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The Accountant's Story: Inside the Violent World of the Medellín Cartel
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First published January 1, 2009
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About the author
Roberto Escobar
23 books14 followersRoberto Escobar (Milano, 1946) è un critico cinematografico e docente universitario italiano.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews
September 11, 2014
I am probably the worst person to review this book. I know my Opinion will not be the Popular idea, I may be Biases on the subject.... > >
I think this book shows a side of Pablo Escobar that not many knew, nor seen. He Showed us who his brother was, not the Character people portray him as. He Himself states many times that "he was not a saint but he was not the devil neither"....I was very excited to read this book for the place setting, My Grand-Mother took her children (my mom was 6)with her to the U.S. away from the violence of "Home". I have heard many things but I love to hear story's about people places and things that have to do with my Mothers "Home". I hope to one day see it for myself. Until then I have Stories like these
A lot of people had review on here about how he made Pablo out to be a saint, he did nothing wrong, lied to make him a martyr.... I Also have a brother who has done Terrible things and is in prison now. But I love my brother and could never abandon him, NEVER! And I think that's what Roberto Escobar did with this book. He is telling the story of a person who grew up in a Violent, Corrupt, Beautiful, City/Country, Made connections and made an empire with drugs, Became The U.S. #1 enemy, But while all this is happening he is Supplying Jobs, Giving poor people money, Building Soccer Stadiums/Supplying sports equipment, Helping others when he could. (he may have done this for his own self but it still was done None the less)
I believe this is a man that got into some bad things and enjoyed the power he held. This does not make him a bad man, Bad Father, Husband, Brother, Son, Friend, Patron. (He is still celebrated as a Folk hero today) And I believe that is what he told the Story of Being the Accountant for his Brothers Empire.
All and All I enjoyed this book very much. It told a lot of the Man Not The Myth!! and Roberto has lived with the consequences of there actions now...
I think this book shows a side of Pablo Escobar that not many knew, nor seen. He Showed us who his brother was, not the Character people portray him as. He Himself states many times that "he was not a saint but he was not the devil neither"....I was very excited to read this book for the place setting, My Grand-Mother took her children (my mom was 6)with her to the U.S. away from the violence of "Home". I have heard many things but I love to hear story's about people places and things that have to do with my Mothers "Home". I hope to one day see it for myself. Until then I have Stories like these
A lot of people had review on here about how he made Pablo out to be a saint, he did nothing wrong, lied to make him a martyr.... I Also have a brother who has done Terrible things and is in prison now. But I love my brother and could never abandon him, NEVER! And I think that's what Roberto Escobar did with this book. He is telling the story of a person who grew up in a Violent, Corrupt, Beautiful, City/Country, Made connections and made an empire with drugs, Became The U.S. #1 enemy, But while all this is happening he is Supplying Jobs, Giving poor people money, Building Soccer Stadiums/Supplying sports equipment, Helping others when he could. (he may have done this for his own self but it still was done None the less)
I believe this is a man that got into some bad things and enjoyed the power he held. This does not make him a bad man, Bad Father, Husband, Brother, Son, Friend, Patron. (He is still celebrated as a Folk hero today) And I believe that is what he told the Story of Being the Accountant for his Brothers Empire.
All and All I enjoyed this book very much. It told a lot of the Man Not The Myth!! and Roberto has lived with the consequences of there actions now...
December 9, 2019
Two stars on the writing style, four stars for the stories. Roberto Escobar, brother of the notorious cartel kingpin Pablo Escobar, tells of the insane wealth, lifestyle, manhunt and downfall of his brother’s empire of which he was the accountant.
Some interesting highlights and insights:
-Pablo began by making money smuggling contraband such as foreign appliances but eventually realized drugs were more profitable.
-early on, he used money, not violence to get people to help him in the trade.
-the amount of money they made was unbelievable. For instance, each year they wrote off 2 billion dollars as “lost” because they literally lost that amount of money in forgotten safes, due to water damage, and due to rat/moth eating.
-they would make false walls to hide money and to this day there are houses around the world with millions of dollars in the walls.
-at one point, they were paying people about $10k per trip to fly drugs on commercial flights to the US. They fly with the drugs, deliver them, and fly home with a suitcase of cash (thanks to bribed luggage handlers). Some people were making three trips per week.
-they build a submarine to smuggle drugs.
-Pablo Escobar’s main issue with the Columbian Government was the practice of extradition. Once they did away with extradition, he turned himself in.
-Escobar got to choose his own prison, supposedly for security reasons. Turns out he built a bunch of trap doors and false walls in it and ended up having hot tubs, two on-site chefs to grill steak and cook lobster, TVs, a soccer field (where he would play actual games with pro teams who would visit), and of course plenty of space to host models and other women who would visit. Eventually the place got ambushed by the military and he had to escape from his own prison. Good thing he buried wire cutters and ten million bucks by one of the fences!
-There was a manhunt for him and at one point he put on a hat and disguise and went on a balcony to play chess with a friend. He hollered to a soldier beneath him “Who are you looking for?” When the soldier replied “Pablo Escobar,” he said “That guy is dangerous!” The soldiers walked right by.
-He eventually gets shot, though his brother thinks he turned a gun on himself prior to being captured.
-Many people in Columbia loved Pablo Escobar because he was very generous to the poor. There are many stories of him anonymously giving significant gifts to people in need.
-Ultimately, however, as his own cartel grew and a rival cartel came on the scene, there was a ton of violence in Columbia including numerous bombings and hundreds of murders.
Goodreads buddies: I confess, as my recent reading list reveals, that I love a good drug trafficking read. I do realize this is psychologically messed up.
Some interesting highlights and insights:
-Pablo began by making money smuggling contraband such as foreign appliances but eventually realized drugs were more profitable.
-early on, he used money, not violence to get people to help him in the trade.
-the amount of money they made was unbelievable. For instance, each year they wrote off 2 billion dollars as “lost” because they literally lost that amount of money in forgotten safes, due to water damage, and due to rat/moth eating.
-they would make false walls to hide money and to this day there are houses around the world with millions of dollars in the walls.
-at one point, they were paying people about $10k per trip to fly drugs on commercial flights to the US. They fly with the drugs, deliver them, and fly home with a suitcase of cash (thanks to bribed luggage handlers). Some people were making three trips per week.
-they build a submarine to smuggle drugs.
-Pablo Escobar’s main issue with the Columbian Government was the practice of extradition. Once they did away with extradition, he turned himself in.
-Escobar got to choose his own prison, supposedly for security reasons. Turns out he built a bunch of trap doors and false walls in it and ended up having hot tubs, two on-site chefs to grill steak and cook lobster, TVs, a soccer field (where he would play actual games with pro teams who would visit), and of course plenty of space to host models and other women who would visit. Eventually the place got ambushed by the military and he had to escape from his own prison. Good thing he buried wire cutters and ten million bucks by one of the fences!
-There was a manhunt for him and at one point he put on a hat and disguise and went on a balcony to play chess with a friend. He hollered to a soldier beneath him “Who are you looking for?” When the soldier replied “Pablo Escobar,” he said “That guy is dangerous!” The soldiers walked right by.
-He eventually gets shot, though his brother thinks he turned a gun on himself prior to being captured.
-Many people in Columbia loved Pablo Escobar because he was very generous to the poor. There are many stories of him anonymously giving significant gifts to people in need.
-Ultimately, however, as his own cartel grew and a rival cartel came on the scene, there was a ton of violence in Columbia including numerous bombings and hundreds of murders.
Goodreads buddies: I confess, as my recent reading list reveals, that I love a good drug trafficking read. I do realize this is psychologically messed up.
January 14, 2012
Escobar's book is one of the strangest I've read, simultaneously acknowledging the damage done in Columbia by his brother's work while at the same time defending his brother's right to be the king of cocaine and a hero to many to this very day in his homeland. Roberto Escobar had a job and a life on the 'legit' side of things before he became his brother's money man. It's fascinating to read his disillusionment when he realizes that joining the cocaine business and hiding billions of dollars for his brother makes him just as much a criminal. The book alternates between Escobar's confusion over why his government has forsaken his family for the sake of the U.S. drug crackdown, and fascinating tidbits about Pablo Escobar's life, family, and later years on the run.
In a business that was netting billions of dollars cash annually, Roberto Escobar was writing off 10 percent each year due to money that was eaten by rats or ruined by mold and mildew. The story of Escobar's final years has been aptly told by Mark Bowden in Killing Pablo. But Roberto Escobar was on the inside, and this look at how the Escobar family lived on the run, often in plain sight, Pablo riding around in taxicabs cutting deals on cell phones up until the violent end, is fascinating.
Escobar ended up in jail, then blinded and disfigured by a letter bomb sent by an enemy cartel. Today he's out of jail, living on a ranch somewhere in Columbia, effectively retired from the cartel and likely living comfortably on some amount of the money he managed to hide.
If you did any cocaine during the 1980s you helped pay for it all. Escobar correctly points out that all the war against the Columbian cartels accomplished was to move the business to Mexico. No one quit using cocaine, and we're now fighting the same senseless war on our own border. Escobar's point is that cocaine was good for the Columbian economy and never was Columbia's problem, that his brother was a charismatic leader that could have been president some day. His blind eye is a literal and figurative challenge to mainstream American assumptions. A very strange, but instructive read for anyone interested in how the War On Drugs came to be permanent.
In a business that was netting billions of dollars cash annually, Roberto Escobar was writing off 10 percent each year due to money that was eaten by rats or ruined by mold and mildew. The story of Escobar's final years has been aptly told by Mark Bowden in Killing Pablo. But Roberto Escobar was on the inside, and this look at how the Escobar family lived on the run, often in plain sight, Pablo riding around in taxicabs cutting deals on cell phones up until the violent end, is fascinating.
Escobar ended up in jail, then blinded and disfigured by a letter bomb sent by an enemy cartel. Today he's out of jail, living on a ranch somewhere in Columbia, effectively retired from the cartel and likely living comfortably on some amount of the money he managed to hide.
If you did any cocaine during the 1980s you helped pay for it all. Escobar correctly points out that all the war against the Columbian cartels accomplished was to move the business to Mexico. No one quit using cocaine, and we're now fighting the same senseless war on our own border. Escobar's point is that cocaine was good for the Columbian economy and never was Columbia's problem, that his brother was a charismatic leader that could have been president some day. His blind eye is a literal and figurative challenge to mainstream American assumptions. A very strange, but instructive read for anyone interested in how the War On Drugs came to be permanent.
July 9, 2009
The details were what was most interesting in this book to me - the fact that they spent $2500 a month on rubber bands to hold their money together. That they lost about 10% of their cash each year to moisture damage, misplacement, or because it was eaten by rats.
The sheer volume of money involved is staggering.
I'm too young to recall when all this went down in the early '90s, but I did find myself feeling compassion towards Pablo, however dark his bad side may have been.
The narrator, Pablo's brother Roberto, was also a compassionate character though he wasn't as deeply entrenched in the activities of the cartel. I found him annoying at times, seeming to so firmly attach himself to his brother's coattails. He also jumped around quite a bit - he would be discussing something that happened in 1990 and then jump back to the year before or a year later and then back to 1990. It was a bit distracting and the story would have been more cohesive if it had been editied to be more chronological.
The sheer volume of money involved is staggering.
I'm too young to recall when all this went down in the early '90s, but I did find myself feeling compassion towards Pablo, however dark his bad side may have been.
The narrator, Pablo's brother Roberto, was also a compassionate character though he wasn't as deeply entrenched in the activities of the cartel. I found him annoying at times, seeming to so firmly attach himself to his brother's coattails. He also jumped around quite a bit - he would be discussing something that happened in 1990 and then jump back to the year before or a year later and then back to 1990. It was a bit distracting and the story would have been more cohesive if it had been editied to be more chronological.
