- Hardcover: 320 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins (30 Jun 1993)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0060179309
- ISBN-13: 978-0060179304
- Product Dimensions: 23.6 x 12.2 x 3.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 1,185,460 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Review
"Extraordinarily interesting...Mr. Porter has done an excellent job telling the tale of a very unusual entrepreneur."-- "The New York Times Book Review"
"The story belongs to anyone who has ever savored a well-told tale of adventure, greed, deceit, and revenge. Best of all, it's true."-- "Houston Chronicle"
"A sleigh-ride-to-hell story of how '60s hippie innocence turned into '80s megadepravity...finely researched, told with pizzazz."-- "Kirkus Reviews"
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.
"The story belongs to anyone who has ever savored a well-told tale of adventure, greed, deceit, and revenge. Best of all, it's true."-- "Houston Chronicle"
"A sleigh-ride-to-hell story of how '60s hippie innocence turned into '80s megadepravity...finely researched, told with pizzazz."-- "Kirkus Reviews"
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.
Product Description
In the mid-1970s, George Jung, former high school football star and hippie, met Carlos Lehder, psychopath and admirer of John Lennon, Hitler and Che Guevara. They were both doing time for drug dealing. The two men began one of the most profitable partnerships in history by turning the smuggling of cocaine, then a scarce luxury commodity into an unimaginably lucrative mass industry. By teaming up with Pablo Escobar of the tightly-knit Columbian Medellin cartel, they supplied more than 80% of the cocaine to the US for the next 15 years and grossed nearly $35 billion a year. In this book, Bruce Porter shows how Jung, who was his principal source for the book, created a business that went from a modest suitcase stash to one that could have placed sixth on the Fortune 500 list. Through Jung, the reader becomes privy to the inner workings of the organization, witnessing high life and high jinks in the daily operations of the rich and powerful Medellin drug cartel.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
George Jung is widely acknowedged as the man who introduced cocaine for mass consumption to people in the United States, and this book tells us how he did it. Sort of a lesson in how to smuggle.
From his begginings as a high school football player, through his early days selling marijuana in Florida, right through to his career as the number one cocaine supplier in the US and ending up with him languishing in prison, every aspect of his life is covered here in all it's glory.
With a life as rich in detail as Jung's, the book could easily have become bogged down in detail, but it's to the writers credit that he never lets the pace flag.
Highly reccommended.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
George Jung certainly lived his life to the extreme. This book is a fantastic rollercoaster journey through his whole life and times. It starts a bit slow, with all his school days stuff, but once it gets onto how he started his drugs business it really is fascinating. From his early small maruajana deals to his huge cocaine deals with Pablo Escobar and Carlos Lehder. Just when you think he's done enough, he's earned plenty of money, he should stop and get out of the business, he goes and does something even bigger ! Although George is ultimately a huge criminal, by reading the book, you can't help but grow to like him, he really is an amazing character. I understand the film got bad reviews, so for that reason I haven't seen it, but I'm going to make a point of seeing it now, just to see how true to life it is. If you enjoy this book, you should check out Casino, and Wiseguys by Nicholas Pileggi (not the book with Martin Scorcese though).
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Starts off a bit slow, all the boring bits about George Jung's school life, but once it gets going with how he started out in the drug smuggling business, it really is fascinating stuff. This guy had $10 million stashed in the walls and pipes of his specially built house at one stage, because he didn't know what to do with it !!! An absolutely amazing story that sometimes beggars belief. You start thinking, 'Jesus...Whats he going to get involved with next.' He just didn't know when to stop !
To top it all, he actually seems like a really nice bloke to know ! I haven't seen the film yet, due to its poor reviews, but stuff the reviews, I'll definitely watch it now.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
bit slow to read
The story about George Jung is amazing. the journey is surreal but the author just couldn't make me keep on reading as it quite slow and boring to be honest...
Published 20 months ago by Adeel
Great book
If you liked the film, you will love the book.
Like most books it goes into much more detail than the film and really takes you inside to George's life.
Such a good read.
Like most books it goes into much more detail than the film and really takes you inside to George's life.
Such a good read.
Published 23 months ago by Mr D R Woolgar
as good as the film
Blow was a great film, the book is as good. dont think that if you have seen the film, its not worth getting the book. the book gives a different view on the same story. Read more
Published on 20 Feb 2004 by "eddthebear"
Jung made $100 million - Escobar made $5 billion..profitable
This story if Jungs life is certainly a gripping read and very very well illustrated by Bruce Porter - some of the fact in here will literally blow your mind - e.g. Read more
Published on 15 May 2002 by Smithy
"Crossing an imagenery line with a plant"
That's how George described what he did, however unfortunately others didn't see it that way. A great book, a great story but you get the feeling that if it hadn't have been... Read more
Published on 6 Oct 2001 by sipg1@yahoo.com, Glenn O'Neill
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