. This episode tells the odd, violent story of Punch and Judy, the puppet show that began in Italy and became a British seaside symbol. It looks at how Mr Punch survived for over 300 years, and wh ... Show More
25m 31s
Feb 2023
The Escape from Alcatraz Prison
Locked cells, surrounded by an impenetrable concrete fortress, surrounded by high barbed wire fences, surrounded by water, on an island in San Francisco Bay. Alcatraz was considered the most 'inescapable' prison in the world. The worst of the worst were sent there. So how, in 196 ... Show More
52m 14s
Oct 2025
Daring Prison Escapes | Escape from Libby Prison | 5
<p>In early 1864, a group of Union prisoners made a daring escape from Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia - the capital of the Confederacy. Known for its sadistic guards and horrific conditions, Union Officers at Libby suffered from hunger, lice, and the freezing cold. In this ep ... Show More
40m 41s
May 2022
The Impossible Escape From America’s Most Secure Prison | Escape From Alcatraz
It was known as the world’s most secure prison: The Rock. Sitting in the San Francisco Bay, surrounded by the freezing currents of the Pacific Ocean, it was a fortress from which there was no escape. But on June 12, 1962, three men hatched a plan to do just that. Today, we explor ... Show More
1h 18m