Drugs trade / drug trafficking Books

Book SynopsisSan Pedro is Bolivia's most notorious prison. Small-time drug smuggler Thomas McFadden found himself on the inside. Marching Powder is the story of how he navigated this dark world of gangs, drugs and corruption to come out on top.Thomas found himself in a bizarre world, the prison reflecting all that is wrong with South American society. Prisoners have to pay an entrance fee and buy their own cells (the alternative is to sleep outside and die of exposure), prisoners' wives and children often live inside too, high quality cocaine is manufactured and sold from the prison.Thomas ended up making a living by giving backpackers tours of the prison – he became a fixture on the backpacking circuit and was named in the Lonely Planet guide to Bolivia. When he was told that for a bribe of $5000 his sentence could be overturned, it was the many backpackers who'd passed through who sent him the money. Written by lawyer Rusty Young, Marching Powder – sometimes shocking, sometimes funny – is a riveting story of survival.Trade ReviewAll the staples of the prison memoir are here: sadistic guards, an attempted break-out, the terrors of solitary confinement, the joys of freedom . . . The result is a truly gripping piece of testimony. * Sunday Telegraph *Astonishing real-life story of a Brit drug smuggler banged up in Bolivia's most notorious jail. * FHM *This exotic, cautionary yarn opens the abyss beneath our wealthy world. * Uncut *

Read more less

Book SynopsisWar on Drugs has done almost nothing to prevent drugs from being sold or used, but it has nonetheless created a little-known surveillance state in America's most disadvantaged neighborhoods. The author introduces you to an unforgettable cast of young African American men who are caught up in this web of warrants and surveillance.Trade Review"This is a truly wonderful book that identifies the casualties of the war on drugs that extend beyond the prison walls.... The detail is incredible. The research is impeccable. Read it and weep." (Times Higher Education) "Extraordinary.... The best work of ethnography I have read in a very, very long time." (LSE Review of Books) "An exceptional book.... Devastating." (Malcolm Gladwell, New Yorker) "A remarkable feat of reporting." (Alex Kotlowitz, New York Times Book Review)

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhy did the international drug regulatory regime of the twentieth century fail to stop an explosive increase in trade and consumption of illegal drugs? This book investigates the histories of smugglers and criminal entrepreneurs in the Netherlands who succeeded in turning the country into the so-called ‘Colombia of Europe’.Increasing state regulations and interventions led to the proliferation of a ‘hydra’ of small, anarchic groups and networks ideally suited to circumvent the enforcement of regulation. Smugglers and suppliers of heroin, cocaine, cannabis, and other drugs created a thriving underground industry of illegal synthetic drug labs and indoor cannabis cultivation in the Netherlands itself, made possible because of the embedded criminal anarchy in Dutch society.Using examples from the rich history of drug smuggling, Drug smuggler nation investigates the hidden grounds of the illegal drug trade, and its effects on our drug policies.Trade Review'Describing the development of covert networks is among the most daunting of social science projects. Like official corruption and espionage, organized crime prospers by remaining hidden. Snelders (Utrecht Univ.) successfully lifts the veil of secrecy, offering a convincing account of the evolution of drug smuggling in the 20th-century Netherlands. Combining materials drawn from official law enforcement statistics, crime news coverage, and academic journal articles, Snelders exposes drug smuggling in a new light. Rather than describe the handful of large-scale, highly integrated smuggling enterprises directed by criminal masterminds as often portrayed in works of popular culture, Snelders unveils an anarchic universe of small entrepreneurial enterprises connected through shared workplaces and/or culture. Overall, what Snelders strongly suggests is the virtual impossibility of finally suppressing drug smuggling.Summing Up: Recommended. All readers.'CHOICE (May 2022)'This thickly researched well-written book should be of great interest to historians, criminologists, and legal scholars alike. Frankly, I found little to argue with in this excellent book, which is a strong contribution to the intrinsically challenging and relatively new genre of smuggling history. In short, Drug Smuggler Nation is a deeply researched book that almost defines its place as interdisciplinary criminological history.'Paul Gootenberg, Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books (March 2022)'All in all, there are very few improvements that one could suggest for Snelders’ superb study.'Peder Clark, European Review of History (May 2022) -- .Table of Contents1 Introduction: the drug regulatory regime vs. criminal anarchy2 The interwar period3 Global perils I: Chinese and Greek drug smugglers4 Cannabis, counterculture, and criminals: The rise of cannabis smuggling5 Global perils II: Chinese triads, Turkish families, and heroin6 The expansion of the cannabis trade after 19767 Global perils III: Colombian syndicates and cocaine8 The floodgates of criminal anarchy: Synthetic drugs and subverting the state9 ConclusionAppendix: Graphs of arrests and seizuresBibliographyIndex

Read more less

Book Synopsis“Riveting…an electrifying true crime story of the Mafia-smitten eighties and nineties. Suspenseful and multifaceted, The Gotti Wars can’t be missed.” —Esquire, The Best Nonfiction Books of the YearA “meticulous chronicle of good triumphing over evil” (The Washington Post) from the determined young prosecutor who, in two of America’s most celebrated trials, managed to convict famed mob boss John Gotti—and ultimately took down the Mafia altogether. John Gotti was without a doubt the flashiest and most feared Mafioso in American history. He became the boss of the Gambino Crime Family in spectacular fashion—with the brazen and very public murder of Paul Castellano in front of Sparks Steakhouse in midtown Manhattan in 1985. Not one to stay below law enforcement’s radar, Gotti instead became the first celebrity crime boss. His penchant for eye-catching apparel earned him the nickname “The Dapper Don;” his ability to beat criminal charges led to another: “The Teflon Don.” This is the captivating story of Gotti’s meteoric rise to power and his equally dramatic downfall. Every step of the way, Gotti’s legal adversary—John Gleeson, an Assistant US Attorney in Brooklyn—was watching. When Gotti finally faced two federal racketeering prosecutions, Gleeson prosecuted both. As the junior lawyer in the first case—a bitter seven-month battle that ended in Gotti’s acquittal—Gleeson found himself in Gotti’s crosshairs, falsely accused of serious crimes by a defense witness Gotti intimidated into committing perjury. Five years later, Gleeson was in charge of the second racketeering investigation and trial. Armed with the FBI’s secret recordings of Gotti’s conversations with his underboss and consigliere in the apartment above Gotti’s Little Italy hangout, Gleeson indicted all three. He “flipped” underboss Sammy the Bull Gravano, killer of nineteen men, who became history’s highest-ranking mob turncoat—resulting in Gotti’s murder conviction. Gleeson ended not just Gotti’s reign, but eventually that of the entire mob. A spellbinding, page-turning courtroom drama, The Gotti Wars “tells us in electrifying detail how the good guys finally won, how justice triumphed over evil, and how Gleeson himself was transformed by his long war” (Nelson DeMille).Trade Review“A useful reminder, especially for Mafia romanticizers, that we’re dealing with sociopathic knuckle scrapers who settle scores with casual brutality…Gleeson, a lawyer in private practice these days, is an able storyteller [and his book displays] keen insights and neat turns of phrase.” —New York Times “The Gotti Wars is the riveting story of Gleeson’s fight to bring Gotti to justice, which spanned years, brought him into the crosshairs of organized crime, and ultimately took down five major mob families. It’s an electrifying true crime story of the Mafia-smitten 80s and 90s, to be certain, but also a vivid memoir of Gleeson’s development as a lawyer, and an excavation of the celebrity culture that turned a murderer into a superstar. Suspenseful and multifaceted, The Gotti Wars can’t be missed.” —Esquire, "The Best Nonfiction Books of 2022 (So Far)"“In this exceptional debut, former federal prosecutor Gleeson chronicles his efforts to bring Gambino family crime boss John Gotti to justice…A must-read for anyone interested in organized crime.” —Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)“Compelling…Gleeson has crafted this retelling as carefully as he prepped the two cases [against the mobster]. His description of the politics behind the scenes and his interactions with the likes of U.S. Attorney Rudy Giuliani and Attorney General Bill Barr are icing on the cake….Do we need yet another book on Gotti? Gleeson answers the question with a resounding yes.” —Library Journal (starred review)"A memoir from the federal prosecutor who took down the “Teflon Don” 30 years ago…Gleeson is a thorough writer…[The Gotti Wars] offers a realistic portrait of how big cases are pieced together." —Kirkus Reviews“Spellbinding...tells us in electrifying detail how the good guys finally won, how justice triumphed over evil, and how Gleeson himself was transformed by his long war.” —Nelson DeMille, New York Times bestselling author of The Gold Coast and Wild Fire “Vivid, evocative, and genuinely suspenseful…An impressively detailed account of what it was like in the late 80’s and early 90’s to be chasing a flashy, dangerous mobster who had morphed into a pop culture icon…. John Gleeson is one of the most gifted prosecutors ever to match up against the Mafia. As I should have guessed, he is also an immensely gifted storyteller.” —Mary Jo White, former Chair of the SEC, former US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and former Acting US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York “Unflinchingly honest…contains moments that are both frightening and funny. I covered the rise and fall of John Gotti for seven years—through three trials and a dozen murders. I thought I knew this story inside and out, but this book shows I was mistaken. As John Gleeson tells the full story of how he built his ironclad case, you’ll feel like you’re sitting in the room where it happened—with the same nerve-jangling anticipation of how it will all turn out.” —John Miller, former co-anchor of 20/20 and, currently, Deputy Commissioner of Intelligence and Counterterrorism for the NYPD “A unique unveiling of the prosecutorial strategy that vanquished the American Mafia's most exalted late 20th century gangster. As a bonus, Gleeson offers candid views of the skills and shortcomings of his main opponents: the Teflon Don's battery of mob lawyers. Perhaps from his former perch on the bench his next book should pinpoint the frailties of our creaky criminal-justice system.” —Selwyn Raab, New York Times bestselling author of The Five Families “John Gotti flashed an arrogance and audacity that became a gauntlet thrown down to law enforcement. To his credit, Gleeson shows, in this absolutely riveting memoir, that Hollywood’s image of a prosecutor who does it all by himself is pure fantasy. Ultimately, The Gotti Wars is a testament to the camaraderie that forms around any consequential prosecution. In these pages, you get to experience how touch and go it actually was.” —Eric Holder, 82nd Attorney General of the United States "Well-written…John Gleeson, who took the swagger away from John Gotti, shares his up-close and personal view of Gotti, his cronies, and the Mafia world he observed before, during, and after his two knock-down, drag-out trials against the late Dapper Don." —Jerry Capeci, reporter-columnist at ganglandnews.com and coauthor of Mob Star: The Story of John Gotti and Murder Machine “Absorbing, even inspiring…Epicenters of media attention, the courtrooms in which the fates of John Gotti and his co-defendants were decided became—over a period of months and ultimately years—scenes of magnificent legal combat…. Second chair in the first case and lead prosecutor in the second, John Gleeson had to continually improvise to thwart defendants who would resort to any ploy, legal or otherwise, to gain their freedom.” —David N. Kelley, former United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York

