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Cocaine Confidential: True Stories Behind the World's Most Notorious Narcotic
From those who grow the coca to the end dealers—the inside stories of the people involved in the world of cocaine smuggling
Cocaine is the world's most notorious narcotic. It underpins a vast, multi-billion dollar underworld with a dark and deadly side. But who really are the shadowy people behind this chilling network? The coca farmers, the jungle sweatshop workers, the smugglers, the suppliers, and, ultimately, the dealers who provide for the world's hundreds of millions of users. This book goes inside the lives of all these characters to reveal their stories for the first time. Along the way you’ll go inside a cocaine jail, meet hitmen, terror suspects, crooked politicians, bankers, coke barons, mules, hardened traffickers, and corrupt cops as the truth is unraveled in a roller coaster ride through the secret world of cocaine.
Cocaine is the world's most notorious narcotic. It underpins a vast, multi-billion dollar underworld with a dark and deadly side. But who really are the shadowy people behind this chilling network? The coca farmers, the jungle sweatshop workers, the smugglers, the suppliers, and, ultimately, the dealers who provide for the world's hundreds of millions of users. This book goes inside the lives of all these characters to reveal their stories for the first time. Along the way you’ll go inside a cocaine jail, meet hitmen, terror suspects, crooked politicians, bankers, coke barons, mules, hardened traffickers, and corrupt cops as the truth is unraveled in a roller coaster ride through the secret world of cocaine.
327 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
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188 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 28, 2014
I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK AS A GOODREADS GIVEAWAY
Sorry for the delay in reading this, I've had the reading list from hell to contend with! I started this book this morning and read all 300+ pages in one go. It's brilliant! I loved the journalistic quality, I loved the writing and I loved the way it built up the picture of the people. My personal fav is the account of the two grannies selling coke in Spain (that has to be a risque Sunday night drama there, surely?). I actually want a few of the other books now as I think the legal high one (in particular) appeals to me. I can't wait to check that out! A well deserved five stars...
Sorry for the delay in reading this, I've had the reading list from hell to contend with! I started this book this morning and read all 300+ pages in one go. It's brilliant! I loved the journalistic quality, I loved the writing and I loved the way it built up the picture of the people. My personal fav is the account of the two grannies selling coke in Spain (that has to be a risque Sunday night drama there, surely?). I actually want a few of the other books now as I think the legal high one (in particular) appeals to me. I can't wait to check that out! A well deserved five stars...
August 29, 2016
Cocaine Confidential an interesting read, it consists of short, couple of pages long true stories that give you a good understanding about everyone in this industry: farmers, producers, wholesalers, dealers, traffickers, coke barons and also describes role of different countries.
August 7, 2023
A very interesting read and extremely eye-opening. It is very factual and many interviews felt a little repetitive in style and substance but nonetheless, I enjoyed it and I am pleased that I chose to read it.
Last year, I read this author's incredible book 'Killing Goldfinger' detailing the life (and crimes) of the notorious John Palmer. I suppose I may have been expecting something similar with this one and hence this review is slightly benchmarked against it.
Last year, I read this author's incredible book 'Killing Goldfinger' detailing the life (and crimes) of the notorious John Palmer. I suppose I may have been expecting something similar with this one and hence this review is slightly benchmarked against it.
December 30, 2017
Kirja tarjosi mielenkiintoisia henkilöhaastatteluja kokaiinibisneksen eri portailta aina viidakkofarmeilta katudiilereihin. Haastattelut olivat mukavan erilaisista henkilöistä, joten toistoa ei onneksi ollut. Oma ehdoton suosikkini oli pätkä Espanjassa asuvista kokkelia diilaavista eläkeläismammoista.
June 6, 2018
This is basically a book that looks at all the different elements to the cocaine drug trade; the growers, processors, smugglers, dealers etc.
It consists of short chapters which act as interviews with those involved in the trade.
It's an easy, enlightening read; Wensley has also written a similar book about the legal high trade which I intend to also read!
It consists of short chapters which act as interviews with those involved in the trade.
It's an easy, enlightening read; Wensley has also written a similar book about the legal high trade which I intend to also read!
March 6, 2024
Enjoyed it for my first ever book, first parts were a little slower but the ending I enjoyed a lot, great size chapters and different interviews. All round great read would recommend
June 10, 2014
Goodreads giveaway win!
This has just completely depressed me about the state of the world and humanity. It can be a horrid place out there. And this book does nothing for the tourist trade in Spain unless you're wanting to get off your head.
This is basically about the international trade in cocaine, told through a lot of short chapters. Each chapter is some criminal's story of what's going on. Criminals bigging themselves up and sometimes trying to justify what they do. It is curious to see how attitudes change from the generations, and also from the nationalities. Clarkson kind of goes through the process, starting in South and Central America where the coca is grown and processed - not really talking to the farmers; but to people who buy off them. And some of them bleating like they're doing the world a big favour. No, you are not a phillanthropist. You are doing this in order to make massive profits whilst keeping people on a pitance and unable to get out of growing illegal crops for you. It's hardly fair trade product when you read about how the prices get marked up.
