From the Inside: Chopper 1

by Mark Brandon Read

'Apart from Irish whiskey, good cigars, Pontiac motor cars, and a pistol grip baby .410 shotgun with solid load shells, what I love the most is kidnapping smartarse gangsters and taking their money. To the human filth I have bashed, belted, iron barred, axed, shot, stabbed, knee capped, set on fire and driven to their graves, I can only quote from the motto of the French Foreign Legion, "Je Ne Regrette Rien" ... I REGRET NOTHING.'Mark Brandon 'Chopper' Read is the son of a strict Seventh Day Adventist mother and a shell-shocked former soldier who slept with a loaded gun at his side. Bullied at school, he grew up dreaming of revenge ('there are none so merciless as those who have been shown no mercy', as he later noted). He became a criminal legend who terrorised drug dealers, pimps, thieves and armed robbers on the streets and in jail – but boasts he never hurt an innocent member of the public.This first volume of Chopper's memoirs, written from inside jail and laced with his trademark brutal humour, tells the story of his early life of crime – from streetfighter to standover man, gunman to long-term prisoner – and launched his career as a bestselling author.

Genres: True Crime, Nonfiction, Crime, Biography

212 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Mark Brandon "Chopper" Read is an Australian ex-criminal who wrote a series of semi-autobiographical and fictional crime novels.
--from wikipedia

Reviews

[Theo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is first and best, I think, of all Choppers books. Really good crime fiction - 'Never let the truth get in the way of a great story' Amen Chopper and RIP.

[Darren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who doesn’t love hearing a good yarn from Chopper. A great read and a great laugh.

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

RIP Chopper, if you lived longer you would’ve had a killer podcast

[Julie scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book I've read by Chopper Read and being a Aussie I'm quite familiar with his criminal history and jail time I have also seen him interviewed many times and can't help but laugh at his comical answers and comments.Ive also lost count of how many times I've watched the"Chopper" movie starring Aussie Eric Bana......Mark Brandon Read had It rough growing up with his strict religious mother who paid him little attention and a father who was à damaged soldier who slept with a loaded gun by his side.Bullied at school he dreamt of revenge wanting to be the toughest.He became a well known crime commando who terrorised drug dealers, pimps, thieves and armed robbers on the streets and in jail but says he has never hurt an innocent member of the public.Chopperhas been street fighter,gunman to underworld executioner.H e has had a dozen or more hits put out on him for death but amazingly lived to tell the tale.Chopper contracted hepatitis C while in prison using a blood stained shaver he revealed he only had about 2 to 5 years to live and required à liver transplant however Chopper refused the procedure saying that while the transplant would save his life he did not want à organ that could be given to someone else.In 2012 Chopper was diagnosed with liver cancer and underwent surgery to remove the tumours.Mark Brandon Read died on the 9th October 2013 he was 58 years old. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading more of his books.Terrific read❤❤❤

[Kim Castelli · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Je ne regrette rien. ‘I regret nothing’. What a sick joke. I regret everything.”