Read more less

Book SynopsisTHE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER THE INSPIRATION FOR THE FEATURE FILM THE UNITED STATES VS. BILLIE HOLIDAY 'Screamingly addictive' STEPHEN FRY 'Superb ... Thrilling story-telling' NAOMI KLEIN 'A powerful contribution to an urgent debate' GUARDIAN What if everything we’ve been told about addiction is wrong? One of Johann Hari’s earliest memories is of trying to wake up one of his relatives and not being able to. As he grew older, he realised there was addiction in his family. Confused, he set out on a three-year, thirty-thousand mile journey to discover what really causes addiction – and how to solve it. Told through a series of gripping human stories, this book was the basis of a TED talk and animation that have been viewed more than twenty million times. It has transformed the global debate about addiction.Trade ReviewScreamingly addictive. The story it tells, jaw-droppingly horrific, hilarious and incredible, is one everyone should know -- Stephen FryIntoxicatingly thrilling -- Russell BrandSuperb journalism and thrilling story-telling -- Naomi KleinA wonderful book ... I hope everyone will read it -- Sam HarrisAn absolutely stunning book. It will blow your mind, and blow you away -- Elton JohnWonderful. I couldn't put it down * Noam Chomsky *One of the world's most important and most enlightening thinkers and social critics -- Glenn Greenwald, winner of the Pulitzer PrizeBreathtaking … A powerful contribution to an urgent debate * Guardian *Incredibly powerful -- Caroline LucasA testament to Hari's skill as a writer * New York Times *Incredibly entertaining. It’s enormously emotionally affecting … It really is an extraordinary book -- Vanessa Feltz * BBC London *Gripping * Financial Times *Amazing and bracing and smart. It’s really revolutionary -- Dan Savage

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe No.1 BestsellerThe definitive account of the rise of the Kinahan gang and the deadly feud that shocked a nation and brought the gang to the edge of destruction.__________February 2016. A daring gun attack in the Regency Hotel brings Dubliner Christy Kinahan and his international criminal cartel to a horrified public''s attention. Kinahan''s son Daniel, the target of the attack, escapes. A trusted henchman dies at the scene. And the deadly rivalry between the Kinahans and the family and associates of the veteran Dublin gangster Gerry Hutch becomes all-out war. It results in a never-before-seen level of international cooperation - including Irish, UK and US police forces - to topple the Kinahan gang.The Cartel offers a unique behind-the-scenes account of how the Kinahan organised crime organisation got so big, and why a local feud sowed the seeds for the gang''s destruction. __________''It''s incisive, it''s intriguing, it''s fascinating'' Ryan Tubridy''Fascinating!'' Keith Ward, FM104Trade ReviewThe No 1 bestselling story of the rise of Ireland's first international crime cartel - the Kinahan gang - and the bloody feud that may be its undoing. * From the Publisher's Description *Incisive, intriguing, fascinating -- Ryan Tubridy * RTÉ *Fascinating! -- Keith Ward * FM104 *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Business Secrets of Drug Dealing tells the story of a hyper-observant, politically-minded, but humorously pragmatic weed dealer who has spent a working life compiling rules for how to a) make money and b) avoid prison. Each rule shapes a chapter of this fast-paced outlaw tale, all delivered in his deliciously trenchant argot. Here are a few of them: No guns but keep shooters. Stay behind the white guy. Don’t snitch. Always have a job. Be multi-sourced. Get your money and get out. Part edge-of-the-seat suspense story, part how-to manual in the tradition of The Anarchist Cookbook, The Business Secrets of Drug Dealing is as scintillating as it is subversive. Just reading it feels illegal.Trade Review“Taibbi, a writer of striking intelligence and bold ideas, is as hilarious as he is scathing.” — Publishers Weekly “A welcome, lyrical defense of ‘coaxing a beautiful thing out of the ground and bringing it to your door.'” — The Bohemian “Lays bare the link between organised crime, the state and policing” — Morning Star “An entertaining fictional pusher reveals sobering real-life truths” — Washington Independent Review of Books “[An] honest and humane approach to the nasty business of business under contemporary capitalism” — People’s World

Read more less

Book SynopsisShortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, Narcopolis is a rich and hallucinatory novel set around a Bombay opium den, as the city transforms itself over three decades.In Old Bombay, they say you introduce only your worst enemy to opium. But in Rashid''s opium room on Shuklaji Street, the air is thick with voices and ghosts. A young woman holds a long-stemmed pipe over a flame, her hair falling across her eyes. Men sprawl and mutter in the gloom. And now there is an underworld whisper of a new terror: the Pathar Maar, the stone killer, whose victims are the nameless, invisible poor. In broken Bombay, there are too many to count. Stretching across three decades, with an interlude in Mao''s China, Narcopolis portrays a city in collision with itself. With a cast of pimps, pushers, poets, gangsters and eunuchs, it is a journey into a sprawling underworld written in electric and utterly original prose.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTHE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER FROM PABLO ESCOBAR’S SONUntil now, we believed that everything had been said about the rise and fall of the most infamous drug lord of all time, Pablo Escobar – from books to film to the cult series ‘Narcos’. But these versions have always been told from the outside, only capturing half the truth, and never from the intimacy of his own home. Now, more than two decades after the full-fledged manhunt finally caught up with Escobar, his son brings us the dramatic truth as never before.Here we find a man of contradictions – generosity and infinite love for his family; yet capable of the most extreme acts of cruelty and violence. In a deeply personal exploration of his father, we see the inner world of a man who was celebrated by some as a benevolent Robin Hood figure and by others, as a dangerous leader of the most ruthless mafia organisation in human history, reaping vengeance and death on anyone that might stand in his way. When Escobar died, his then teenage son vowed revenge. But Escobar Jr. quickly recognised that meant following in his father's footsteps—something neither of them had ever wanted. With his change of heart, he denounced the Pablo Escobar legacy. This is far from the story of a child seeking redemption, but a shocking look at the consequences of violence and his attempt to come to terms with it.

Read more less

Book Synopsis21ST ANNIVERSARY EDITION WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY IRVINE WELSHHe was Britain's most wanted man. He spent seven years in America's toughest penitentiary. You'll like him.During the mid 1980s Howard Marks had forty three aliases, eighty nine phone lines and owned twenty five companies throughout the world. At the height of his career he was smuggling consignments of up to thirty tons of marijuana, and had contact with organisations as diverse as MI6, the CIA, the IRA and the Mafia. Following a worldwide operation by the Drug Enforcement Agency, he was arrested and sentenced to twenty-five years in prison at the Terre Haute Penitentiary, Indiana. He was released in April 1995 after serving seven years of his sentence. Told with humour, charm and candour, Mr Nice is his own extraordinary story.'The story of a remarkable life, lived by the very brilliant and exceptionally wonderful Mr Nice'Irvine Welsh'Frequently hilarious, occasionally sad, and often surreal'GQ'A man who makes Peter Pan look like a geriatric'Loaded'A folk legend'Daily MailTrade ReviewFrequently hilarious, occasionally sad, and often surreal * GQ *A folk legend... Howard Marks has huge charisma. He sounds like Richard Burton and looks like a Rolling Stone * Daily Mail *A man who makes Peter Pan look like a geriatric with sleeping sickness * Loaded *Racy...with plenty of globe trotting colour * Independent *

Read more less

Book SynopsisGabriel García Márquez''s News of a Kidnapping is a powerful retelling of actual events from a turbulent period of Colombian history. ''She looked over her shoulder before getting into the car to be sure no one was following her''Pablo Escobar: billionaire drugs baron, ruthless manipulator brutal killer and jefe of the infamous Madellín cartel. A man whose importance in the international drug trade and renown for his charitable work among the poor brought him influence and power in his home country of Colombia, and the unwanted attention of the American courts.Terrified of the new Colombian President''s determination to extradite him to America, Escobar found the best bargaining tools he could find: hostages.In the winter of 1990, ten relatives of Colombian politicians, mostly women, were abducted and held hostage as Escobar attempted to strong-arm the government into blocking his extradition. Two died, the rest survived, and from their Trade ReviewMarquez uses his novelist's instinct for emotional drama to give the reader a wonderfully immediate sense of his subjects' ordeal: their spiraling hopes and fears, their fantasies of escape, their desperation and despair. * New York Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisAward-winning journalist - and author of Hello, Shadowlands - Patrick Winn reveals the inside story of a forbidden republic - the narco-state of the Wa. The jagged mountains dividing China and Burma belong to the Wa, an indigenous group who have outwitted the CIA to create the world's mightiest narco-state, controlling more territory than Israel and with more troops than Sweden. Are they crime lords? Or visionaries?Wa State has become a real nation with its own highways, anthems, schools and flags. Its leaders promise freedom, using profits from trafficking heroin and meth to attain what China's other frontier peoples, Tibetans and Uyghurs, can only dream of: a state of their own. Patrick Winn embarks on a risky journey of discovery, chasing clues about the forbidden republic from Thailand to Burma to the secretive Wa State itself.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewGerman writer Norman Ohler's astonishing account of methamphetamine addiction in the Third Reich changes what we know about the second world war .. Blitzed looks set to reframe the way certain aspects of the Third Reich will be viewed in the future -- Rachel Cooke * Guardian *A huge contribution... remarkable -- Antony Beevor * BBC RADIO 4 *Blitzed is making me rethink everything I've ever seen and read about WWII. It emotionally and technically makes sense of previously unexplainable aspects of that war. It makes me want to revisit other books on it with the hindsight of knowing these newly exposed truths. It was terrific! -- Douglas CouplandThe picture he paints is both a powerful and an extreme one... gripping reading -- Anna Katharina Schaffner * Times Literary Supplement *Remarkable... energetic... retells the history of the war through the prism of the pill... it has an uncanny ability to disturb -- Roger Boyes * The Times *Very good and extremely interesting - a serious piece of scholarship very well-researched -- Ian Kershaw author of Hitler and To Hell and BackThe most brilliant and fascinating book I have read in my entire life -- Dan SnowNorman Ohler has succeeded in a remarkable scoop, by studying in detail the notebooks of Hitler's personal doctor and demonstrating that Hitler was a far worse junkie than we had ever imagined. He has also unearthed the way that the German army did not march on its stomach, but on methamphetamine. The supposedly clean-living Nazis, who accused the Jews of corrupting German youth, were the real pushers. The book, written with delightful irony, is an eye-opener. -- Antony Beevor * Guardian *This book transforms the overall picture * Hans Mommsen *Sensational * Daily Mail *Bursting with interesting facts * Vice *Norman Ohler has written an illuminating account of the gobsmacking extent to which military strategy in the Third Reich relied on drugs. ... What you'll learn: Never trust a coked-up Nazi * ShortList *A fascinating, most extraordinary revelation * BBC World News *The Nazis were all on drugs! So far, so sensationalist but German writer Norman Ohler's absorbing new non-fiction book, Blitzed, makes the convincing argument that the Nazis' use of chemical stimulants... played a crucial role in the successes, and failures, of the Third Reich * Esquire *An audacious, compelling read * Stern *Enthralling * Mitteldeutsche Zeitung *A revelatory work that considers Hitler's career in a new light. 'Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich' is that rare sort of book whose remarkable insight focuses on a subject that's been overlooked, even disregarded by historians * The San Francisco Chronicle *Blitzed is a fascinating read that provides a new facet to our understanding of the Third Reich * Buzzfeed *It's as breezy and darkly humorous as its title. But don't be fooled by the gallows humor of chapter names like 'Sieg High' and 'High Hitler': This is a serious and original work of scholarship that dropped jaws around Europe when it was published there last year * Mashable *A juicier story would be hard to find -- The WeekDelightfully nuts, in a 'Gravity's Rainbow' kind of way. -- The New YorkerTransforming meticulous research into compelling prose, Ohler delves into the little-known history of drug use in Nazi Germany * Entertainment Weekly *[A] fascinating, engrossing, often dark history of drug use in the Third Reich * The Washington Post *This heavily researched nonfiction book by a German journalist reports that the drug was widely taken by soldiers, all the way up the ranks to Hitler himself, who received injections of a drug cocktail that also included an opioid * Newsday *

Read more less

Book SynopsisTom Feiling is an award-winning documentary film-maker. He spent a year living and working in Colombia before making Resistencia: Hip-Hop in Colombia, which won numerous awards at film festivals around the world, and was broadcast in four countries. In 2003 he became Campaigns Director for the TUC's Justice for Colombia campaign, which organizes for human rights in Colombia. This is his first book.Trade ReviewThe Candy Machine is highly addictive * Metro *It is hard to decide if Tom Feiling's future lies as a QC or the new Paul Theroux. He has written a vivid, argumentative, arresting book * The Sunday Telegraph *I've read a few documentary accounts of the rise of cocaine, and this might be the best of them. It's clear, sharp and solid. Very well told * Evening Standard *An important study of the cultivation, usage and suppression of cocaine * FT *A cracking read . . . Strong stuff, beautifully argued * Literary Review *

Read more less

Book SynopsisNOW A MAJOR SKY ATLANTIC SERIES From the international bestselling author of Gomorrah, this searing exposé reveals how dirty money and the drug trade are at the heart of our lives, our economy, and our worldIn many countries, 'zero zero' or double zero flour is the finest, best flour on the market. Among narco-traffickers, then, 'zero zero zero' is the nickname for the very purest, highest quality grade of cocaine. From Mexican cartels to Milanese financiers, Guatemalan mercenaries to Ukrainian warlords, Calabrian traffickers to the traders in Wall Street and London who wash the money clean, this is an unforgettable story that goes around the globe and through every level of society to show the extent to which the drug trade affects us all.Weaving together stories, interviews, wiretaps and his own experience of the criminal underworld, Saviano reveals an international narco-state, which, in the wake of the financial crisis, is now the pillar of our global economy. It is the perfect synthesis of modern capitalism, where everything is for the taking - and all is consumed, ruined and destroyed.Trade ReviewThe most important book of the year ... Here it is, laid bare: cartel as corporation, corporation as cartel; cocaine as pure capitalism ... Saviano realises the brutal truth: that to understand narco-traffic is to understand the modern world ... it is revolutionary -- Ed Vulliamy * Observer *Impassioned . . . a literary style that switches from vivid descriptions of human depravity to a philosophical consideration of the meaning of violence in the modern world. -- Misha Glenny * Financial Times *Vivid . . . lands a resounding thump to the solar plexus * Economist *A powerful work of reportage . . . it goes to the heart of the financial sector's dependence on drug capital and its depredations -- Ian Thomson * Telegraph *After reading Saviano, it becomes impossible to see Italy, and the global market, in the same way again. * The New York Times *Saviano is a blazingly vivid and courageous writer. * Independent *Saviano has an astonishing ability to write luminously yet subtly about terrible things. * Le Parisien *A national hero. * Umberto Eco *Brave and passionate * Guardian *Saviano should be commended for his bravery, and supported by all who share his revulsion. * Observer *

