The new book in the “100 Greats” series tells about the most famous prisoners of all countries and eras - from the ancient Greek sculptor Phidias to the South African freedom fighter Nelson Mandela. The prisoners became unknown convicts and well-born nobles, subverters of the existing system and their persecutors. Noble nobles, once all-powerful temporary workers, close relatives of crowned heads, and people with big names languished in the dungeons. There were also those who crossed the threshold of the cell unknown to anyone, and then, having accepted martyrdom, went down in history. Many died unknown in the stone sacks of monastery and state prisons, we know nothing about many prisoners, but they lived and thought, as evidenced by archival information and prison documents. Some prisoners themselves subsequently told the whole world about their grave captivity.