There's a lot of interviewing going on in Spain - people who have for various reasons come to dealing with cocaine, either through choice or misfortune. Although it can't excuse anyone's behaviour or choices, there are some interesting characters in here, and some sad stories. There's British teenagers in Spain who moved out with their parents and are essentially abandoned in Spain when their parents decide to return to the UK. UK fishermen who are really struggling to make ends meet; people persuaded to become mules. And not a sad tale, but certainly a curious one of a very elderly lady living in Spain who was involved in cocaine smuggling for decades. Her life story would be something to read. And then in Africa, where the West Coast is now becoming the new base ahead of Spain, you can see why the locals let them do this, especially when the Colombians are building them schools etc - although isn't this just another form of bribery? This is business to them, not charity. The most horrific thing for me, which was touched on but not investigated to any depth - it not being the aim of this book - was the connection with human trafficking and prostitution. He interviewed a couple of pimps and human traffickers who also dealt with cocaine and their attitude towards women and human life was just dire. You might think the gangsters and drug dealers are bad, but those are truely the worst.
It isn't all black and white, and it's such a massive, complex global problem that there isn't an easy answer to all of this. Because at the end of the day, there is a massive demand for cocaine, and whilst there's someone wanting to buy it, there will always be someone wanting to supply it, by any means necessary. I think it's a shame there wasn't more in the book about the farmers in south America, or the Colombians themselves (although this book is limited to the people he could get interviews with)... or even the people destroyed by the trade - communities in South America, the drug addicts and their families in the west - the very end of the chain - a group that were quite absent from the book.
This has just completely depressed me about the state of the world and humanity. It can be a horrid place out there. And this book does nothing for the tourist trade in Spain unless you're wanting to get off your head.
This is basically about the international trade in cocaine, told through a lot of short chapters. Each chapter is some criminal's story of what's going on. Criminals bigging themselves up and sometimes trying to justify what they do. It is curious to see how attitudes change from the generations, and also from the nationalities. Clarkson kind of goes through the process, starting in South and Central America where the coca is grown and processed - not really talking to the farmers; but to people who buy off them. And some of them bleating like they're doing the world a big favour. No, you are not a phillanthropist. You are doing this in order to make massive profits whilst keeping people on a pitance and unable to get out of growing illegal crops for you. It's hardly fair trade product when you read about how the prices get marked up.
There's a lot of interviewing going on in Spain - people who have for various reasons come to dealing with cocaine, either through choice or misfortune. Although it can't excuse anyone's behaviour or choices, there are some interesting characters in here, and some sad stories. There's British teenagers in Spain who moved out with their parents and are essentially abandoned in Spain when their parents decide to return to the UK. UK fishermen who are really struggling to make ends meet; people persuaded to become mules. And not a sad tale, but certainly a curious one of a very elderly lady living in Spain who was involved in cocaine smuggling for decades. Her life story would be something to read. And then in Africa, where the West Coast is now becoming the new base ahead of Spain, you can see why the locals let them do this, especially when the Colombians are building them schools etc - although isn't this just another form of bribery? This is business to them, not charity. The most horrific thing for me, which was touched on but not investigated to any depth - it not being the aim of this book - was the connection with human trafficking and prostitution. He interviewed a couple of pimps and human traffickers who also dealt with cocaine and their attitude towards women and human life was just dire. You might think the gangsters and drug dealers are bad, but those are truely the worst.
It isn't all black and white, and it's such a massive, complex global problem that there isn't an easy answer to all of this. Because at the end of the day, there is a massive demand for cocaine, and whilst there's someone wanting to buy it, there will always be someone wanting to supply it, by any means necessary. I think it's a shame there wasn't more in the book about the farmers in south America, or the Colombians themselves (although this book is limited to the people he could get interviews with)... or even the people destroyed by the trade - communities in South America, the drug addicts and their families in the west - the very end of the chain - a group that were quite absent from the book.
November 17, 2016
An interesting and easy, if somewhat tabloid read. Wensley Clarkson uses his skills and contacts to interview people all along the cocaine value chain: from labs in Panama to dealers in Spain to kingpins in the UK. He also makes very brief visits to West Africa and East Europe.
The book doesn't have an overarching narrative, other than sequentially following cocaine from origin to users. Often chapters are bridged at the very end with a brief and rather unrelated paragraph. This is more a collection of interview essays than a singular work. As such it is not loaded with facts and figures, though there are a number to be read. The vast majority of content are interviews with various people, almost all of them anonymous.
This creates a bit of uncertainty. Is Clarkson making stuff up or is it all true? Given his career, I'll settle for the latter. Still, this book is not designed to allay your suspicions or to convince you of the world it reveals. All in all, we have to assume that fact is stranger than fiction. Some of the details here would be difficult to make up.
As I mentioned, this is an easy read. I enjoyed it, even though the book has a bit of an excitable and hyperbolic tone to it. Hence calling it tabloid: this is less a mediation on the facts and scale of the cocaine industry, instead more a candid drive-by scattershot image of that underworld. This is not a bad thing, but don't expect the deepest of non-fiction experiences.
The book doesn't have an overarching narrative, other than sequentially following cocaine from origin to users. Often chapters are bridged at the very end with a brief and rather unrelated paragraph. This is more a collection of interview essays than a singular work. As such it is not loaded with facts and figures, though there are a number to be read. The vast majority of content are interviews with various people, almost all of them anonymous.
This creates a bit of uncertainty. Is Clarkson making stuff up or is it all true? Given his career, I'll settle for the latter. Still, this book is not designed to allay your suspicions or to convince you of the world it reveals. All in all, we have to assume that fact is stranger than fiction. Some of the details here would be difficult to make up.
As I mentioned, this is an easy read. I enjoyed it, even though the book has a bit of an excitable and hyperbolic tone to it. Hence calling it tabloid: this is less a mediation on the facts and scale of the cocaine industry, instead more a candid drive-by scattershot image of that underworld. This is not a bad thing, but don't expect the deepest of non-fiction experiences.
August 18, 2014
I picked this up in a hotel lobby in Mallorca last week, which seemed quite apt since a good deal of the book takes place in and around Spain and the Balearics.
It's an interesting read which gives a number of insights into the shady world of international drug dealing. If I'm honest I felt that some of the segments were too brief, giving only a glimpse of much bigger stories. I also felt that there was a little too much emphasis on Spain when dealers in other countries, such as the UK, US, or Netherlands could have featured more.
There also seemed to be an absence of a section which focused on the end user who didn't deal in the drug. To me this would have rounded off the work, perhaps covering both the infrequent recreational user without a problem, and the addict who has had their life destroyed.
All in all it was a good, insightful read, but one which left me wanting more as soon as I'd done it. So not too unlike a line of Charlie in that respect...
It's an interesting read which gives a number of insights into the shady world of international drug dealing. If I'm honest I felt that some of the segments were too brief, giving only a glimpse of much bigger stories. I also felt that there was a little too much emphasis on Spain when dealers in other countries, such as the UK, US, or Netherlands could have featured more.
There also seemed to be an absence of a section which focused on the end user who didn't deal in the drug. To me this would have rounded off the work, perhaps covering both the infrequent recreational user without a problem, and the addict who has had their life destroyed.
All in all it was a good, insightful read, but one which left me wanting more as soon as I'd done it. So not too unlike a line of Charlie in that respect...
August 14, 2016
I won this book in the GoodReads giveaway.
Cocaine Confidential is a collection of real-life stories told by individuals involved in the cocaine business. The stories made me feel like it was me talking to these people while sipping another cup of coffee. You get to meet drug dealers, drug barons, mules, smugglers, corrupted law enforcement personnel or coca farmers... And everything in the comfort of your own home :)
I like the writing style of the author, the stories are kept short, interesting, extremely engrossing and are full of useful information.
I would recommend the book to anyone interested in crime, especially drug types of crimes.
Cocaine Confidential is a collection of real-life stories told by individuals involved in the cocaine business. The stories made me feel like it was me talking to these people while sipping another cup of coffee. You get to meet drug dealers, drug barons, mules, smugglers, corrupted law enforcement personnel or coca farmers... And everything in the comfort of your own home :)
I like the writing style of the author, the stories are kept short, interesting, extremely engrossing and are full of useful information.
I would recommend the book to anyone interested in crime, especially drug types of crimes.
June 11, 2014
(3.5 stars) Cocaine confidential outlines the origins of cocaine. From it's jungle beginnings to dusting the noses of the rich, famous and most powerful people in the world, Clarkson interviews key players in this lucrative trade. Every chapter is the story of one 'cog' in the cocaine machine. Although this book is a huge eye opener into this world, some chapters are rather repetitive and hence the 3.5 stars.
(Goodreads win)
(Goodreads win)
January 24, 2016
Won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and I loved it! Fascinating reading, gives you the facts about cocaine production,and the people behind it, from the labourers sweating over the pits in the deep jungle, up to the big money men who control the industry. Told in such a way that its not at all dull, or preachy. I'm recommending this to everyone!
March 22, 2016
I received a free copy of this book as part of a First Reads giveaway.
This was actually a really interesting read which covered a whole range of characters from the many different aspects of the cocaine trade. Given how many different sources were spoken to and how much the author has tried to fit in, some of the
sections do feel a bit rushed but overall was a pretty engaging read.
This was actually a really interesting read which covered a whole range of characters from the many different aspects of the cocaine trade. Given how many different sources were spoken to and how much the author has tried to fit in, some of the
sections do feel a bit rushed but overall was a pretty engaging read.
February 4, 2016
Fascinating world of cocaine.
Very revealing, well researched book that tells it how it is from the horses mouth. Cocaine far more wide spread than thought, increasingly dangerous world to be in.
Very revealing, well researched book that tells it how it is from the horses mouth. Cocaine far more wide spread than thought, increasingly dangerous world to be in.
August 24, 2015
Interesting read, however largely repetitive accounts from people involved in the 'business'.
February 15, 2016
It was a pretty good book, quite interesting IMO
September 17, 2016
The second half of the book was far more interesting than the first. I also felt that some of the characters would be identifiable in their communities from the info provided.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews