Former thief and mobster Michel Vaujour always chose freedom over a life behind bars, adventure over a life of submission. He spent 27 years in prison, including 17 in solitary confinement. He succeeded in carrying out amazing escapes--five in total--worthy of a Hollywood script, the most notorious of which involved a firearm made out of soap and a daring helicopter break-out organized by his wife. Vaujour also experienced some of the most challenging conditions the penal system can inflict, an isolation that continuously forced him to confront himself and his demons. The reward has been self-enlightenment and an enviable understanding of life. Vaujour's greatest escape was not from jail but from himself: the liberation of the mind and ultimately, the soul.