found this in my uni library. amazinggg

Bardzo fajne podsumowanie życia i "polowania" na Escobara. Pozycja raczej dla fanów serialu, którzy chcą mieć też trochę faktów na swojej półce. Myślę, że osoba, która wchodzi dopiero w temat może być zawiedziona tym reportażem, bo sprawa potraktowana jest od strony technicznej (akcje mające na celu złapanie Pablo, odwet, ataki itd), mało tu życiorysu barona (tu odsyłam raczej do serialu lub literatury biograficznej). Mocne 4 :)

Personally, I found this one quite the riveting work of reportage on the American involvement in the hunt, capture and eventual assassination of Pablo Escobar, hailed as the Colombian billionaire godfather of international cocaine trafficking. However, the writing style was more journalistic than artistic, which at times made the presentation seem cramped and rushed. All in all, not a bad read.

This is an excellent book. And also a sad one.

Think Clear and Present Danger. Now blend it with Desperado and Miami Vice and you get the fascinating rise and fall of Pablo Escobar. In this book, Mark Bowden gives a very detailed, tense and colorful depiction of Pablo's life, from his early days on the streets of Medellin, engaging in petty crime to his election to the Colombian parliament to becoming the world's no.1 wanted man, leading a narco-terrorist empire worth some 40 billion dollars. The hunt that would eventually lead to Pablo's death after a gruesome decade of violence cost some 3,000 civilian lives.

But the breathtaking, movie-like action is only side of this story. The more fascinating, the more sordid side is the life in the 80s-90s Colombia. This book is primarily about the huge gap between the wealthy and the poor in the country, the brutal struggle, the civil war between the right government and the left guerilla, the corruption, the cheapness of life. Pablo's network stretched deep into every level of Colombian life, including senators, judges, police. And then, when these people crossed him, he would target their lives and their families.

In the end, Pablo's downfall required the same ugly, violent measures that he employed - a vigilante group called Los Pepes, indirectly and directly supported by the government and the police and CIA surveillance help, engaged in assassinations, bombing and terror much like Pablo's until he was finally cornered and killed. There can't be any happy ending to something like that.

We also get a glimpse into Pablo's personal life - he often used underage prostitutes but was devoted to his life and kids, he had special luxurious bathrooms installed in every getaway house he had, because he was very finicky about his hygiene, he loved caricatures of him and hated any political criticism. It's a story that trumps all fiction.

I am glad to have chosen this book for two reasons. One, after reading Black Hawk Down, which I initially wrongly voted with two stars - amended to five, I wanted to give another stab at Mark's work, and as expected, he does not disappoint. He is a great writer. Two, Pablo's life is a refreshing departure from the Europe-heavy history reading I've been doing lately. It's always nice to get a different perspective of the world. Not just that. A different world.

Well worth your time.

Igor