Read more less

Book SynopsisJason Bourne is back. An exhilarating rush of a novel in Robert Ludlum''s legendary series.''Hugely enjoyable'' Sunday Times. ''Watch your back 007 - Bourne is out to get you'' - Sunday TimesWhen the head of Mossad learns that a major Mexican drug lord may be trafficking something far more deadly than drugs, he turns to his friend Jason Bourne for help. Bourne agrees to investigate, but he has his own agenda: revenge.The drug lord is responsible for the murder of Rebeka - one of the only people Bourne has ever truly cared for. But as Bourne attempts to avenge the woman he loved, he becomes embroiled in a monstrous world-wide scheme involving the Chinese, Mexicans, and Russians. Each step closer to vengeance is a step closer to his own death.Trade ReviewOlympic style, all-out espionage * DAILY EXPRESS *A force of nature * NEW YORK TIMES *Hugely enjoyable * SUNDAY TIMES *Slickly paced...all-consuming * ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY *Bourne is more mysterious than Bond, more real than Batman and more complex than Bruce Willis * STELLA *Move over 007, Bourne is back * DAILY MIRROR *A new breed of spy - yes, he's highly trained and proficient at killing people, but he's still a normal guy * EMPIRE *Move over 007, Bourne is back * DAILY MIRROR *A force of nature * NEW YORK TIMES *Slickly paced...all-consuming * ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY *Hugely enjoyable * SUNDAY TIMES *

Read more less

Book Synopsis With contributions from seven of Mexico''s finest journalists, this is reportage at its bravest and most necessary - it has the power to change the world''s view of their country, and by the force of its truth, to start to heal the country''s many sorrows. Supported the Arts Council Grant''s for the Arts Programme and by PEN Promotes Veering between carnival and apocalypse, Mexico has in the last ten years become the epicentre of the international drug trade. The so-called war on drugs has been a brutal and chaotic failure (more than 160,000 lives have been lost). The drug cartels and the forces of law and order are often in collusion, corruption is everywhere. Life is cheap and inconvenient people - the poor, the unlucky, the honest or the inquisitive - can be disappeared leaving not a trace behind (in September 2015, more than 26,798 were officially registered as not located). Yet people in all walks of life have refused to give up. Trade ReviewThe Sorrows of Mexico describes not only the bloody tragedy of this beautiful country, but also the struggle to make things better. -- Ioan Grillo * Author of Gangster Warlords and El Narco. *Indispensable . . . What is striking about these essays is the sensibilities they reveal, the sense of exasperation, resignation and wry anger coursing through the collection -- Scott Esposito * Times Literary Supplement *

Read more less

Book SynopsisIllegally trafficked cigarettes makes more money than cocaine, heroin, marijuana and guns. Extremely lucrative, yet relatively low risk. Not surprising then that contraband cigarettes are the Taliban's second biggest income after heroin.

Read more less

Book SynopsisZachary Swan: world-class smuggler of the finest cocaine, wicked genius, first-class fool. In his brief and brilliant career as a founding father of the trade, Swan serves the world's most elegant clientele by the most inelegant means, always staying just one step ahead.Robert Sabbag's rip-roaring modern classic of reporting follows Zachary from the streets of Bogotá to the nightclubs of New York, charting the soaring high and the crashing comedown of a legend.Trade ReviewSabbag is an incisive reporter and a stylish class-A writer * * The Times * *A flat-out ballbuster. It moves like a threshing machine with a fuel tank of ether * * Hunter S. Thompson * *One of the first books about the cocaine trade and it is still among the best * * Norman Mailer * *An extremely rare cut of dry wit, poetry, rock-hard fact and relentless insight into modern American morality * * Rolling Stone * *The scammer's bible . . . Snowblind has stood the test of time. It's still the best * * Howard Marks * *Un-put-downable . . . the best book ever written about cocaine * * Loaded * *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is your nation's history on drugsAmericans are stumbling through a world-historic drug binge. Opiates, amphetamines, benzodiazepines, marijuana, antidepressants, antipsychotics-across the board, consumption has shot up in the twenty-first century. At the same time, the United States is home to the largest prison system in the world, justified in part by a now zombified "war" on drugs. How did we get here?Quick Fixes blows away the pharmacological fog to take a sober look at how drugs have shaped American society. Though particularly acute in recent decades, the contradiction between America's passionate love for and intense hatred of these sub - stances has been one of its defining characteristics for over a century. Through nine chapters, each devoted to the modern history of a drug or class of drugs, Fong examines Americans' fraught relationship with psychoactive substances. As society changes, it produces different forms of stress, isolation, and alienation. These changes, in turn, affect the development and spread of medications and narcotics among the populace.By laying out the histories, functions, and experiences of our chemical com - forts, the hope is to help answer that ever-perplexing question: what does it mean to be an American?Trade ReviewProvocative, methodical, and righteously witty, Quick Fixes provides the fullest articulation I've seen of an argument often implied but rarely fleshed out: that 'drug problems' such as addiction and brutal drug wars are actually about capitalism rather than drugs. Under capitalism, Fong argues, drugs have been used to extract more labor from workers, to profit from workers' isolation and need for relief, and to police marginalized so-called 'surplus' populations. As a result both drug use and drug policing have become harmful compulsions. And because these compulsions are caused by capitalism, not drugs, we cannot free ourselves simply by ending the drug war. -- David Herzberg, author of White Market DrugsDrugs are deeply integrated into American capitalism, not just American culture. 'Profit wins in the end,' as Ben Fong says, but his clear, thoughtful, and troubling account improves the odds of the fight for better, longer lives. -- Craig Calhoun, coauthor of Degenerations of DemocracyWith drug use surging in the US, Ben Fong's fascinating look into America's relationship with psychoactive substances is unprecedented both in rigor and scope. It's a history you've never read before, and a desperately needed examination of where we are, how we got here, and why exactly we're all so blitzed. -- Amber A'Lee Frost, Chapo Trap House

Read more less

Book SynopsisA stunning investigation of the life and legend of Mexican kingpin Joaquín Archivaldo “El Chapo” Guzmán Loera, building on Noah Hurowitz’s revelatory coverage for Rolling Stone of El Chapo’s federal drug-trafficking trial. This is the true story of how El Chapo built the world’s wealthiest and most powerful drug-trafficking operation, based on months’ worth of trial testimony and dozens of interviews with cartel gunmen, Mexican journalists and political figures, Chapo’s family members, and the DEA agents who brought him down. Over the course of three decades, El Chapo was responsible for smuggling hundreds of tons of cocaine, marijuana, heroin, meth, and fentanyl around the world, becoming in the process the most celebrated and reviled drug lord since Pablo Escobar. El Chapo waged ruthless wars against his rivals and former allies, plunging vast areas of Mexico into unprecedented levels of violence, even as many in his home state of Sinaloa continued to view him as a hero. This unputdownable book, written by a great new talent, brings El Chapo’s exploits into a focus that previous profiles have failed to capture. Hurowitz digs in deep beyond the legends and delves into El Chapo’s life and legacy—not just the hunt for him, revealing some of the most dramatic and often horrifying moments of his notorious career, including the infamous prison escapes, brutal murders, multi-million-dollar government payoffs, and the paranoia and narcissism that led to his downfall. From the evolution of organized crime in Mexico to the militarization of the drug war to the devastation wrought on both sides of the border by the introduction of synthetic opioids like fentanyl, this book is a gripping and comprehensive work of investigative, on-the-ground reporting.Trade Review“El Chapo tears through the myth of Mexico's most infamous mobster and reveals the flesh and blood of the living man, the vibrant if cutthroat mountain culture he hailed from and the failed war on drugs that made him.” —Ioan Grillo, author of El Narco and Blood Gun Money“El Chapo tears through the myth of Mexico's most infamous mobster and reveals the flesh and blood of the living man, the vibrant if cutthroat mountain culture he hailed from and the failed war on drugs that made him.” —Ioan Grillo, author of El Narco and Blood Gun Money“El Chapo is the best book you’re going to read on the rise and fall of the 21st century’s most notorious narco. It’s a fast-paced journey through the landscape and history of the bloody war on drugs in Mexico. The war on drugs may have failed for most of us, but as Hurowitz points out, it’s working out very nicely for those who profit from it, including the narcos themselves who make their fortunes in the black market. Pick up this book and get smarter on the drugs business.” —Toby Muse, Kilo: Inside the Deadliest Cocaine Cartels from the Jungles to the Streets“Hurowitz fleshes out the harrowing details of Mexico’s drug violence and high-level corruption, and draws on interviews with former cartel insiders to document El Chapo’s staggering ambitions and deep-seated paranoia…. [The author’s] access to players on both sides of the drug war impresses.” —Publishers Weekly“A fast-paced study of the infamous, now imprisoned Mexican drug lord and the social structures that supported and enabled his rise…Readers won’t look at the war on drugs the same way after reading Hurowitz’s damning account.” —Kirkus“[A] much-needed revisit of the Chapo story...fast-paced, at times edgy...Hurowitz manages to capture the history of the drug war in Mexico well.” —Small Wars Journal“This remarkably engaging...Truly the definitive account of the life of Joaquín Guzmán, El Chapo. Yet it is about so much more than just the world’s most infamous drug trafficker. Through the story of El Chapo, Hurowitz reveals in compelling fashion the calculated and violent absurdity that is the so-called War on Drugs—a war that has proven more effective in killing, terrorizing, and repressing poor people across the globe than stopping the flow of illicit drugs. This impressively researched book is essential reading.” —Alexander Aviña, author of Specters of Revolution: Peasant Guerrillas in the Cold War Mexican Countryside"El Chapo buries the sensationalism and strips the myths from Mexico's most famous drug lord. Instead Hurowitz gives us a complex, but no less rollicking, portrait of a man caught between America's never-ending demand for narcotics, its persistent need for a scapegoat and a Mexican state always happy to dish one up. El Chapo is true crime biography done right." —Benjamin T. Smith, author of The Dope: The Real History of the Mexican Drug Trade"Hurowitz did what a few American journalists or writers do: he went to Mexico to capture the background of the events that describe and explain the failure of the American war on drugs and the rise of criminals like Chapo Guzmán. El Chapo is a great book, easy to digest for readers and a fabulous explanation with a healthy narrative of the cruel reality on both sides of the Río Bravo about narcotrafficking, corruption and political blindness." —J. Jesús Esquivel, Washington DC correspondent for Proceso magazine and author of El Juicio: Crónica de la caída del Chapo“A rare achievement: a page-turning, true crime narrative with a deep and well-researched analysis. Hurowitz details the rise to power of Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán, but never takes his eye off the structures of power that facilitated it, within both the Mexican government and the global economy.” —Christy Thornton, assistant professor of sociology and Latin American studies at Johns Hopkins University and author of Revolution in Development: Mexico and the Governance of the Global Economy

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe ‘ndrangheta – the Calabrian region of Italy’s mafia – is one of wealthiest and most powerful criminal organizations today. It is considered Italy’s most powerful mafia; it’s not only the main object of concern for anti-mafia units in Italy, but also for joint investigative teams in Europe and beyond. Combining autobiography, travel ethnography, memoir, academic rigour and investigative journalism, this book provides a global outlook on the ‘ndrangheta, taking the reader to small villages and locations in Italy and abroad to Australia, Canada, United States and Argentina.Table of ContentsPrologue 1. Mafia, Memories and Journeys 2. Wine, Cannabis and Ancestors: Rural Australia 3. Aspromonte, the Roots 4. From St Kilda to Kings Cross 5. Bombs, Bridges and Gold 6. North American Hybrids 7. The Port, the Sea and the Wrong Sun 8. ’Ndrangheta City and Spiderwebs Epilogue

Read more less

Book SynopsisPresents a study grounded in the transnational geography and political economy of the coca-leaf and coca-derived commodities market stretching from Peru and Bolivia into the United States.Trade Review"Suzanna Reiss presents a novel and compelling argument ... We Sell Drugs brings drugs into conversations where they did not participate before." -- Emily Dufton American StudiesTable of ContentsIllustrations Acronyms Introduction 1. "The Drug Arsenal of the Civilized World": WWII and the Origins of US-Led International Drug Control 2. "Resources for Freedom": American Drug Commodities in the Postwar World 3. Raw Materialism: Exporting Drug Control to the Andes 4. The Alchemy of Empire: Drugs and Development in the Americas 5. The Chemical Cold War: Drugs and Policing in the New World Order Conclusion Acknowledgments Notes Works Cited Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe gritty prison memoir of Michaella McCollum, one half of the infamous 'Peru Two', imprisoned in a Peruvian jail for attempting to smuggle 11kg of cocaine from Peru to Madrid in August 2013. She was just a regular girl, spending the summer working at a bar in Ibiza, until she was approached by a man who asked her if she'd like to make some quick, easy money...and it would change her life forever. This is the truth of her time in prison, told through her own diaries and letters to her mother, family and friends, recounting tales of vicious guards, psychotic inmates and horrendous prison conditions.A brilliantly affecting tale of a naïve young girl who starts out in the Ibiza party scene and comes of age in the dark heart of Peru, before finally emerging into the sun a stronger, more confident, mature young woman.Trade ReviewRiveting * The Times *

Read more less

Book SynopsisClandestine chemistry and the LA underworld provide the atmosphere for this kaleidoscopic tale of lost memories and the heartbreak of finding them, from the author of The Contortionist's Handbook'.When Eric Ashworth wakes in jail, he has no idea how he got there, or why. His only memory is a woman''s name: Desiree.Released on bail and holed up in a low-rent motel, Eric starts to piece together his former life as a chemist at the centre of a desert drug ring with the help of a powerful new hallucinogen which simultaneously loosens his grip on the present. As the events of his past begin to emerge from the confusion of his fragmented memory, Eric must contend with a gnawing paranoia and the need for ever-increasing fixes not to mention disturbing visits from an intimidating police detective, his former associate Manhattan White and the ominously named Toe Tag. As his grip on reality becomes more tenuous, past and present, reality and fantasy begin to bleed into each other, bringing thisTrade Review'What makes this worth reading is Craig Clevenger's extraordinary prose: the pleasure of text is everything.' Guardian ‘What makes the book so unique, so compulsively readable, is Clevenger’s ability to make complex images seem so unforced.’ Independent on Sunday ‘A brilliant satire.’ Sainsbury’s Magazine 'It's dizzying stuff…no wonder Chuck Palahniuk is singing his praises on the back cover.' Metro Praise for ‘The Contortionist’s Handbook’: 'A dazzling and highly original debut novel which instantly establishes its author as one of the most interesting writers to emerge in years. This book deserves to be massive and I think it will be.' Irvine Welsh ‘Craig Clevenger has crafted an unforgettable antihero in John Dolan Vincent. This is an extraordinary debut.’ Richard Kelly, director of ‘Donnie Darko’ ‘What sticks out about this remarkable debut are its pitch-perfect shock ending and John Vincent himself – his complex, conflicting mind, original voice and unnervingly self-defeating existence.’ Time Out

Read more less

Book SynopsisYou've got to fight for everything when you start with nothing.Susan Knight has a good life. So she turns a blind eye to the gambling winnings her husband Donny puts through the books at her salon. After all, he needs some way to unwind. At work, he is headteacher at Second Chance, an alternative provision school for kids who have nowhere else to go.Being the headteacher gives Donny respect, money, and charm. But respect can be lost, money can be stolen and charm can only go so far.The kids at the school all have a story to tell as do the staff. Drugs, debt, violence and threat are part of their everyday lives. Donny's got this far by never playing by the rules. But to keep winning, you have to keep chancing it all. To stay at the top means risking everything.Susan knows Donny walks a fine line but if he stumbles too far on the wrong side of the tracks can she stand by him? And for Donny, if he loses Susan, he knows he might be pulled back into the life that's been waiting for him all this timeTrade Review‘The northern Martina Cole’ Melanie Blake, bestselling author of Ruthless Women ‘Wow! Karen Woods has delivered a gripping read full of grit and with characters to keep you turning the pages. And that ending! I didn’t see that coming at all. Loved it. 5 huge stars from me.’Caz Finlay, author of the Bad Blood series

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrank Lucas was born in 1930 in La Grange, North Carolina and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina. Lucas is a former heroin dealer and organized crime boss who was based in Harlem during the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was particularly known for cutting out middlemen in the drug trade and buying heroin directly from his source in Southeast Asia. He is the subject of the 2007 film American Gangster. Lucas has been jailed twice, and was most recently released in 1991.Trade ReviewA gripping, unrepentant restimony of a controversial figure. * Shortlist *Lucas spins a yarn that gives a new view of Black history that's good enough to be paired with an outdoor porch, a few lazy hours and a cold beer on a warm Saturday night. * Ebony Magazine *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe best crime book since Wiseguy' Rich CohenA real-life Scarface, Jon was born into the Gambino Mafia family and witnessed his first murder aged seven. He joined a US Army assassination squad in Vietnam to escape a teen criminal charge, then fled New York to reinvent himself in Miami as the number one supplier of cocaine in the US. With a crazed bodyguard always at his side, and a fortress protected by mortars, tear-gas cannons, and a gold-fanged attack dog, Roberts was brutally effective at what he did. With a cast that includes everyone from Jimi Hendrix and OJ Simpson to the CIA and General Noriega, American Desperado is a hedonistic, adrenaline-soaked joyride through the world of Escobar and the cartels, told by one of most successful criminals of all time.Trade ReviewAn American criminal mastermind -- Ed Caesar * Sunday Times *A spellbinding narrative of drugs, death and debauchery as told by one of America's most notorious criminals... A savage, unrelenting tale * Kirkus Reviews *A tour de force. The best crime book since Wiseguy. Puts you in the middle of a world where it's wonderful to be a tourist, terrible to be a resident. I am filled with nothing but admiration and envy for Evan Wright -- Rich Cohen, author of THE FISH THAT ATE THE WHALEImagine if Mister Kurtz from Heart of Darkness sat down with Dick Cavett for a little chat about the nature of good and evil, empathy, fatherhood, violence, drugs, power, self-knowledge, women, family, the hero versus the anti-hero, freedom, imprisonment...Try as you might, you can't really put this book down -- Doug Stanton, author of HORSE SOLDIERS and IN HARM’S WAYSeldom have I read an account of criminal enterprise that took me so deeply into the blackness of a man’s soul – a scary read, pounding and relentless and irresistible -- Bruce Porter, author of BLOW

