Scotland’s Johnnyboy cover art

Scotland’s Johnnyboy

The Bird That Never Flew

Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Scotland’s Johnnyboy

By: Johnny Steele
Narrated by: Paul Wilson
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £18.99

Buy Now for £18.99

LIMITED TIME OFFER | £0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Premium Plus auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Terms apply.

About this listen

All his life, "Johnnyboy" Steele has been running. First from an abusive father, then from the rigors of an approved school and a young offenders jail, and finally, from the harshness of adult prison. This book details how the Steele brothers staged the most daring breakout that Glasgow's Barlinnie Prison had ever seen and recounts what happened when their younger brother, Joseph, was falsely accused of the greatest mass murder in Scottish legal history.

If Johnnyboy had wings, he would have flown to help his family, but he would have to wait for freedom to use his expertise to publicize young Joe's miscarriage of justice.

This is a compelling, often shocking and uncompromisingly honest account of how the human spirit can survive against almost crushing odds. It is a story of family love, friendship, and, ultimately, a desire for justice.

©2021 Gadfly Press (P)2021 Gadfly Press
True Crime

Listeners also enjoyed...

Unfinished Business cover art
Scotland’s Wildest Bank Robber cover art
Australia's Most Murderous Prison cover art
The Young Team cover art
Salford Lads cover art
The Monk cover art
Cocky cover art
Gang War cover art
The Gangbuster cover art
Self-Made, Dues Paid cover art
Deep Cover cover art
Blanketmen cover art
HMP Manchester Prison Officer cover art
No Handcuffs cover art
The Witness cover art
The Betrayer cover art

Critic reviews

“A cross between Shawshank Redemption and Escape from Alcatraz!” (Shaun Attwood, YouTuber and author)

All stars
Most relevant
Tramendous book one of the best out ther
By far if it wasnt for j.b.s fighting harsh jail in the bad auld days to help prisoners in this currnet day he deserves to be fuckin reconised big time

Amazing guy built the future for ltp prisoners

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

What a great book one of the best I have read for a long time, it's so true and what a life Johnny boy had to put up with in the prisons,he reminds me of my son standing up for what he believes in.

Johnyboy

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I have read the original many years ago and more recently.
It's one if not the best prison genre book I have read, BUT buy the hardback or paperback as this is a monotone and I can assure you Johnny doesn't talk like that.
It would have been better with Johnny narrating as he is a natural,gifted, storyteller and one of the nicest most compassionate guys it's my pleasure to know. DC

Reader is boring

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Really struggled to finish this! The guy reading the story is so monotone I would often fall asleep whilst listening and miss half the story! It probably is a decent story however it does nothing to hold your attention. Not for me im afraid!

So boring

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Only 3 chapters in and already bored, very much a this happened then this happened then this happened book and the narrator is very monotone. Not for me

Monotone

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.