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Pablo Escobar: Beyond Narcos
Pablo Escobar
290 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2016
822 people are currently reading
1102 people want to read
About the author
Shaun Attwood
77 books357 followersIn prison, I read over 1000 books in just under six years, including many literary classics. Books were the lifeblood of my rehabilitation.
As told on National Geographic Channel's Locked-Up/Banged-Up Abroad episode "Raving Arizona," I used a tiny pencil sharpened on a cell door to write the first prison blog, Jon’s Jail Journal. My writing, smuggled out of the jail with the highest rate of death in America, run by Sheriff Joe Arpaio, turned the international media spotlight on the human rights violations, including guards murdering mentally ill inmates, dead rats in the food, lack of medical care...
Raised in a small chemical-manufacturing town in northern England, I was the first from my family to go to university. As a penniless graduate, I took my business degree to Phoenix, and worked my way up to become a stock-market millionaire.
But I also led a double life. An early fan of the Manchester rave scene, I headed an organisation that threw raves and distributed Ecstasy. On May 16th 2002, a SWAT team knocked my door down.
Facing a life sentence, I entered a lengthy legal battle. After two years of being held unsentenced, I was convicted of drug offences. Sentenced to 9½ years, I served almost 6.
I had only read finance books prior to my arrest. While incarcerated, I submerged myself in literature. By studying original texts in psychology and philosophy, I sought to better understand myself and my past behaviour.
Released in December 2007, I continue to campaign against Sheriff Joe Arpaio. I keep my blog, Jon’s Jail Journal, going by posting stories mailed to me by my prison friends.
In July 2008, I won a Koestler award for a short story, which I read to an audience at the Royal Festival Hall.
I presently live near London, and talk to schools across the UK about my jail experience and the consequences of getting involved in drugs and crime.
As told on National Geographic Channel's Locked-Up/Banged-Up Abroad episode "Raving Arizona," I used a tiny pencil sharpened on a cell door to write the first prison blog, Jon’s Jail Journal. My writing, smuggled out of the jail with the highest rate of death in America, run by Sheriff Joe Arpaio, turned the international media spotlight on the human rights violations, including guards murdering mentally ill inmates, dead rats in the food, lack of medical care...
Raised in a small chemical-manufacturing town in northern England, I was the first from my family to go to university. As a penniless graduate, I took my business degree to Phoenix, and worked my way up to become a stock-market millionaire.
But I also led a double life. An early fan of the Manchester rave scene, I headed an organisation that threw raves and distributed Ecstasy. On May 16th 2002, a SWAT team knocked my door down.
Facing a life sentence, I entered a lengthy legal battle. After two years of being held unsentenced, I was convicted of drug offences. Sentenced to 9½ years, I served almost 6.
I had only read finance books prior to my arrest. While incarcerated, I submerged myself in literature. By studying original texts in psychology and philosophy, I sought to better understand myself and my past behaviour.
Released in December 2007, I continue to campaign against Sheriff Joe Arpaio. I keep my blog, Jon’s Jail Journal, going by posting stories mailed to me by my prison friends.
In July 2008, I won a Koestler award for a short story, which I read to an audience at the Royal Festival Hall.
I presently live near London, and talk to schools across the UK about my jail experience and the consequences of getting involved in drugs and crime.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
February 10, 2021
I found this nonfiction book fascinating. It is about Pablo Escobar, but it’s also about the history of cocaine and how utterly ridiculous our drug laws are and have been, in many ways to incarcerate black folks.
I think many people have heard that the original version of Coco-Cola contained cocaine. What I love is that people who were for prohibition drank this to fortify themselves to protest against this evils of alcohol. It was also found in a variety of medications. Hitler and Freud were both fans of cocaine, and among its virtues it was initially thought to help overcome morphine addiction, until researchers figured out that people were simply exchanging one addiction for another or were just getting addicted to cocaine in addition to morphine.