Read more less

Book SynopsisInhabitants of Medellín, Colombia, suffered from the war-like violence perpetrated by drug cartels and other actors in the 1980s and 1990s. Thousands died, including innocent civilians, judges, and journalists, many more were injured and suffered psychological trauma. Three decades later, however, transnational media companies such as Netflix have transformed the traumatic memories into entertainment while the main perpetrator, Pablo Escobar, became a recognizable brand name. Even as global audiences are captivated by Escobar''s life and myth, his victims'' stories fade into oblivion.Victimhood, Memory, and Consumerism: Profiting from Pablo documents the story of violence inflicted on Medellín, and critically examines the status of its victims. Drawing on unique empirical material, the book addresses the impact of commercial exploitation of the city''s violent past on the victims of mass drug violence and on the present nature of the city. To demonstrate the magnitude of the profits maTrade ReviewHow to make sense of a Pablo Escobar t-shirt? Victimhood, Memory, and Consumerism is a fascinating and incisive analysis of the paradoxes of how mass drug violence in Medellín, Colombia has been commodified by the global culture industry of Netflix's Narcos and the mass-produced kitsch of dark tourism. The authors effectively show how this framing of violence as entertainment affects the lives and haunts the memories of the actual victims of violence in Medellín. * Marita Sturken, New York University, author of Tourists of History *Table of ContentsPreface 1: Introduction 2: A city at war 3: Invisible victims in a commodified world 4: Building a global brand 5: 'There are many uncomfortable dynamics in a production' 6: Dark consumerism and the trauma(tic) economy 7: The quest for recognition 8: Global hierarchies of victimhood 9: Conclusion References

Read more less

Book SynopsisOffers an ethnography of the culture of suburban drug dealers. This book shows that suburban drug dealers accord status to deliberate avoidance of conflict, which helps keep their drug markets more peaceful - and, consequently, less likely to be noticed by law enforcement.Trade Review"Code of the Suburb takes us into the world of young white suburban drug dealing and in doing so, provides a fascinating and powerful counterpoint to the devastation of the drug war in poor, minority communities. To readers familiar with that context, the absence of police and prisons-indeed, of virtually any negative consequences for selling and using drugs-is quite striking." (Alice Goffman, author of On the Run: Fugitive Life in an American City)

Read more less

Book SynopsisCommissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics from its establishment in 1930 until his retirement in 1962, Harry J. Anslinger is the United States' little known first drug czar. Anslinger was a profligate propagandist with a flair for demonizing racial and immigrant groups and perhaps best known for his zealous pursuit of harsh drug penalties and his particular animus for marijuana users. But what made Anslinger who he was, and what cultural trends did he amplify and institutionalize? Having just passed the hundredth anniversary of the Harrison Act which consolidated prohibitionist drug policy and led to the carceral state we have today and even as public doubts about the drug war continue to grow, now is the perfect time to evaluate Anslinger's social, cultural, and political legacy. In Assassin of Youth, Alexandra Chasin gives us a lyrical, digressive, funny, and ultimately riveting quasi-biography of Anslinger. Her treatment of the man, his times, and the world that arose around a

Read more less

Book SynopsisRace is a factor in government efforts to control dangerous drugs, but the precise ways that race affects drug laws remain difficult to pinpoint. Illuminating this relationship, this book lays out how decades of racism helped shape a punitive US drug policy whose onerous impact on racial minorities has been ignored by Congress and the courts.

Read more less

Book SynopsisMurder Inc. is the latest blockbuster by Ireland''s most respected crime writer and journalist, Paul Williams. Murder Inc. is the definitive account of how organized crime exploded in Limerick from the 1990s and in the noughties. It describes the depravity and decadence of the gangs, their deadly rivaliries, and their reigns of terror over the community in which they lived. Finally, Williams traces the faultlines that eventually led to the implosion of the gangs and their defeat.Drawing on his vast inside knowledge of the criminal underworld, an unparalleled range of contacts and eye witness interviews, Paul Williams provides a chilling insight into the mobsters and events that corroded entire neighbourhoods and devastated countless lives.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewA fascinating read -- Seán O'Rourke * Today with Seán O'Rourke, RTÉ *Explosive * Irish Sunday Mirror *

Read more less

Book SynopsisExamines drug trafficking through Central America and the efforts of law enforcement to counter it. Details the routes, methods, and networks involved, while comparing the evolution of the drug trade in Belize, Coast Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama over three decades.Trade Review“There is nothing like Bribes, Bullets, and Intimidation in drug-control literature. It covers a region, Central America, that other studies deal with peripherally, if at all. It encompasses a span of time, from ca. 1980 to the present, that will command much attention. The authors make their subject a compelling story, one that is essential to an understanding of recent and contemporary Central America. Julie Bunck and Michael Fowler's exceptional study will appeal to both students and scholars in various disciplines, including history, political science, sociology, and criminal justice.”—William O. Walker III,author of Drug Control in the Americas“Bribes, Bullets, and Intimidation fills a glaring gap in the voluminous drug literature. It will instantly become the reference book for understanding the role of Central America in the international drug trade and the profound impact of the trade on the region’s countries. Anyone interested in drug trafficking in Central America will find this book to be essential reading. And anyone who fails to cite it when writing about drug trafficking in Central America will provoke raised eyebrows.”—Peter Andreas,Brown University“In Drug Trafficking and the Law in Central America: Bribes, Bullets, and Intimidation, Julie Marie Bunck and Michael Ross Fowler—professors of political science at the University of Louisville—provide those interested in Central America, the drug trade and U.S. foreign assistance in the region with an invaluable tool for understanding the causes and implications of drug trafficking through an analysis of what they term the ‘bridge countries’ of Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama. . . . Understanding the drug trade phenomenon through these ‘bridge’ states required the authors to develop an innovative research approach that was both wide-ranging and deep. They used every imaginable source of data, ranging from primary and secondary articles and books to court records from the United States and the ‘bridge’ nations and scores of personal interviews over many years to produce an impressive book on a subject that by its nature is opaque: transnational organized crime.”—Americas Quarterly“Encyclopaedic in its coverage and size, Julie Marie Bunck and Michael Ross Fowler’s book is an important and impressive examination of ‘just how drugs have moved across the region and with what consequences’ (p.8). . . . “. . . Bribes, Bullets, and Intimidation is a major accomplishment, and indeed one that I am sure will remain the authoritative source on this subject for a long time to come.”—Charles D. Brockett Journal of Latin American Studies“This well-researched book makes a praiseworthy contribution to the literature on drug trafficking in Central America. It will appeal to academics, policy-makers and students, as well as researchers and activists who are interested in international security . . . and Latin American studies.”—Kai Chen Bulletin of Latin American ResearchTable of ContentsContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations Introduction: Exploring Central American Drug Trafficking 1 Central America and the International Trade in Drugs 2 Belize 3 Costa Rica 4 Guatemala 5 Honduras 6 Panama Conclusion Table of Cases Selected Bibliography Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisA timely re-examination of the pros and cons of legalizing drug use. Combining a unique visual approach with carefully constructed narrative text, this book provides a survey of the history of drug use, a review of the impact of the war on drugs, an appraisal of the effects of legal vs illegal drugs and an evaluation of the impact of the decriminalization of drugs. According to archaeological and historical records, ethanol in the form of beer in Sumeria and wine in Egypt has been used recreationally for 13,000 years, while psychotropic drugs have been used for thousands of years, mainly for religious purposes. This book sets out the history of the use of drugs since the Neolithic age, and explores the evolution of recreational drug use from the mid-18th century on. It considers the lethal and social impact of heavy use of legal alcohol or nicotine vs the hazards to health and society associated with illegal drugs. It evaluates the effects of the 50-year failed global war Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Evolution of Drug Use and Production 2. Effects on Individual and Social Health 3. Impact of the War on Drugs 4. Decriminalizing and Regulating Drug Use Conclusion

