Soggy baguettes and deafening noise detailed in Sarkozy’s book on prison ‘hell’

Nicolas Sarkozy arrives to sign copies of his book at a Paris bookshop (Michel Euler/AP)

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has described the prison where he spent 20 days as a noisy, harsh “all-grey” world of violence in a new book.

In Diary Of A Prisoner, the 70-year-old says his own tough-on-crime stance has taken on a new perspective as he recounts the uncommon turn in his life after being found guilty of criminal association in financing his winning 2007 campaign with funds from Libya.