I’ve never seen the show Narcos, but the author points out when the series strays from the truth. Reading this book I learned that growing up poor, Escobar used his wealth to help out the poverty-stricken masses of Columbia. Which of course doesn’t wipe out all the murder and torture he ordered, but Attwood points out more than once that if it weren’t for demand in America and our drug laws that made it so profitable, none of that criminal activity would have been possible. Attwood is really not a fan of George G.H. Bush, nor of the Reagan-Bush policies that doubled the federal prison population and instructed American universities to destroy all of the research into marijuana, which obviously could have benefitted a slew of people, such as cancer patients who can’t eat and children who are born with seizures.
This isn’t that long of a book, but it’s dense with information. Recommend.
I think many people have heard that the original version of Coco-Cola contained cocaine. What I love is that people who were for prohibition drank this to fortify themselves to protest against this evils of alcohol. It was also found in a variety of medications. Hitler and Freud were both fans of cocaine, and among its virtues it was initially thought to help overcome morphine addiction, until researchers figured out that people were simply exchanging one addiction for another or were just getting addicted to cocaine in addition to morphine.
I’ve never seen the show Narcos, but the author points out when the series strays from the truth. Reading this book I learned that growing up poor, Escobar used his wealth to help out the poverty-stricken masses of Columbia. Which of course doesn’t wipe out all the murder and torture he ordered, but Attwood points out more than once that if it weren’t for demand in America and our drug laws that made it so profitable, none of that criminal activity would have been possible. Attwood is really not a fan of George G.H. Bush, nor of the Reagan-Bush policies that doubled the federal prison population and instructed American universities to destroy all of the research into marijuana, which obviously could have benefitted a slew of people, such as cancer patients who can’t eat and children who are born with seizures.
This isn’t that long of a book, but it’s dense with information. Recommend.
January 2, 2018
I was going to purchase Mark Bowden’s Killing Pablo: The Hunt for the World's Greatest Outlaw, but Amazon had the Kindle edition of Pablo Escobar: Beyond Narcos by Shaun Attwood on sale. I was familiar with Bowden’s book, but not Attwood’s so I immediately had buyer’s remorse after buying it. The buyer’s (or reader’s) remorse didn’t last long. As soon as I started to read Pablo Escobar: Beyond Narcos, I was hooked. I found it to be well-written and informative.
The book is not entirely about Pablo Escobar. It delves into the origin, history, and usage of cocaine. The involvement of big pharma companies in developing and promoting cocaine. The role of politicians such as HW Bush, his son Jeb Bush, General Manuel Noriega, etc. and the CIA, DEA, ATF, etc. in the trafficking of drugs into the US. The tracking down and killing of Pablo Escobar by those same agencies and the US military is an eye-opener.
The book explains the rise and the organizational structure of the Medellín and Cali cartels and the conflicts between them. The brutality and indiscriminate violence, death, and torture inflicted on those who crossed the path of the drug cartels and those trying to defeat them (paramilitary death squads, cops, military) is nothing more than sadistic and inhumane.
The book does make occasional reference to the NETFLIX series NARCOS to point out fact vs. fiction. I’ve never seen NARCOS so watching it before reading the book isn’t necessary. I am, however, planning to binge watch NARCOS since the book has gotten me interested in it.
The book is not entirely about Pablo Escobar. It delves into the origin, history, and usage of cocaine. The involvement of big pharma companies in developing and promoting cocaine. The role of politicians such as HW Bush, his son Jeb Bush, General Manuel Noriega, etc. and the CIA, DEA, ATF, etc. in the trafficking of drugs into the US. The tracking down and killing of Pablo Escobar by those same agencies and the US military is an eye-opener.
The book explains the rise and the organizational structure of the Medellín and Cali cartels and the conflicts between them. The brutality and indiscriminate violence, death, and torture inflicted on those who crossed the path of the drug cartels and those trying to defeat them (paramilitary death squads, cops, military) is nothing more than sadistic and inhumane.
The book does make occasional reference to the NETFLIX series NARCOS to point out fact vs. fiction. I’ve never seen NARCOS so watching it before reading the book isn’t necessary. I am, however, planning to binge watch NARCOS since the book has gotten me interested in it.
August 1, 2017
Take a bow Mr. Attwood. At long last, an author who dared to call it as it was. This book is indeed beyond Narcos - way beyond! The TV show just skirted around the CIA angle. Infact, there was another Colombian TV serial - 'Pablo Escobar - El Patron del Mal', which was more detailed than Narcos, but sadly that one missed out completely on the US angle.
But this book makes no bones about the political chicanery and the gamesmanship displayed by Bush Sr. and his cronies in the CIA. Have no doubts about it - Pablo, despite his oafish brutality, was a mere pawn in the hands of the biggest syndicate of 'em all - The US axis of right-wing holier-than-thou 'patriots'.
A must-read for those interested in the hidden aspects of the 'war on drugs'.
But this book makes no bones about the political chicanery and the gamesmanship displayed by Bush Sr. and his cronies in the CIA. Have no doubts about it - Pablo, despite his oafish brutality, was a mere pawn in the hands of the biggest syndicate of 'em all - The US axis of right-wing holier-than-thou 'patriots'.
A must-read for those interested in the hidden aspects of the 'war on drugs'.
October 16, 2016
Abandoned at the start of Chapter 2. Appalling writing style and rushed
April 11, 2017
Like all of Shaun's books, it's well written, and interesting. It goes a long way towards explaining some of the circumstances that the series didn't go into, particularly with regards to the US government and its involvement in a lot of the events surrounding Pablo. Obviously, one needs to be at least mildly familiar with the subject matter and/or have seen "Narcos" to get all the content, but that's why the tag line is "Beyond Narcos".
If you're interested in Pablo, Cartels, the drug problem, or the American Government, this should be a good read for you.
If you're interested in Pablo, Cartels, the drug problem, or the American Government, this should be a good read for you.
June 17, 2017
This book was very informative. I definitely learned a lot about the drug cartels. it was disturbing to learn about the government's involvement with illegal drugs being brought into the country. Very interesting.
July 26, 2017
An amazing read.
Wow. I never watched Narcos so the story of Pablo Escobar was new to me. Attwood does an amazing job keeping the story simple and interesting so it's easily a book you don't want to put down.
Wow. I never watched Narcos so the story of Pablo Escobar was new to me. Attwood does an amazing job keeping the story simple and interesting so it's easily a book you don't want to put down.
November 5, 2016
I've just finished reading this book and have been fascinated to find out about the life of Pablo Escobar having previously known very little about it. The chapters on Diana, Father Garcia and the chapter on Pablo's luxurious, indulged 'imprisonment' in the Cathedral were especially riveting and were rather like mini stories within a bigger picture. It is frankly impossible for me to fully comprehend the insanely excessive amounts of money Escobar made and spent, or to even begin to imagine just how it would be to live (or to be related to somebody who lived) a lifestyle revolving around such a constant threat of or administering of extreme violence and death but Shaun Attwood communicates this skillfully and informatively to his readers who more than likely live a world away from the kind of world Pablo lived in. Sometimes the reading was hard going as there was lots of in depth information to absorb. Pablo Escobar:Beyond Narcos is not always an easy read but is an incredibly informative read and one that is well worth the time and effort. It has opened my eyes to a different world, not one that I'd ever want to be part of but one that is fascinating to read about.
August 22, 2017
Dynamite!
This book is explosive... Literally!!
Having heard a lot about Escobar, I was intrigued about this book.
I still don't know how to feel about it all, so much corruption, and shocked at the involvement of the U.S Government!!
In a world with no trust, what else is left?
A riveting read, eye opening!!
This book is explosive... Literally!!
Having heard a lot about Escobar, I was intrigued about this book.
I still don't know how to feel about it all, so much corruption, and shocked at the involvement of the U.S Government!!
In a world with no trust, what else is left?
A riveting read, eye opening!!
November 5, 2016
Can't recommend this enough - an intimate insight into the workings of the Escobar empire, another great read from Attwood, who is fast becoming quite prolific. Infinitely interesting and entertaining, I look forward to the next in the series.
March 20, 2017
Wish the author had put more personal details about Pablo as a person...there must have been more dimensions to his personality than just being a drug dealer. Somehow to me the character seemed half alive. A good book. One time read.
June 6, 2017
not a bad read but nowhere near as good as killing Pablo
March 17, 2018
Great read
I’d recommend this to anyone that wants to get an idea of just how deadly governments are and will use any reasoning what so ever to make money
I’d recommend this to anyone that wants to get an idea of just how deadly governments are and will use any reasoning what so ever to make money
February 6, 2025
This book felt difficult for me to finish. The writing felt amateur and there were some stylistic choices that I didn't love. I read another reviewer compare this level of writing and organization to that of a high school report and I have to agree. There would be interesting scene-setting and translated dialogue but then the anecdote would just end and transition to another point. Some of the various threads of storylines were left unfinished and in lieu of their resolution, we were left with some oddly specific details that didn't necessarily add value to the points being made. There were also a LOT of lengthy quotes from speeches and dialogue- I'm talking pages at a time- with inconsistent/improper use of quotations. It ended up being a little hard to follow and for a book that is under 300 pages, the sheer amount of quoted word felt excessive. Further, the author referenced and "plugged" his other published books fairly frequently which contributed to the air of unprofessionalism. One of the more frustrating oversights was incorrect translation of the Spanish language. Attwood referred to one of the members of the Medellin cartel as "el mono", which is Colombian slang for someone who looks like a foreigner with light hair or eyes. He incorrectly translated this idiom to it's literal meaning and referred to him as "the monkey" for the entirety of the book. The overall theme of this book didn't feel like a neutral, historical account of Pablo Escobar and the war on drugs, rather it read more like a platform to support allegations of Bush's, the CIA's, and the American government's involvement and deception related to the war. That all being said, I did learn a lot about the political climate in Colombia at the time and how much unnecessary violence and bloodshed occurred from the demand for cocaine from Americans. It also left me thinking about how legalization status of drugs can contribute to these powerful and lawless underground empires. In many ways we create the climate for these operations to take hold, evolve, and destroy. From Escobar and cocaine to Capone and alcohol, we've demonstrated a terrifying ability to let greed, fear and violence lead.
June 13, 2020
Pablo Escobar!
What a read! One of the best books of this genre I have ever read. What a waste of an intelligent man. But the appalling US government , I always knew all politicians are dirty but not to this extent! I know there's money to be made in war but this was something so very much worse. Between Pablo and the US government, give me Pablo every time - at least he did some good for Colombia. An excellent book very well written
What a read! One of the best books of this genre I have ever read. What a waste of an intelligent man. But the appalling US government , I always knew all politicians are dirty but not to this extent! I know there's money to be made in war but this was something so very much worse. Between Pablo and the US government, give me Pablo every time - at least he did some good for Colombia. An excellent book very well written
January 25, 2019
Interesting
Lots of info in this book. Some of it got a bit hard to follow due to jumping timelines and switching storylines. It felt to me like the author is very anti government (especially USA) ,government agencies, and military/police and seemed to be quite a fan of Pablo Escobar and the drug trade. Still, it was interesting and informative.
Lots of info in this book. Some of it got a bit hard to follow due to jumping timelines and switching storylines. It felt to me like the author is very anti government (especially USA) ,government agencies, and military/police and seemed to be quite a fan of Pablo Escobar and the drug trade. Still, it was interesting and informative.
September 25, 2018
Overall an interesting read, with frightening insights about the brazen and violent events around the Columbia drug trade. I found the writing style a little dry as it was very much just reading the reporting of facts, but facts around the events are so interesting it still makes for an engaging read.