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review“An eminently readable history of indigeneity and whiteness through the lens of a drug. . . . Provides a rich history of the interplay between hallucinogens and the politics of identity.” * CHOICE *“Dawson’s book departs from traditional peyote literature through outstanding coverage of the non-Indian organizations.” -- Benjamin R. Kracht * Reading Religion *"Deeply researched and conceptually rich, The Peyote Effect makes an important contribution to the history of drugs, history of race, history of medicine, Native American and Indigenous studies, borderlands history, and the history of the U.S. and Mexico." * Western Historical Quarterly *"Alexander Dawson has produced a stellar piece ofcomparative scholarship on the history of peyote and its uses in both Mexico and the United States." * Hispanic American Historical Review *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction1833: The Cholera Epidemic Chapter One1887: Dr. John Briggs Eats Some Peyote Chapter Two1899: The Instituto Médico Nacional Chapter Three1909: Poison Chapter Four1917: The Ban Chapter Five1918: The Native American Church Chapter Six1937: The Goshute Letter Chapter Seven1957: The Holy Thursday Experiment Chapter Eight1958: Alfonso Fabila Visits the Sierra Huichola Chapter Nine1964: Bona Fide Chapter Ten1971: Peyote Outlawed in Mexico Chapter Eleven1972: The Exemption Chapter Twelve2011: Tom Pinkson ConclusionRace, Space, Time Notes Bibliography

Read more less

Book SynopsisPresents an insider's view of the world of methamphetamine based on the life stories of thirty-three adults formerly immersed in using, dealing, and manufacturing meth in rural Oklahoma. This title includes stories that reveal how and why people with limited economic means and inadequate resources become entrapped in the drug epidemic.Trade Review"A captivating read, valuable to students, researchers, and policymakers who will come to see why simple, reactive solutions to methamphetamine’s hold will never suffice. Shukla gives us fair warning." * Criminal Law and Criminal Justice Books *“Shukla has succeeded in rendering palpable the initial attraction and subsequent misery so often associated with addiction.” * Political and Legal Anthropology Review *Table of ContentsForeword by Marcus Felson Acknowledgments Author’s Note 1 An Introduction to Darkness 2 Pathways to Methamphetamine 3 Loving Meth 4 Dealing Meth 5 Manufacturing Meth 6 An Intoxicating Life 7 A Risky Life 8 A Dark Life 9 Life after Meth 10 The Journey Ends? Appendix A: Methamphetamine Laboratory Indicators Notes References Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn intimate portrait of LA gang members turning to drugs, nostalgia, and religion as they age and fight to stay relevant in a new era. Once celebrated in the gang world as rebels who defied the established prison order, veterano Maravilla gang members now grapple with the consequences of leading violent and drug-ridden lives. At once thrilling and tender, The Marvelous Ones sheds light on how these aging gang members struggle to stay meaningful in the face of addiction, violent trauma, and a rapidly changing East Los Angeles. Randol Contreras spent close to a decade studying the legendary Maravilla gangs of East LA, who made waves in the 1990s for their rebellion against the most powerful prison gang in the United States: the Mexican Mafia, or La Eme. These men granted Contreras unique access to their experiences, revealing how family members shun them, how jail and prison worsen them, how the church and drug treatment redeem them, and how their brightest moments lie in their p

Read more less

Book SynopsisMiami, December 31, 1979. Lock your doors. Watch your backs. Raise your glasses. Miami is about to blow, in a fiery explosion of cocaine, blood, bullets, torched cars, cash, immigrants, hustlers, dopers, informants, corruption, body bags and inner tubes. In the seventies, coke hit Miami with the full force of a hurricane, and no place attracted dealers and dopers like Coconut Grove's Mutiny at Sailboat Bay. Hollywood royalty, rock stars, and models flocked to the hotel's club to order bottle after bottle of Dom and to snort lines alongside narcos, hit men, and gunrunners, all while marathon orgies burned upstairs in elaborate fantasy suites. Amid the boatloads of powder and cash reigned the new kings of Miami: three waves of Cuban immigrants vying to dominate the trafficking of one of the most lucrative commodities ever known to man. But as the kilosand bodiesbegan to pile up, the Mutiny became target number one for law enforcement. Based on exclusive interviews and never-before-seen documents, Hotel Scarface is a portrait of a city high on excess and greed, an extraordinary work of investigative journalism offering an unprecedented view of the rise and fall of cocaineand the Mutinyin Miami.Trade ReviewA raucous history of the cocaine boom. * New York Times *Part biography of a hotel, part elegant true-crime thriller, this is the ideal read for a South Beach winter sun lounger. * GQ *Hotel Scarface is a journey into the surreal. The book sizzles with exquisitely detailed reporting and a fast-paced narrative that thrusts the reader right into the middle of Miami's cocaine-fueled madness. We’re all lucky that Farzad's deft story-telling captures one of the most outrageous moments in American history in such a vivid way. * Ashlee Vance, New York Times bestselling author *Stay up all night partying with the narcos and rock stars of Roben Farzad’s Hotel Scarface — you can check out anytime, but you can never plead. * Vanity Fair *Thought I was reading a Carl Hiaasen novel. Then I realized it was NON-fiction. Hotel Scarface is to Miami what 'Narcos' is to Colombia. * Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, CNBC's Chief International Correspondent *

Read more less

Book SynopsisRobert Mazur spent five years undercover infiltrating the criminal hierarchy of Colombia's drug cartels. The dirty bankers and businessmen he befriended knew him as Bob Musella, a wealthy, mob-connected big shot living the good life. Together they partied in expensive hotels, drank the world's finest champagnes, drove Rolls-Royce convertibles and flew in private jets. But under Mazur's designer suits and hidden away in his quality briefcase, recorders whirred quietly, capturing the damning evidence of their crimes. Then, at his own staged wedding, he led a dramatic takedown that shook the underworld. In the end, more than eighty men and women were charged worldwide. Operation C-Chase became one of the most successful undercover operations in the history of US law enforcement, and evidence gathered during the bust proved critical to the conviction of General Manuel Noriega.The Infiltrator is the true story of how Mazur''s undercover work helped bring down tTrade ReviewMesmerizing... Once you've picked up this book, I guarantee you will not put it down. You will be enthralled with this amazing story of one man's career on the front lines against the notorious Medellin drug cartel. -- Steven Emerson, bestselling author of 'American Jihad'Undercover work is a lot more of an art than Hollywood could ever represent on-screen, and The Infiltrator introduces Bob Mazur as one of America's great undercover artists and writers. -- Michael Levin, New York Times bestselling author of 'Deep Cover'Mesmerizing... Once you've picked up this book, I guarantee you will not put it down. You will be enthralled with this amazing story of one man's career on the front lines against the notorious Medellin drug cartel. -- Steven Emerson, bestselling author of 'American Jihad'Undercover work is a lot more of an art than Hollywood could ever represent on-screen, and The Infiltrator introduces Bob Mazur as one of America's great undercover artists and writers. -- Michael Levin, New York Times bestselling author of 'Deep Cover'

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Co-Winner of the Giovanni Sartori Best Book Award, Qualitative Methods Section of the American Political Science Association""Honorable Mention, Charles Taylor Book Award, American Political Science Association""Honorable Mention for the Allan Sharlin Memorial Award, Social Science History Association""Kim’s argument adds a valuable dimension and a perspective from the colonies most affected in a period which has been less written about by historians. . . . [Kim] adds to our understanding of howfundamental changes in response to the consumption of opiates came about."---Virginia Berridge, Addiction"Empires of Vice is well researched, with sources ranging from government records and meeting minutes to personal papers from state and private archives. It is written in an accessible style and will be of value to scholars of Southeast Asia, drugs history, and colonialism."---Eric Colvard, Journal of British Studies"Empires of Vice is an important book that underscores the critical role of low-level bureaucrats in transforming the state. . . . [Diana Kim's] work is deeply rooted in the central contributions and concerns of a broad set of literatures,but also, by shifting the object of empirical analysis to a different region, a later time period than predominant literature, and by looking closely at the anxieties of overlooked actors, Empires of Vice grows its own wings."---Katrina Quisumbing King, American Journal of Sociology"An original account of the shift towards opium prohibition that occurred across colonial South East Asia . . . . Kim’s work will be of interest to scholars of drug history, the history and politics of South East Asia and those interested in the development of the colonial state."---Ashley Wright, South East Asia Research"Deeply researched and closely argued. . . . Empires of Vice makes important contributions to the historiography of opium regulation, the comparative history of empire, and the development of state making and governance in Southeast Asia."---Andrew J. Rotter, American Historical Review"[Empires of Vice] present[s] an engaging study that disproves the notion of monolithic colonial regimes and adds welcome nuances to our understanding of narcotics control in Southeast Asia.—Joyce A. Madancy, Journal of Interdisciplinary History"

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe shocking true story of five fishermen sentenced to 104 years for a crime they didn’t commit

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn 1987, Wayne Anthony and two friends established the legendary Genesis raves that were attended by the wide-eyed, loved-up youth of the late Eighties and early Nineties. Wayne and the Genesis team took Acid House to the masses and changed the face of British rave culture. Wayne then promoted a series of events around Europe, released a series of infamous compilation albums under the banner Havin' It'. Since then Wayne has been involved in Internet start-ups and tech companies. He spent the last ten years at the helm of LSD Magazine, one of Europe's biggest street art graffiti networks. He is currently in the process of launching the world's first dedicated street art graffiti channel from Los Angeles.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe Golden Triangle region that joins Burma, Thailand, and Laos is one of the global centers of opiate and methamphetamine production. Opportunistic Chinese businessmen and leaders of various armed groups are largely responsible for the manufacture of...Trade ReviewKo-lin Chin has written a seminal study of one of Southeast Asia's most destructive conflicts and deadliest exports, and this book deserves to be read by Asian scholars across a broad spectrum of disciplines. The author demonstrates how to conduct fieldwork in dangerous locations, never lose sight of the human factor, and also how to construct a balanced book of great use in the broader academic and policy worlds. -- David Scott Mathieson * Contemporary Southeast Asia *Ko-lin Chin provides a rare insight into drug production and trafficking in Southeast Asia. Despite the Golden Triangle being a pivotal force in the global drug trade, its inaccessibility means that it is rarely the focus of academic research. Not only doesChin successfully negotiate this hidden world of northern Burma to do his field research, but his work is remarkable in placing its drug trade in a geopolitical context. His field research involves numerous interviews with people either involved in, or affected by, the drug trade, ranging from opium growers to state officials. He weaves together his research findings with a detailed historical account of the political and ethnic influences that have fostered the drug trade in this area, including both the opium trade and, more recently, methamphetamine production and trafficking. His courage and objectivity in this venture is admirable. -- Rebecca McKetin * Pacific Affairs *Opium, a relatively recent product in Burma, and its derivative, heroin, have become Burma's major illegal commodities. Their production and trade is dominated by the Wa tribe.... Chin seeks to provide a brief history of the Wa; the opium, heroin, and methamphetamine trades; drug use and control; and the drug business and politics. In the absence of reliable historical studies and hard data, the author assembled research teams, devised questionnaires, and used the information acquired to develop his narrative. * Choice *This is a necessary book for students of global drug commerce and a rare glimpse of contemporary life in the northern Burmese hill country, a region inaccessible even by the reclusive standards of Myanmar. -- Dean R. Gerstein * Contemporary Sociology *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Into the Thick of It 1. The Golden Triangle and Burma 2. The Wa 3. The Opium Trade 4. Heroin Production and Trafficking 5. The Methamphetamine Business 6. Drug Use 7. Drug Control 8. The Business and Politics of Drugs

Read more less

Book SynopsisEating the flesh of an Egyptian mummy prevents the plague. Distilled poppies reduce melancholy. A Turkish drink called coffee increases alertness. Tobacco cures cancer. Such beliefs circulated in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, an era when the term drug encompassed everything from herbs and spices—like nutmeg, cinnamon, and chamomile—to such deadly poisons as lead, mercury, and arsenic. In The Age of Intoxication, Benjamin Breen offers a window into a time when drugs were not yet separated into categories—illicit and licit, recreational and medicinal, modern and traditional—and there was no barrier between the drug dealer and the pharmacist.Focusing on the Portuguese colonies in Brazil and Angola and on the imperial capital of Lisbon, Breen examines the process by which novel drugs were located, commodified, and consumed. He then turns his attention to the British Empire, arguing that it owed much of its success in this period to its usTrade Review"Everybody must get stoned: That's the great lesson of history, driven home by this elucidating survey . . . Breen makes a fine case for his title, which he suggests is more appropriate than the Age of Reason-and for reasons good and true . . . A provocative examination of the history of exploration as a quest for new and improved ways to change our minds." * Kirkus Reviews *"Analyzing psychoactive and medicinal substances together enables this elegantly and evocatively written book to challenge historical assumptions about drugs and more recent legal divisions between illicit and licit, recreational and medicinal . . . Breen's approach allows The Age of Intoxication to make significant contributions to the histories of science and empire, as well as cultural histories of difference making more broadly." * The William and Mary Quarterly *"The Age of Intoxication is extensively researched, full of fascinating details, and told in accessible, entertaining prose. With chapters drawing from Mesoamerica, Africa, Europe, and South Asia, it elucidates the far reaches of the Portuguese drug trade and the centrality of non-European actors...[T]he book tells a convincing story about the cultural construction of mind-altering substances across the early modern globe. It is a thoroughly enjoyable read and an important addition to the scholarship on early modern pharmaceuticals." * Isis *"This book effectively challenges the historical concept of 'The Age of Reason' to describe the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries as instead 'The Age of Intoxication.' [A] provocative volume...Breen ultimately reconstructs the rise of drugs, both licit and illicit, and their entanglement with the rise of global capitalism and empire [and] illustrates how modern societies hold fears of certain drugs and not others. " * Journal of Modern History *"Nature gives us opium poppies and Cannabis sativa; culture turns them into overprescribed opioids and overcriminalized dime bags. In his important new book, Benjamin Breen argues that all decisions about intoxicants are judgments about cultural difference, with roots in the early modern imperialism that spun many drugs into global circulation in the first place. The Age of Intoxication is a lively, edifying, wholly convincing book." * Joyce Chaplin, author of Round About the Earth: Circumnavigation from Magellan to Orbit *"The Age of Intoxication is a fascinating, important, and evocative look at early modern 'drugs'-widely redefined-and their roles in European expansion, medicine, pharmacy, and culture. Benjamin Breen has a striking historical range, tying together histories of the Portuguese and British empires, of the Americas, of Africa, and of South Asia. Combining archival and conceptual depth, the book reveals a connected world of unsung, often subaltern actors. Breen strongly suggests that contemporary distinctions between 'illicit' and 'licit' drug cultures are rooted in this crucial era of global encounters." * Paul Gootenberg, author of Andean Cocaine: The Making of a Global Drug *"Innovative, smart, accessible, and a pleasure to read, The Age of Intoxication is the first history of drugs as cultural products. In Benjamin Breen's hands, this history contains as many lessons about society as it does about modern science." * James Sweet, University of Wisconsin, Madison *"The Age of Intoxication is an incisive, vividly recounted analysis of two vast yet interwoven imperial histories, using individual life stories, plant itineraries, medical recipes, and mercantile networks to tell the stories of 'failed' drugs we do not normally include alongside more 'successful' commodities such as chocolate, coffee, and tobacco. In engaging prose and humorous asides, from Portuguese Angola to the wilds of Brazil, Java, and beyond, Benjamin Breen takes us on a colorful historical trip through the mind-altering passageways of the early modern world, leaving no stone (or hallucinogenic mushroom) unturned." * Neil Safier, The John Carter Brown Library *"The Age of Intoxication shows how greater attention to the ambiguities of drugs and their history significantly enriches our understanding of many key features of modernity including colonialism, globalization science, medicine, commerce, and consumption. Benjamin Breen makes a strong and impassioned case for why early modern history is relevant to current discussions and public debates regarding drugs in society and the global drug trade." * Matthew Crawford, Kent State University *Table of ContentsIntroduction. At the Statue of Adamastor Part I. Inventions of Drugs Chapter 1. Searching for Drugs: Inventing Quina in Seventeenth-Century Amazonia Chapter 2. Selling Drugs: Early Modern Apothecaries and the Limits of Commodification Chapter 3. Fetishizing Drugs: Feitiçaria, Healing, and Intoxication in West Central Africa Part II. Altered States Chapter 4. Occult Qualities: British Natural Philosophers and Portuguese Drugs Chapter 5. Uses of Intoxication in the Enlightenment Chapter 6. Three Ways of Looking at Opium Conclusion. Drug Pasts and Futures Notes Glossary Bibliography Index Acknowledgments

Read more less

Book SynopsisAn analysis of factors leading to the imposition and continuance of the Turkish Arms Embargo.

Read more less

Book SynopsisA revolutionary analysis of the complex factors leading to the imposition and continuance of the Turkish Arms Embargo.Table of ContentsBackground to Crisis Killing America’s Children Making Turkey Pay Turning Congress They Have Made a Mess of Cyprus The Embargo Must Go Conclusion Epilogue

Read more less