February 10, 2015
I actually bought this book in-person from Roberto himself (includes his signature and thumbprint too!). My review is somewhat in two separate parts; the book itself, and the larger picture. The book itself is a fascinating read. It is ten times better than ‘Killing Pablo’ which is interesting for ¼ of the book, then it is just about how awesome the Americans were and how incompetent the Colombians were (it was written by an American). It may well be all true, but reading a few hundred pages of how the Americans used radio scanners to find someone wasn’t very exciting. The Accounts Story, on the other hand, is page after page of a real-life James Bond type action-adventure story. If it was fiction, it would seem almost too unbelieveable. This covers the full story of Pablo Escobar, as told from inside. I believe that the vast majority is true, however no doubt some parts are left out so as not to make Pablo look too bad. I find the book to be written in a very interesting way. The only problem for me was the version that I had was obviously scanned with OCR and no checking at all had been done. That is, every page had at least 10 formatting errors and typos. The first few pages were extremely distracting, but after a while I got used to it, and just got engrossed in the story.
Why I don’t want to endorse this so much is due to Roberto. As you’ll learn, the Escobar’s are extremely intelligent and savvy business people. While in Medellin I did a tour that involved going to Roberto’s house and meeting him. In the sign-in sheet, I noticed that my friends that went a few days beforehand weren’t on it. Seems our clever accountant friend has two sign-in books for a bit of tax evasion. It’s interesting too that he still sees himself as totally innocent. Yeah ok so he didn’t kill anyone, but it appears he still doesn’t get the concept of ‘fraud’, ‘money laundering’ and tax evasion. These are still crimes! Anyway, he has paid back in a way by a bomb exploding in his face, making him go blind, plus he did go to prison for some time too.
All things said, it’s a fascinating read, I just hope you get the properly printed version.
Why I don’t want to endorse this so much is due to Roberto. As you’ll learn, the Escobar’s are extremely intelligent and savvy business people. While in Medellin I did a tour that involved going to Roberto’s house and meeting him. In the sign-in sheet, I noticed that my friends that went a few days beforehand weren’t on it. Seems our clever accountant friend has two sign-in books for a bit of tax evasion. It’s interesting too that he still sees himself as totally innocent. Yeah ok so he didn’t kill anyone, but it appears he still doesn’t get the concept of ‘fraud’, ‘money laundering’ and tax evasion. These are still crimes! Anyway, he has paid back in a way by a bomb exploding in his face, making him go blind, plus he did go to prison for some time too.
All things said, it’s a fascinating read, I just hope you get the properly printed version.
May 23, 2011
This book suffers hugely from the author's desire to portray Pablo as an innocent victim and a noble outlaw. I also agree with other peoples' comments about the wandering narrative -- it's all over the place. But I still really enjoyed it, largely because I find the political situation in Colombia so fascinating. I would almost always rather read a whitewashed book written by a criminal than a journalistic account of a crime syndicate. Both are usually wrong on many counts, and clearly biased, but the first-person experience of being a bad guy is what I really love about reading true crime. Here, that is provided in full -- up to and including the rationalizations Roberto uses to live with himself. I won't say it's "honest," exactly, but then, I'm not actually looking for honesty in first-person criminal accounts. It feels fairly "real," and I enjoyed it.
January 30, 2018
At his top of the famous Pablo Emilio Escobar's drug trade, he was roughly estimated to have a worth of $30 billion dollars per year. His cartel was noted as responsible for at least 80% of the cocaine trade smuggled into the United States.
Delivered at first by a small airplane wherein the cocaine was hidden in the wheels, as time went on and he could never in his wildest dreams imagined just how profitable this illegal trade would bring him, later he even had submarines built to go underwater to the United States.
Paste made in Peru was used to produce the cocaine cooked and produced in the jungles of Medellin, Columbia. Rich soil, a country of poverty and crime, governmental corruption was not something he invented. Long the bane of the poor, those in power were rich and it was increasingly difficult for the poor to get out of povery.
Pablo Escobar paid well, and from the producers of the cocaine through those in high ranks in both the government and police force, this was an incredible win/win situation for all. All but, those in the United States who became addicted. It is true that Escobar could never have been as successful if he wasn't such a savvy businessman, and if the demand in the United States was ever higher than he could produce.
The wealthiest criminal in history was listed in Forbes magazine as one of the 7th top wealthiest men. By the 1970's, approximately 80 tons were shipped to the United States Monthly. His problem became that of laundering the money and hiding it. Approximately 10% of the money made was lost to rats who ate it when packed in the ground, or water seepage that destroyed the currency.
He began his career as a small time hood with criminal activities in selling contraband items. Not above kidnapping he all too soon became know not only for his cocaine distribution, but for the way in which he violently meeted death to any who crossed him. He paid well, and he demanded loyalty.
Distributing bundles of money to the poor, building houses, schools, playgrounds, and paying college tuitions, he became a folk hero.
Told from the perspective of his younger brother, who was on the lam with Pablo many years when it all started to fall apart as a result of other cartels becoming stronger, and the government of Columbia seeking the assistance of the United States to curb the violence and to bring him to his final act, the one he could not escape, death on the rooftop of a building in his home town of Medellin.
There is much to know of this story. It is true that if the United States had not ever increasingly demanded the product, at the time in history, Pablo Escobar perhaps could have remained a small town hood, making a living above the standard of most.
Reaching far heights, he was brought down, only to be replaced to a more deadly Cali Cartel that gladly took his place.
Delivered at first by a small airplane wherein the cocaine was hidden in the wheels, as time went on and he could never in his wildest dreams imagined just how profitable this illegal trade would bring him, later he even had submarines built to go underwater to the United States.
Paste made in Peru was used to produce the cocaine cooked and produced in the jungles of Medellin, Columbia. Rich soil, a country of poverty and crime, governmental corruption was not something he invented. Long the bane of the poor, those in power were rich and it was increasingly difficult for the poor to get out of povery.
Pablo Escobar paid well, and from the producers of the cocaine through those in high ranks in both the government and police force, this was an incredible win/win situation for all. All but, those in the United States who became addicted. It is true that Escobar could never have been as successful if he wasn't such a savvy businessman, and if the demand in the United States was ever higher than he could produce.
The wealthiest criminal in history was listed in Forbes magazine as one of the 7th top wealthiest men. By the 1970's, approximately 80 tons were shipped to the United States Monthly. His problem became that of laundering the money and hiding it. Approximately 10% of the money made was lost to rats who ate it when packed in the ground, or water seepage that destroyed the currency.
He began his career as a small time hood with criminal activities in selling contraband items. Not above kidnapping he all too soon became know not only for his cocaine distribution, but for the way in which he violently meeted death to any who crossed him. He paid well, and he demanded loyalty.
Distributing bundles of money to the poor, building houses, schools, playgrounds, and paying college tuitions, he became a folk hero.
Told from the perspective of his younger brother, who was on the lam with Pablo many years when it all started to fall apart as a result of other cartels becoming stronger, and the government of Columbia seeking the assistance of the United States to curb the violence and to bring him to his final act, the one he could not escape, death on the rooftop of a building in his home town of Medellin.
There is much to know of this story. It is true that if the United States had not ever increasingly demanded the product, at the time in history, Pablo Escobar perhaps could have remained a small town hood, making a living above the standard of most.
Reaching far heights, he was brought down, only to be replaced to a more deadly Cali Cartel that gladly took his place.
August 4, 2021
So I found this book when searching for books about the accounting field, surprisingly I couldn’t find much books about accountants (oh well! - at least my library didn’t have much), but I did come across this. This “accountant”, Roberto, seems like he’s lived an interesting life.
The writing style is a little bit all over the place. He’ll be talking about one thing and pop back and forth from the year he’s talking about into another year within the same paragraph. He also likes to bring up things that probably could have just been edited out. He mentions about much he’s interested in solving cancer/AIDS, but it kinda comes out of no where and really doesn’t seem relevant except he wants people to know.
Still overall, an interesting read. Being Pablo Escobar’s brother must have been just an insane thing. Insane to know your brother and then see people talk about him in one way, but either not believe it or know he is not the person they are portraying. That being said - I’m curious how much is truth and how much is embellished. Will we ever know? Probably not.
I can relate to a couple other reviews that mention Roberto seems to not understand that he did commit some crimes. Though I don’t know much about Columbian law - so maybe they weren’t crimes at the time? He mentions frequently how he was just innocent in all of it since he didn’t kill anyone or move the drugs.
This book is a solid 2 for the writing style, but maybe like a 3 or 4 for the story. So 3 stars? I really wish it was better edited.
The writing style is a little bit all over the place. He’ll be talking about one thing and pop back and forth from the year he’s talking about into another year within the same paragraph. He also likes to bring up things that probably could have just been edited out. He mentions about much he’s interested in solving cancer/AIDS, but it kinda comes out of no where and really doesn’t seem relevant except he wants people to know.
Still overall, an interesting read. Being Pablo Escobar’s brother must have been just an insane thing. Insane to know your brother and then see people talk about him in one way, but either not believe it or know he is not the person they are portraying. That being said - I’m curious how much is truth and how much is embellished. Will we ever know? Probably not.
I can relate to a couple other reviews that mention Roberto seems to not understand that he did commit some crimes. Though I don’t know much about Columbian law - so maybe they weren’t crimes at the time? He mentions frequently how he was just innocent in all of it since he didn’t kill anyone or move the drugs.
This book is a solid 2 for the writing style, but maybe like a 3 or 4 for the story. So 3 stars? I really wish it was better edited.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2018
I had read this book hoping to learn more about an infamous man that affected the United States history. Even though there were some facts I gathered there were a couple things that caused the book to be a long and arduous read for me.
For one, I felt some of the timelines of events were mixed up and I was confused when try to follow when something actually happened. The book went in chronological order but within each chapter there were flashbacks or future events told to commingle with the story line. Which lead to another quibble I had in which there were a couple facts or even that were repeated multiple times throughout the book. For instance, I heard multiple times how they lost 10% of their money due to rats or water damage.
Overall, I understand it was the opinion of Pablo’s brother, but I felt the US and the extradition policy was blamed too much for the actions of the drug lords in the book and it almost angered me to read it.
It was interesting in you are into Pablo’s life and drug trafficking but it was boring at times and you cannot rely too heavily on the factual accuracy of his brother's recalling of events.
For one, I felt some of the timelines of events were mixed up and I was confused when try to follow when something actually happened. The book went in chronological order but within each chapter there were flashbacks or future events told to commingle with the story line. Which lead to another quibble I had in which there were a couple facts or even that were repeated multiple times throughout the book. For instance, I heard multiple times how they lost 10% of their money due to rats or water damage.
Overall, I understand it was the opinion of Pablo’s brother, but I felt the US and the extradition policy was blamed too much for the actions of the drug lords in the book and it almost angered me to read it.
It was interesting in you are into Pablo’s life and drug trafficking but it was boring at times and you cannot rely too heavily on the factual accuracy of his brother's recalling of events.
June 1, 2021
This trimester I read a book called The Accountant’s Story, this book was written by Roberto Escobar. This book gave you insight into how Pablo Escobar got all his power and the way he lost it. The author is Pablo Escobar’s oldest brother and he was also his accountant. Since the author was related to Pablo Escobar there is defiant bias, but the author puts the information out in a way meant for different interpretations. His whole objective is to provide the details and to make the reader see why Pablo Escobar did what he did. On page 4 this is made clear, “I think about my brother every day. He was an extraordinarily simple man: He was brilliant and kind-hearted, passionate, and violent.” Roberto changes his view of his brother the further his brother goes into the drug business because his brother also hurt his life. This Pablo is the reason why he is blind and locked up in a maximum-security prison, yet he still tries to provide this information neutrally. This book is truly one of a kind, the perceptive Roberto has and the information he has are unmatched. Pablo Escobar's story has been told countless times. The only book that comes close is Pablo Escobar: My Father, written by Sebastián Marroquín, the son of Pablo Escobar. This book is written with more hatred and does not share as much information about why Pablo became a drug dealer. This is why I loved this book. It was very entertaining, and I was never bored while reading. I would give this book five stars. It was truly that great, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about Pablo Escobar.
February 7, 2022
Maybe this book could have been named 'The Brother's Story' because it is mainly about Roberto's side of the story about his brother Pablo, rather than anything about accounting or an accountant. I found this to be a very enlightening read as I knew very little about the legendary El Patrón and the cartels of Columbia. The writing was not the best but the stories are very interesting, informative and insightful. I'd recommend watching a few YouTube videos while reading to get a more immersive experience.
December 23, 2019
I have arranged my takeaway thoughts into a haiku:
"Few set out to be
Monsters history sees, but
Families do not."
"Few set out to be
Monsters history sees, but
Families do not."
September 2, 2017
Please note: I did not complete this book but I am thoroughly finished with it.
Roberto Escobar's first-hand account of the rise and fall of his infamous brother should have been an great book. Instead, thanks to Escobar's co-author, David Fisher, we got a small book about a small man. The purpose of the co-author in these books is to deflect the principal's ego and guide anecdote to cogent narrative. "The Accountant's Story," fails on all fronts, most grievously it fails as a story. The majority of David Fisher's bibliography is co-authorships with other notable NON-writers. His list of works is extensive and indicative of talent that is, sadly, nowhere to be found, here.
For contrast: Hoffman and Headly prominently featured Donald "Tony the Greek" Francos' color commentary, and minimized his personal grips and grievances recounted in "Mafia Contract Killer." The scope of study into Roy DeMeo's crimes rescues "Murder Machine," from Mustain and Capeci's overwrought apologia of star witness, Dominic Montiglio. Jon Roberts detailed discourse on the explosive growth of 1980s drug trade and Evan Wright's nuanced writing elevates "America Desperado," from true-pulp to engrossing criminal case study.
There is no such redemption in "The Accountant's Story." Roberto Escobar rambles to the point of tedium. Grammatical structure, punctuation, and spelling appear to be David Fisher's contributions to a string of "one time there was a guy who..." anecdotes and petty score settling.
I still endeavor to read more about Pablo Escobar's rise to power, once I find the right book by the right author. But after this indolence-smudged cash grab, I can't imagine reading another book by David Fisher. In fact, if this had been the first true-crime/crime bio I read, I seriously doubt that I would have read further in the genre.
Roberto Escobar's first-hand account of the rise and fall of his infamous brother should have been an great book. Instead, thanks to Escobar's co-author, David Fisher, we got a small book about a small man. The purpose of the co-author in these books is to deflect the principal's ego and guide anecdote to cogent narrative. "The Accountant's Story," fails on all fronts, most grievously it fails as a story. The majority of David Fisher's bibliography is co-authorships with other notable NON-writers. His list of works is extensive and indicative of talent that is, sadly, nowhere to be found, here.
For contrast: Hoffman and Headly prominently featured Donald "Tony the Greek" Francos' color commentary, and minimized his personal grips and grievances recounted in "Mafia Contract Killer." The scope of study into Roy DeMeo's crimes rescues "Murder Machine," from Mustain and Capeci's overwrought apologia of star witness, Dominic Montiglio. Jon Roberts detailed discourse on the explosive growth of 1980s drug trade and Evan Wright's nuanced writing elevates "America Desperado," from true-pulp to engrossing criminal case study.
There is no such redemption in "The Accountant's Story." Roberto Escobar rambles to the point of tedium. Grammatical structure, punctuation, and spelling appear to be David Fisher's contributions to a string of "one time there was a guy who..." anecdotes and petty score settling.
I still endeavor to read more about Pablo Escobar's rise to power, once I find the right book by the right author. But after this indolence-smudged cash grab, I can't imagine reading another book by David Fisher. In fact, if this had been the first true-crime/crime bio I read, I seriously doubt that I would have read further in the genre.
April 20, 2011
Wow! This book started off well but ended in a huge disappointment.
Alas the author did not tell the whole story and made Pablo Escobar look like an innocent hero who was simply running a harmless business. While in in reality he was the head of a ruthless organization who's only goal was to make money irrespective of who got in their way.
If you read the history and lived through the times one can only conclude that Pablo was a dangerous amoral killer who ruthlessly clawed his way to the top of the Colombian Cocaine selling scene. At the height of his reign he ruthless killed a lot of innocent people as well as some not so innocent in his pursuit of money and power. For his brother to turn around and present a story that claims he was a misunderstood businessman as its premise is dissengenious at best and criminal at worst.
I am not sure I would recommend this book. As mentioned it starts of well then it heads into one lie after another that can easily be dis-proven by research on the internet.
In the grand scheme of things he (Pablo) was a ruthless thug who prayed on the weakness of many in the US and around the world for the drug cocaine. In so doing he became one of the richest men in the world and thought that entitled him to destroy the lives of many innocent Colombians. One day the people said enough and it was only a matter of time before he met his end. One day he will answer for all the Cocaine he sold and deaths he caused.
Alas the author did not tell the whole story and made Pablo Escobar look like an innocent hero who was simply running a harmless business. While in in reality he was the head of a ruthless organization who's only goal was to make money irrespective of who got in their way.
If you read the history and lived through the times one can only conclude that Pablo was a dangerous amoral killer who ruthlessly clawed his way to the top of the Colombian Cocaine selling scene. At the height of his reign he ruthless killed a lot of innocent people as well as some not so innocent in his pursuit of money and power. For his brother to turn around and present a story that claims he was a misunderstood businessman as its premise is dissengenious at best and criminal at worst.
I am not sure I would recommend this book. As mentioned it starts of well then it heads into one lie after another that can easily be dis-proven by research on the internet.
In the grand scheme of things he (Pablo) was a ruthless thug who prayed on the weakness of many in the US and around the world for the drug cocaine. In so doing he became one of the richest men in the world and thought that entitled him to destroy the lives of many innocent Colombians. One day the people said enough and it was only a matter of time before he met his end. One day he will answer for all the Cocaine he sold and deaths he caused.
April 13, 2018
Reality is stranger than fiction. This book is another example of this statement. A simply written, amazing story. Keeps you glued till the end although the story could have been portrayed in a much more thrilling manner the writer has written it truly like an "account" of one's experience.
May 6, 2018
Not a great book if you want a indepth look into the cartel. More of a man minimizing his brother's crimes. But it's a short book giving a glimpse at the family life of Escobar
February 27, 2021
I think it is one of the most interesting memoirs I have ever read. This book is written by Roberto Escobar, elder brother of Pablo Escobar, who was responsible for managing finances and accounts of Medellin Cartel.
This one is quite a long read. However, it does not feel long and is quite a page-turner. This book can beat any suspense/thriller/spy action movie any day, unusual it may be for a memoir, but the truth is stranger than fiction is.
Roberto Escobar and Pablo Escobar were inseparable from their Childhood. Even though Roberto was a Cyclist and had his own Cycle Manufacturing company, he was dragged into Pablo's business due to the constant crisis his brother faced from the beginning and due to familial ties. The story is as good as if told by Pablo Escobar himself because of the closeness Roberto had with his brother. They ran the business together, enjoyed the fruits of the business together, escaped in jungles together, spent time in prison together, and escaped prison together until at last when Roberto surrendered to the government, while Pablo was on the run and ultimately killed in the streets of medellin.
I have read the comments section, in which a lot of readers rated this book 2 or 3 stars because Roberto was a biased narrator and tried to defend his brother's actions. I will agree that Roberto was not an unbiased narrator and tried to defend many murders and killings by saying that they were done to protect the family and the business. He was very smitten by his brother's Robin Hood image and always portrayed Pablo as if he was doing it for the people of Medellin and Colombia. However, I feel that this emotional connection with his brother is exactly the reason why a reader can get close to the persona and psychology of the character of Pablo Escobar.
Colombia in the 80s and early 90s was a tumultuous place. There was abject poverty. The police were really corrupt, tortured people, made kidnappings, and did all sorts of bad things. The government was weak and corrupt as well. People killed each other for as little as $800. There was hardly any law and drug cartels, especially the Medellin cartel had to resort to violence to make things work. Roberto's narration provides a good viewpoint of the context and the prevailing environment in which the violence took place.
In short, this is an intense book, much more than the Netflix series Narcos and whoever wants to go in-depth inside the drug violence era and life of Pablo Escobar must read this.
Hence, I give it a 5-star rating and a strong read recommendation.
This one is quite a long read. However, it does not feel long and is quite a page-turner. This book can beat any suspense/thriller/spy action movie any day, unusual it may be for a memoir, but the truth is stranger than fiction is.
Roberto Escobar and Pablo Escobar were inseparable from their Childhood. Even though Roberto was a Cyclist and had his own Cycle Manufacturing company, he was dragged into Pablo's business due to the constant crisis his brother faced from the beginning and due to familial ties. The story is as good as if told by Pablo Escobar himself because of the closeness Roberto had with his brother. They ran the business together, enjoyed the fruits of the business together, escaped in jungles together, spent time in prison together, and escaped prison together until at last when Roberto surrendered to the government, while Pablo was on the run and ultimately killed in the streets of medellin.
I have read the comments section, in which a lot of readers rated this book 2 or 3 stars because Roberto was a biased narrator and tried to defend his brother's actions. I will agree that Roberto was not an unbiased narrator and tried to defend many murders and killings by saying that they were done to protect the family and the business. He was very smitten by his brother's Robin Hood image and always portrayed Pablo as if he was doing it for the people of Medellin and Colombia. However, I feel that this emotional connection with his brother is exactly the reason why a reader can get close to the persona and psychology of the character of Pablo Escobar.
Colombia in the 80s and early 90s was a tumultuous place. There was abject poverty. The police were really corrupt, tortured people, made kidnappings, and did all sorts of bad things. The government was weak and corrupt as well. People killed each other for as little as $800. There was hardly any law and drug cartels, especially the Medellin cartel had to resort to violence to make things work. Roberto's narration provides a good viewpoint of the context and the prevailing environment in which the violence took place.
In short, this is an intense book, much more than the Netflix series Narcos and whoever wants to go in-depth inside the drug violence era and life of Pablo Escobar must read this.
Hence, I give it a 5-star rating and a strong read recommendation.
September 11, 2023
A friend of mine, who’s Columbian, told me that if I wanted an interesting, historical tale, to read The Accountant’s Story - the story of the Medellín Cartel and Pablo Escobar. And he was right - interesting to say the least!
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There isn’t much to say here by way of a review - it’s the story of Pablo Escobar’s brother - he was the accountant for their cocaine business and saw first hand how Pablo went from growing up poor in Medellín to becoming a millionaire by his early twenties through the mass production and exporting of cocaine.
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It was fascinating how many different ways their scientists were able to alter cocaine in order to hide it in other exported products, undetected. Their resources were virtually unlimited, so when they needed to resort to smuggling drugs by submarine, they barely batted an eye. It was mind boggling the lengths that they went to get cocaine into the hands of millions around the world - and put billions of dollars in the Cartel’s pockets.
.
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It was a little disconcerting reading this story, somewhat in awe of the incredible feat of this mass distribution of drugs - knowing that these drugs have ruined countless lives and continue to do so. Back then, they were just starting to learn of the dangers of it, but regardless…wow. It was hard to swallow.
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On top of that, Roberto tells the story from somewhat of a victim’s viewpoint. I have to remember that they grew up in Columbia, and they explained that the government had always been corrupt during their upbringing. Smuggling, bribes, etc, were just their norm, as they are in many countries. And where the Escobars encountered their real problem, was when the United States requested that he be extradited for prosecution. He spent years trying to convince Columbia to change their extradition laws, but if you know the story, you know that it ultimately ended in his demise.
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A very informative and readable personal account that I won’t soon forget. There is some profanity throughout, though minimal. There are only references to promiscuity, no details. Overall, the content was clean, in my book
.
There isn’t much to say here by way of a review - it’s the story of Pablo Escobar’s brother - he was the accountant for their cocaine business and saw first hand how Pablo went from growing up poor in Medellín to becoming a millionaire by his early twenties through the mass production and exporting of cocaine.
.
It was fascinating how many different ways their scientists were able to alter cocaine in order to hide it in other exported products, undetected. Their resources were virtually unlimited, so when they needed to resort to smuggling drugs by submarine, they barely batted an eye. It was mind boggling the lengths that they went to get cocaine into the hands of millions around the world - and put billions of dollars in the Cartel’s pockets.
.
.
It was a little disconcerting reading this story, somewhat in awe of the incredible feat of this mass distribution of drugs - knowing that these drugs have ruined countless lives and continue to do so. Back then, they were just starting to learn of the dangers of it, but regardless…wow. It was hard to swallow.
.
On top of that, Roberto tells the story from somewhat of a victim’s viewpoint. I have to remember that they grew up in Columbia, and they explained that the government had always been corrupt during their upbringing. Smuggling, bribes, etc, were just their norm, as they are in many countries. And where the Escobars encountered their real problem, was when the United States requested that he be extradited for prosecution. He spent years trying to convince Columbia to change their extradition laws, but if you know the story, you know that it ultimately ended in his demise.
.
A very informative and readable personal account that I won’t soon forget. There is some profanity throughout, though minimal. There are only references to promiscuity, no details. Overall, the content was clean, in my book
February 18, 2025
Interesting "biography" of Pablo Escobar, the infamous drug cartel leader, written by his brother and partner. While I found the history of Escobar's rise from contraband smuggler to drug kingpin and billionaire interesting, there was not much new information in the book. It was basically the same facts as presented in numerous other Escobar chronicles, like a Narcos recap. But the real turn-off of this story was the delusional rationalization of the Escobar's violence. At every turn, the author defends his brother as a victim, merely reacting to unfair circumstances enacted by the Columbian and US governments and his competition, the Cali cartel. While I am sure there was evil on both sides, Escobar indiscriminately bombed buildings and airplane, killing hundreds of innocent people. His conduct should never be excused nor justified. His actions were horrible. Additionally, he portrayed all of the families as purely innocent victims, even though they lived large on the proceeds from the drug trade and were implicit in Pablo's crimes. Finally the author exhibits real illusions of grandeur about his and his family's capabilities and accomplishments. He claims several achievements and accolades that are unwarranted and just show a lack of real world perspective resultant from living in their crime bubble. Not worth the read at all - frustrating book.
March 12, 2019
Synopsis elsewhere. My 2 cents.
This is the story of Pablo Escobar's life: first as a smuggler of contraband (no taxes!) then as the founder of the Medellin marijuana and cocaine producer. The story is told by Pablo's older brother, Roberto.
Roberto was an accomplished electrical engineer and international cyclist. He also handled the books in the initial contraband smuggling business, then in the marijuana/cocaine business. The stories of the various businesses are related as a series of little vignettes. My favorite is the challenge of finding places to stow all the cash. Tons of cash. There are also stories of how bribes made the exporting business run successfully. Everyone seemed to be willing to take a box of cash in exchange for doing something illegal.
There are also stories of how good all that cocaine money was for the Colombian economy: soccer fields, schools, nice houses, cars etc. And there are many vignettes of the Escobars on the run, surrounded by 30 bodyguards, serving time in a posh prison. And some complaining over extradition and the role of the US in trying to hunt down the Escobars.
This is the story of Pablo Escobar's life: first as a smuggler of contraband (no taxes!) then as the founder of the Medellin marijuana and cocaine producer. The story is told by Pablo's older brother, Roberto.
Roberto was an accomplished electrical engineer and international cyclist. He also handled the books in the initial contraband smuggling business, then in the marijuana/cocaine business. The stories of the various businesses are related as a series of little vignettes. My favorite is the challenge of finding places to stow all the cash. Tons of cash. There are also stories of how bribes made the exporting business run successfully. Everyone seemed to be willing to take a box of cash in exchange for doing something illegal.
There are also stories of how good all that cocaine money was for the Colombian economy: soccer fields, schools, nice houses, cars etc. And there are many vignettes of the Escobars on the run, surrounded by 30 bodyguards, serving time in a posh prison. And some complaining over extradition and the role of the US in trying to hunt down the Escobars.
October 28, 2019
Every once in a while i read a book that affects me on an emotional level. This is one of those books.
Meet the invisible person in every organization. The most trusted, back room organizer, keeping the machine oiled and running.
I took away from this book the importance of ethical accounting. The legacy of death, violence, addiction and greed that Roberto was complicit in. How it affected the generations that came after him, his family.
The people of the Medellin cartel had the brains to be successful legally. And yet people like Roberto were drawn in to same same lust for power that affected Pablo. They are every bit as guilty for what occurred.
Roberto has in my mind suffered more than Pablo, he looks in his recent picture more like a corpse than a living person. This should serve as a warning to every one who keeps an organization afloat.
No one may know your name now, and you may not feel important or acknowledged. But one day you will be held accountable for what you support. Don't make it a shameful sacrifice.
To the accountants: you are a pivotal piece of an organization, without your support the dreams of the leaders, good or evil, cannot come to fruition.
Meet the invisible person in every organization. The most trusted, back room organizer, keeping the machine oiled and running.
I took away from this book the importance of ethical accounting. The legacy of death, violence, addiction and greed that Roberto was complicit in. How it affected the generations that came after him, his family.
The people of the Medellin cartel had the brains to be successful legally. And yet people like Roberto were drawn in to same same lust for power that affected Pablo. They are every bit as guilty for what occurred.
Roberto has in my mind suffered more than Pablo, he looks in his recent picture more like a corpse than a living person. This should serve as a warning to every one who keeps an organization afloat.
No one may know your name now, and you may not feel important or acknowledged. But one day you will be held accountable for what you support. Don't make it a shameful sacrifice.
To the accountants: you are a pivotal piece of an organization, without your support the dreams of the leaders, good or evil, cannot come to fruition.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2016
Many reviewers have complained that Pablo Escobar was portrayed as saintly in this book. There are two sides to every story and The Accountant's Story gives you an inside look on the thoughts and reasoning behind Pablo's actions. The book was very interesting as far as the content, but I felt that it could have been executed better. I mainly took issue with the fact that the author kept jumping around from one decade to the next and then back again. It was more as if a friend was telling you a story, which contributed to the authenticity and emotion throughout the book but it felt scatterbrained. The book was also very repetitive due to not following a timeline. It was overall a very interesting read, and the author did a fantastic job of pulling you into the story with his descriptive imagery.
June 16, 2019
If you've ever been curious to know more about the life and story behind the Medellin cartel this read is one that will have you entranced and doing your own research on the people who lived and died during those eventful years. The journalist who collaborated with Roberto Escobar to put these stories into print did a fantastic job to keep it engaging. I easily pictured 1980s Colombia.
While I doubt the full truth of Pablo escobar's escapades will ever come into light, this book does a good job keeping the government accountable for the blood they shed in the name of "justice." There's always two sides to a story. And the name Pablo Escobar with always bring love and hate to the minds of many.
While I doubt the full truth of Pablo escobar's escapades will ever come into light, this book does a good job keeping the government accountable for the blood they shed in the name of "justice." There's always two sides to a story. And the name Pablo Escobar with always bring love and hate to the minds of many.
October 22, 2019
I expected a biased book given the writer but I was hoping the book would provide insight into the finances involved in managing billions of dollars of illegal cash. Not so, this is essentially a book trying to paint Pablo Escobar as a saint (and the author). The thousands of murdered victims of the drug wars are brushed aside as either evil people or those trying to kill Pablo or his valiant soldiers whose only goal was to lift up the poor people of Medellin.
Granted, Escobar did do much for the poor and oppressed but the money he spent on that was a tiny fraction of what he had amassed. This doesn't make him a saint or excuse the poison he distributed and the murders that were carried out at his orders. Poor, poor Pablo and Roberto.
Granted, Escobar did do much for the poor and oppressed but the money he spent on that was a tiny fraction of what he had amassed. This doesn't make him a saint or excuse the poison he distributed and the murders that were carried out at his orders. Poor, poor Pablo and Roberto.
March 28, 2019
I knew nothing about Pablo Escobar so this was interesting to me to find out what type of person he was to the poor in Columbia. It was a good book to see inside from the information from his brother. What I had trouble with is the way the story was told. It jumped around a lot and things were repeated. It was like he wrote the book as thoughts raced through his head. I had trouble keeping up with what year it was. To some it might be important on all the people's names involved but it made the book lag at times. I couldn't remember who the minor characters were by name and it wasn't important to the story from my take on it.
September 16, 2017
Crazy insight into the life and crime of one of the most successful/wealthiest drug traffickers in the world. It was interesting to hear about the humanitarian side of Pablo and how his aid to the Colombian poor endeared him to the lower class, but his success at trafficking massive quantities of cocaine made him one of the most sought after criminals in history. His brother obviously has a very biased perspective, but also enlightening to the fact that not everything is always as it seems. Pablo was clearly a very complex person, full of both good and bad.
May 2, 2019
Read this after watching the Narcos series on Netflix. Had some interesting insights and deeper story lines than in the series, and obviously a different perspective on Pablo Escobar than what he was made out to be. Have to take that with a grain of salt given that it is his brother, but the perspective does help to paint a whole picture of Pablo other than just a drug lord that was a complete monster. There were definitely many circumstances and choices that led Pablo to become the man who he was at his time of death.
October 26, 2019
The Accountant's Story: Inside the Violent World of the Medellin Cartel by Roberto Escobar Gaviria is a gripping story. As the title indicates, the story is about drug smuggling and the people who did it. The book does stumble a bit, when it tries to portray Pablo as a nice guy who happens to sell drugs. But notwithstanding, I found the book interesting. Drugs in America is a tragedy and building a stupid wall will do nothing to prevent drugs from entering America. This book clearly indicates that if there is a market, they will find a way.
August 1, 2021
"Legends are built in many ways, but part of such legends consists of accusations made by enemies, and often for their own benefit."
The life and story of Pablo Escobar as told by his brother Roberto, who handled the accounting, the money--and the laundering of that money. Understandably, the book is near-hagiographical, but it gives a fascinating perspective on the life of Pablo Escobar, and this perspective helps exp... [see the rest on my book review site.]
The life and story of Pablo Escobar as told by his brother Roberto, who handled the accounting, the money--and the laundering of that money. Understandably, the book is near-hagiographical, but it gives a fascinating perspective on the life of Pablo Escobar, and this perspective helps exp... [see the rest on my book review site.]
January 8, 2025
Solid 3.5... If "I'm my brothers keeper" was a person it'll be this nigga. A good part of this book is trying to paint a good light on Pablo Escobar. Despite the great things he did for the poor he was a murderer of the innocent too, and there's no way around that. Even then his brother still makes an excuse for him. I believe Pablo was a genius and one of the first/greatest innovators when it came to logistics and smuggling but evil is evil. I would've preferred the unbiased truth. I can only imagine the stories he didn't tell.
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