The whole ‘behind the Narcos’ feels a bit like jumping on the bandwagon, references to the popular Netflix series are few and far between where the author has called attention to some liberties (the number of references to the authors other books seems greater) however the book still stands on its own feet aside from this.
Apart from the obvious emphasis on Pablo Escobar, key themes include calling attention to the CIA’s and US government involvement and contribution to drug trafficking in the 80’s and 90’s, and arguing a compelling case that making cocaine illegal created the black market for narcotics that led to the dramatic rise in power and wealth of the likes of Pablo and the Cali cartel.
If any of this piques your interest you will likely find this book a worthwhile read.
The whole ‘behind the Narcos’ feels a bit like jumping on the bandwagon, references to the popular Netflix series are few and far between where the author has called attention to some liberties (the number of references to the authors other books seems greater) however the book still stands on its own feet aside from this.
Apart from the obvious emphasis on Pablo Escobar, key themes include calling attention to the CIA’s and US government involvement and contribution to drug trafficking in the 80’s and 90’s, and arguing a compelling case that making cocaine illegal created the black market for narcotics that led to the dramatic rise in power and wealth of the likes of Pablo and the Cali cartel.
If any of this piques your interest you will likely find this book a worthwhile read.
November 6, 2016
So I picked up this book and decided to read it just to kill time and 2 minutes in I was hooked! I read the whole book in one sitting! Attwood does a fine job on giving Escobar the actual human qualities he possed by going into his upbringing background and how "robin hood" of a fellow he was with using his wealth to actually help and better communities. At the same time you get a good look at the messed up world of drugs and a really thought provoking view of how America could have actually been a lot more involved then the government wants you to think.This book actually taught me a lot of information I didn't know about Escobar, the government, and the Colombian drug ring. I'm really glad I gave this book a read 10 outta 10! Great job Shaun Attwood!!
April 12, 2018
Not desperately well written and at times rather convoluted and confusing but this book told me far, far more about Escobar and his many activities than I knew before. It also taught me more about the U.S. War on Drugs and the Presidential and CIA profiting and involvement in drug trafficking and the way in which Escobar and his Medellin cartel were demonized to make their own actions appear more acceptable.
February 23, 2017
This could have been a riveting biography of a fascinating man, but it fell so short in the telling that reading it was often irritating. Shaun Attwood's writing style was all over the place with references to his other books that was irksome. For me, not a great read. I would have rated it 1 star, but the content kept me going and consequently, I gave it 2 stars. Disappointing...
July 13, 2017
I haven't seen Narcos and read this as a counterbalance to The Accountant's Story read long ago. Given the subject matter, it should have made for an interesting read, but I found myself bored. The frequent references to the show were distracting. This would likely be enjoyable to a fan of the show, but I didn't find it fantastic as a biography.
June 16, 2017
I started out enjoying this book, but I wasn't able to read it all in one setting and ended up forgetting who all the characters were. This book also DRAGGED at times. Pieces of the plot felt really unconnected and unnecessary. By the end I just couldn't wait for it to be over.
May 15, 2018
I have watched Narcos on Netflix, this book was interesting and informative, I have learnt more about the drug cartels and it’s extremely disturbing how involved some people are, we live in a corrupt system but without the dirty money, we wouldn’t survive.
September 9, 2017
Less a book about Escobar...but more of a book set to compliment and correct the TV series.
December 31, 2017
Disappointed. This book was more about government involvement with drug trafficking into the U.S than about Pablo Escobar.
October 12, 2018
Having watched the Netflix series , this book gives a good insight into the Colombian drugs trade. The author does show some bias but it is hard to argue with the basic premise
January 9, 2018
Having watched and thoroughly enjoyed the Netflix series Narcos, I was interested to see what Shaun Atwood's take on Pablo Escobar was.
The first half of the book was quite heavy going as it laid all the groundwork for the second half, and I struggled to reconcile the timeline that Atwood portrays with that portrayed in the TV series (which most definitely used an awful lot of artistic licence!). The second half of the book, which focuses on the hunt and subsequent surrender of Pablo, his incarceration in La Catedral and escape and finally to his death, was much easier reading and much more enjoyable.
What was most shocking to me, reading this book, was the extent of the involvement of the Reagan/Bush administration in what was happening in Columbia, through the machinations of the CIA. Their complicity in the importation of cocaine and arming of anti-communism groups in South America was truly horrifying and has sparked my interest to read up on this further.
All in all, this was a good read but I think it could have been improved with a visual timetable of the occurrences detailed in the book as it tended to jump around in time quite a lot.
The first half of the book was quite heavy going as it laid all the groundwork for the second half, and I struggled to reconcile the timeline that Atwood portrays with that portrayed in the TV series (which most definitely used an awful lot of artistic licence!). The second half of the book, which focuses on the hunt and subsequent surrender of Pablo, his incarceration in La Catedral and escape and finally to his death, was much easier reading and much more enjoyable.
What was most shocking to me, reading this book, was the extent of the involvement of the Reagan/Bush administration in what was happening in Columbia, through the machinations of the CIA. Their complicity in the importation of cocaine and arming of anti-communism groups in South America was truly horrifying and has sparked my interest to read up on this further.
All in all, this was a good read but I think it could have been improved with a visual timetable of the occurrences detailed in the book as it tended to jump around in time quite a lot.
January 17, 2021
If you are looking for in-depth information on Pablo's origin, his actual story, and about the US govt. role in all of it, this book is perfect. It's extremely detailed and the author tells it like it actually was back then. The whole ordeal seems so surreal, I'm still trying to process it all. It does a few references to the Netflix show but I haven't watched the show and I understood just fine. Pablo wasn't innocent by any means, he deserved to be extradited but he was a cover/front for the US government and Cali cartel's combined and hostile takeover, all of whom got away with it. The whole thing made me so angry towards the end. The writing style is simple and to the point, there's no unnecessary embellishments or sugar-coating on any side. Overall, a well-researched, well-narrated book on a harrowing story but not just in the Pablo angle.
September 22, 2025
The chronology of the book is all over the map. One paragraph will be in the 1940s and then the next will be in the 1980s and the next will be in the 1970s, all without any indicator the switch just occurred or why.
Additionally the book is not well written even down to the sentence structure. The author uses choppy sentences that sometimes don’t read like an actual narrative. Instead it’s like “this happened. This happened over here. That happened over there.”
Finally, the author seems to have a personal beef with the US response to the war on drugs and the CIA in general. That doesn’t really bother me. But this book tries to be a historical account and so when his opinions filter in, it removes the ability to call this an historical account and instead maybe an historical analysis. And that is a stretch. Some of his comments feel like he is acting on gut feel versus actual facts. So I question the validity of his sourcing and fact checking.
Additionally the book is not well written even down to the sentence structure. The author uses choppy sentences that sometimes don’t read like an actual narrative. Instead it’s like “this happened. This happened over here. That happened over there.”
Finally, the author seems to have a personal beef with the US response to the war on drugs and the CIA in general. That doesn’t really bother me. But this book tries to be a historical account and so when his opinions filter in, it removes the ability to call this an historical account and instead maybe an historical analysis. And that is a stretch. Some of his comments feel like he is acting on gut feel versus actual facts. So I question the validity of his sourcing and fact checking.
September 28, 2017
Having watched Narcos and after reading the books by Pablo’s son and Mark Bowden, I moved onto this one, which is original in its perspective of the war on drugs. None of the others confronted the role of the corrupt US government and the CIA. In Pablo’s son’s second book, which came out after this one, he finally details his father’s relationship with the CIA, who were complicit in cocaine trafficking to finance wars against communism in Nicaragua and central and South America. Perhaps that’s the reason why Pablo’s son’s second book is only available in Spanish. This author goes where the rest have not. For those who like war on drugs stuff, I recommend his entire war on drugs series.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews