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Mr. Nice: An Autobiography
During the mid 1980s Howard Marks had 43 aliases, 89 phone lines, and owned 25 companies throughout the world. Whether bars, recording studios, or offshore banks, all were money laundering vehicles serving the core dope dealing. Marks began to deal small amounts of hashish while doing a postgraduate philosophy course at Oxford, but soon he was moving much larger quantities. At the height of his career he was smuggling consignments of up to 50 tons from Pakistan and Thailand to America and Canada and had contact with organizations as diverse as MI6, the CIA, the IRA, and the Mafia. This is his extraordinary story.
466 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
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About the author
Howard Marks
36 books72 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Howard Marks (born Dennis Howard Marks) was a Welsh author, former teacher and drug smuggler who achieved notoriety as an international cannabis smuggler through high-profile court cases, supposed connections with groups such as the CIA, the IRA, MI6, and the Mafia, and his eventual conviction at the hands of the American Drug Enforcement Administration. At the height of his drug career, he was said to have controlled 10% of the world's hashish trade.
Marks attended Balliol College, Oxford between 1964 and 1967 to study Natural Science, with a Physics (B.A., Oxon). Among his friends at Balliol was the epidemiologist Julian Peto, and the journalist Lynn Barber. After this he studied Physics (Grad. Inst P.) at the University of London (1967 to 1968). Then, he went back to Balliol, Oxford (1968 to 1969) to study History and Philosophy of Science (Dip. H.Ph. Sc.) and then he went on to the University of Sussex (1969 to 1970) to study Philosophy of Science.
Following his release from prison, Marks published a best-selling autobiography, Mr Nice (Secker and Warburg, 1996), which has been translated into many languages. In addition to Mr Nice, he compiled an anthology called The Howard Marks Book of Dope Stories (Vintage, 2001) and more recently a follow-on from his autobiography; Señor Nice: Straight Life From Wales to South America. Señor Nice differs from his previous book as drugs are not central to the story and, while autobiographical, the book is more Marks' own exploration of his ancestor, the pirate Sir Henry Morgan. His ex-wife Judy Marks has also written her autobiography of their life together entitled "Mr Nice and Mrs Marks" published by Ebury Press, 2006.
He is also the subject of a biopic starring Rhys Ifans as Marks entitled Mr Nice, named after his autobiography of the same name. Chloë Sevigny plays the role of his wife Judy. The film was released in October 2010.
Marks was a campaigner for the legalisation of cannabis and tours the world with a one-man show. Marks recorded the song 'Grow More Weed' with the UK dub punk band P.A.I.N.
Within the world of music, Marks has managed the Welsh rock band the Super Furry Animals for a period of time in the late 1990s. He also co-recorded a song 'Three men in a boat' with his long time friend Lee Harris. The record was later remixed by River Styx (Musician, rap poet) and released on the album 'Angel Headed Hip Hop' on Genepool/Universal Ltd.
Marks stood for election to UK Parliament in 1997, on the single issue of the legalization of cannabis. He contested four seats at once: Norwich South (against future Home Secretary Charles Clarke), Norwich North, Neath and Southampton Test. The average vote was over 1%. This led to the formation of the Legalise Cannabis Alliance (LCA) by Alun Buffry in 1999.
From 1999 to 2000 he was the honorary rector of Glasgow Caledonian University.
On 25 January 2015, it was announced that Marks had inoperable colorectal cancer.He died of the disease on 10 April 2016, at the age of 70.
Howard Marks (born Dennis Howard Marks) was a Welsh author, former teacher and drug smuggler who achieved notoriety as an international cannabis smuggler through high-profile court cases, supposed connections with groups such as the CIA, the IRA, MI6, and the Mafia, and his eventual conviction at the hands of the American Drug Enforcement Administration. At the height of his drug career, he was said to have controlled 10% of the world's hashish trade.
Marks attended Balliol College, Oxford between 1964 and 1967 to study Natural Science, with a Physics (B.A., Oxon). Among his friends at Balliol was the epidemiologist Julian Peto, and the journalist Lynn Barber. After this he studied Physics (Grad. Inst P.) at the University of London (1967 to 1968). Then, he went back to Balliol, Oxford (1968 to 1969) to study History and Philosophy of Science (Dip. H.Ph. Sc.) and then he went on to the University of Sussex (1969 to 1970) to study Philosophy of Science.
Following his release from prison, Marks published a best-selling autobiography, Mr Nice (Secker and Warburg, 1996), which has been translated into many languages. In addition to Mr Nice, he compiled an anthology called The Howard Marks Book of Dope Stories (Vintage, 2001) and more recently a follow-on from his autobiography; Señor Nice: Straight Life From Wales to South America. Señor Nice differs from his previous book as drugs are not central to the story and, while autobiographical, the book is more Marks' own exploration of his ancestor, the pirate Sir Henry Morgan. His ex-wife Judy Marks has also written her autobiography of their life together entitled "Mr Nice and Mrs Marks" published by Ebury Press, 2006.
He is also the subject of a biopic starring Rhys Ifans as Marks entitled Mr Nice, named after his autobiography of the same name. Chloë Sevigny plays the role of his wife Judy. The film was released in October 2010.
Marks was a campaigner for the legalisation of cannabis and tours the world with a one-man show. Marks recorded the song 'Grow More Weed' with the UK dub punk band P.A.I.N.
Within the world of music, Marks has managed the Welsh rock band the Super Furry Animals for a period of time in the late 1990s. He also co-recorded a song 'Three men in a boat' with his long time friend Lee Harris. The record was later remixed by River Styx (Musician, rap poet) and released on the album 'Angel Headed Hip Hop' on Genepool/Universal Ltd.
Marks stood for election to UK Parliament in 1997, on the single issue of the legalization of cannabis. He contested four seats at once: Norwich South (against future Home Secretary Charles Clarke), Norwich North, Neath and Southampton Test. The average vote was over 1%. This led to the formation of the Legalise Cannabis Alliance (LCA) by Alun Buffry in 1999.
From 1999 to 2000 he was the honorary rector of Glasgow Caledonian University.
On 25 January 2015, it was announced that Marks had inoperable colorectal cancer.He died of the disease on 10 April 2016, at the age of 70.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 420 reviews
March 17, 2019
Howard Marks was Britain's most wanted man, apparently. He was one of the world's top drug smugglers. But I missed all that because I was busy playing toys in communist Poland at the time. And my favourite drug was cough syrup.
So I got to know Howard Marks through Howard Marks' own words (so some caution is required, he is a conman after all). His story was fascinating and the writing was surprisingly good (for an autobiography). He was at the top, he was at the bottom. He has been to the world's most luxury hotels and toughest prisons. He met financial elite, politicians, celebrities, spies, and criminals of all backgrounds and nationalities.
As nice as Marks tried to present himself I couldn't help thinking that he was rather egocentric. In the first part of his autobiography he boasts about his expensive lifestyle and travels. He brags about fooling the system with ease through his well thought out scams. When he gets busted, though, all of a sudden it's "woe is me". We now have to be sorry and symphatize. His arguement is that weed should be legal and no one should be jailed for selling it. I concur. However, if weed was legal Howard Marks would've never been interested in trading it. It would've been just as boring as his on the side wine business. He was not a rebel with a cause. He just liked the thrill and the money. His final conclusion isn't: 'crime is bad because it is bad' but 'crime is bad because you can go to prison'. Which is why Howard Marks now makes money writing best selling books, being a celebrity or even (according to his website) renting out the apartment where he wrote 'Mr Nice' for only £500 per week per 4 people.
All of us should look and learn. 'Mr Nice' apart from being a very entertaining story is a textbook on how to always land on your feet thanks to being brazen.
As a footnote I would like to mention that even if half of what Marks says about American DEA and its judicial system is true, then the US should start its fight for freedom and democracy on its own yard. But what's new.
So I got to know Howard Marks through Howard Marks' own words (so some caution is required, he is a conman after all). His story was fascinating and the writing was surprisingly good (for an autobiography). He was at the top, he was at the bottom. He has been to the world's most luxury hotels and toughest prisons. He met financial elite, politicians, celebrities, spies, and criminals of all backgrounds and nationalities.
As nice as Marks tried to present himself I couldn't help thinking that he was rather egocentric. In the first part of his autobiography he boasts about his expensive lifestyle and travels. He brags about fooling the system with ease through his well thought out scams. When he gets busted, though, all of a sudden it's "woe is me". We now have to be sorry and symphatize. His arguement is that weed should be legal and no one should be jailed for selling it. I concur. However, if weed was legal Howard Marks would've never been interested in trading it. It would've been just as boring as his on the side wine business. He was not a rebel with a cause. He just liked the thrill and the money. His final conclusion isn't: 'crime is bad because it is bad' but 'crime is bad because you can go to prison'. Which is why Howard Marks now makes money writing best selling books, being a celebrity or even (according to his website) renting out the apartment where he wrote 'Mr Nice' for only £500 per week per 4 people.
All of us should look and learn. 'Mr Nice' apart from being a very entertaining story is a textbook on how to always land on your feet thanks to being brazen.
As a footnote I would like to mention that even if half of what Marks says about American DEA and its judicial system is true, then the US should start its fight for freedom and democracy on its own yard. But what's new.
June 14, 2016
This was one of those "cool" books that I avoided like the plague but with the death of Marks and the cheap price on Amazon I gave it a go. Only 20 years later.
Here is Mark's synopsis of his life:
'...leave Wales, go to Oxford, get a degree in nuclear physics, become the world's biggest pot smuggler, spend nine years in the nick, write a bestseller, and finally get up on the stage to crack some jokes. It all just happened. I had no control.'
It is not easy keeping up with the scams and the world travel but it is an entertaining ride. Marks does keep telling us that he is non-violent but that does not mean that the business he is in nobody gets hurt. I am sure they did and his morals are lax to say the least.
If you want to read a book on why drugs should be legalised then I can recommend Chasing the Scream.
Here is Mark's synopsis of his life:
'...leave Wales, go to Oxford, get a degree in nuclear physics, become the world's biggest pot smuggler, spend nine years in the nick, write a bestseller, and finally get up on the stage to crack some jokes. It all just happened. I had no control.'
It is not easy keeping up with the scams and the world travel but it is an entertaining ride. Marks does keep telling us that he is non-violent but that does not mean that the business he is in nobody gets hurt. I am sure they did and his morals are lax to say the least.
If you want to read a book on why drugs should be legalised then I can recommend Chasing the Scream.
December 11, 2012
This is a tale of two books for me. The first half (and it's long, so it's quite the half) was very interesting, learning about how this guy set up his empire, all the wheeling and dealing, etc etc. I also enjoyed how he and I ended up at many of the same places (Palma, Patapong, etc), which might say a lot about me, hahaha. So, that was all well and good.
It goes off the rails in the latter half, though, when he gets busted for smuggling. He gets so whiny and upset (calls the DEA evil and says they should all die- the people themselves who work for the DEA, the men on the ground. Not really Mr. Nice at this point) because he broke the law and was caught. That got pretty tiresome after awhile, especially when he started portraying murderers as heroes against the American empire (oh, by the way, all Americans do is watch TV and shoot guns at people and we deserve to be slaves).
Also, what was up with his wife? This was a dude who was making millions of dollars by smuggling hundreds of TONS (Tons, mind you) of hashish and marijuana, and he'd been busted before, and they were living like kings, and he gets busted again and she acts like a victim. What did she think was happening when she was running around and spending all of that money? That it was falling from the sky? That it was all free? Of course the US Government thought she was in on it- otherwise she would have to be an idiot. Apparently she wrote a book, as well, and it would be interesting to see how she explains away how stupid their reaction to her imprisonment was.
Last point. He blames America for taking his kids away from him (in fact, the book ends with him seeing his little boy for the first time in years) but when he was a free man, he was never home! His wife and kids are barely mentioned. If you add up his travel, he was gone for months at a time. Seriously, his kids are mentioned like ten times the whole book and this is a huge book. Furthermore, when they are mentioned it is almost always "And Judy flew out with the kids and spent the day shopping while I smoked 20 joints. The next day I went to Pakistan for three weeks". Somehow, though, the lack of these children (I didn't even know how many he had until the end of the book) was supposed to pull my heartstrings, I guess.
But the first chunk of book was good- I would suggest putting it down three chapters before the end and walking away, because he goes from being a reasonably nice (if arrogant), mellow guy to a tiresome human being the second he actually has a consequence for his actions over the past twenty years. Reminds me of some of my students, haha.
It goes off the rails in the latter half, though, when he gets busted for smuggling. He gets so whiny and upset (calls the DEA evil and says they should all die- the people themselves who work for the DEA, the men on the ground. Not really Mr. Nice at this point) because he broke the law and was caught. That got pretty tiresome after awhile, especially when he started portraying murderers as heroes against the American empire (oh, by the way, all Americans do is watch TV and shoot guns at people and we deserve to be slaves).
Also, what was up with his wife? This was a dude who was making millions of dollars by smuggling hundreds of TONS (Tons, mind you) of hashish and marijuana, and he'd been busted before, and they were living like kings, and he gets busted again and she acts like a victim. What did she think was happening when she was running around and spending all of that money? That it was falling from the sky? That it was all free? Of course the US Government thought she was in on it- otherwise she would have to be an idiot. Apparently she wrote a book, as well, and it would be interesting to see how she explains away how stupid their reaction to her imprisonment was.
Last point. He blames America for taking his kids away from him (in fact, the book ends with him seeing his little boy for the first time in years) but when he was a free man, he was never home! His wife and kids are barely mentioned. If you add up his travel, he was gone for months at a time. Seriously, his kids are mentioned like ten times the whole book and this is a huge book. Furthermore, when they are mentioned it is almost always "And Judy flew out with the kids and spent the day shopping while I smoked 20 joints. The next day I went to Pakistan for three weeks". Somehow, though, the lack of these children (I didn't even know how many he had until the end of the book) was supposed to pull my heartstrings, I guess.
But the first chunk of book was good- I would suggest putting it down three chapters before the end and walking away, because he goes from being a reasonably nice (if arrogant), mellow guy to a tiresome human being the second he actually has a consequence for his actions over the past twenty years. Reminds me of some of my students, haha.
July 3, 2012
I don't know what streak of idle curiosity possessed me to read about the felonious escapades of 'legendary' (I'd never heard of him) smuggler Howard Marks. Probably the cover photo (what a nice guy, he has puppy dog eyes)and the blurbs, promising a 'frequently hilarious' and 'fascinating story [...] far stronger than fiction'. To be fair, the introduction and first chapters were promising. Then came the wall: page upon page of business as usual, from one successful dope deal to the next, filled with every minute detail possible, including weight of consignment, price and terms, point of entry, partners, contacts, flights, hotels, what he had for dinner that night, how many joints he smoked, etc. etc. etc.... He claims to have been more or less continually stoned or drunk through most of it, so I guess it's an exploit that he actually remembers each scam so clearly. Well, maybe he doesn't and is just filling in the blanks. Either way, it makes no difference. Like any international business, it all comes down to pricing products, making deals, dealing with the locals, and logistics. Not exactly riveting reading.
July 7, 2016
What do I think of this book?
It's excellent. It's actually amazing. Hence the 5 stars.
Yes, the editing of it wasn't the best and there are some technicalities that don't really work but the story itself and the man himself, may Allah have mercy upon his soul, was a goodhearted rebel with a good understanding and sound insight into what is daily imposed on us, the system of opportunity which requires more abilities to master than what we are taught in school.
It's hard to bring forth the world that Howard Marks moved in because even if was Tolstoy himself, it's a world that describes to the smallest detail still wouldn't make any sense to a person working the treadmill, one day after the other. But it's there.
And the insight that Howard Marks brings out with humour and punch is worthwhile reading.
It's a shame this book didn't get more attention but anyone who is tagged by the established system in our world, we are imposed not to care about.
Whether you are a dope smuggler or not doesn't really matter. It's our blindness in judgement that makes us not see that some people are just not born to smile when told to go and fight for their country. Howard Marks was one of them.
This is his story. If read without judgement there is also a story that should touch us all.
Highly recommended, followed by a minute of silence for Howard Marks and good hashish
;)
It's excellent. It's actually amazing. Hence the 5 stars.
Yes, the editing of it wasn't the best and there are some technicalities that don't really work but the story itself and the man himself, may Allah have mercy upon his soul, was a goodhearted rebel with a good understanding and sound insight into what is daily imposed on us, the system of opportunity which requires more abilities to master than what we are taught in school.
It's hard to bring forth the world that Howard Marks moved in because even if was Tolstoy himself, it's a world that describes to the smallest detail still wouldn't make any sense to a person working the treadmill, one day after the other. But it's there.
And the insight that Howard Marks brings out with humour and punch is worthwhile reading.
It's a shame this book didn't get more attention but anyone who is tagged by the established system in our world, we are imposed not to care about.
Whether you are a dope smuggler or not doesn't really matter. It's our blindness in judgement that makes us not see that some people are just not born to smile when told to go and fight for their country. Howard Marks was one of them.
This is his story. If read without judgement there is also a story that should touch us all.
Highly recommended, followed by a minute of silence for Howard Marks and good hashish
;)
January 2, 2012
For a man who likes to mention his famed charisma and Oxford-education at a rate of about once every seven pages (over about five hundred pages) it is startling just how dull and shallow Marks has managed to make this book. Entirely episodic, and almost entirely devoid of opinion or emotion, Marks cranks out page after page of needless detail, and it all starts to become a monotone. Marks completely fails to portray himself as being on any sort of moral crusade or being some sort of folk hero, and makes it quite clear he is really only on an arrogant and blinkered pursuit of cash and status. A self indulgent pseud, Marks expects admiration for all his daring dos, but doesn't fulfill his side of the bargain in this book.
July 1, 2018
Definitely worth 5 stars. I haven’t enjoyed a non fiction book this much for ages. Great book. Who would have thought that an Oxford graduate would become a notorious drug smuggler? Wanted by the DEA and having friends in “low” places didn’t help when it should have. A note to remember for people wanting to read this book: the book I have was published in 1998 and has 466 pages, there are other editions with over 562 pages so they may be updated editions. I may even have to investigate this further.
January 17, 2014
Many years ago I was a volunteer with St John Ambulance (sja) and we would provide first aid cover at many events including the local theater. One evening I received a call asking if I was free and could get to the local theater asap as no-one had turned up. I rang a friend who was also in sja and asked her to get ready and come as well. We had no idea what the show was we were about to see.
Well the show was Mr Nice Live!!! That night was a real eye opener to me. Mr Nice was talking about his life and everything that had happened in it, all about his Cannabis and other drug smuggling exploits, sometimes getting away with it and others getting caught, plus he did a general question and answer sessions at the end. (The theater was green by the end of the night and smelt very funky as Mr Nice was smoking lots of "very long cigarettes"!!!)
I enjoyed the show despite it not being something I would normally go to, and afterwards I bought his book.
I started reading the book straight away and didn't want to put it down. I did have to re-read 2 or 3 times to make sense of it, and after each re-read more of what I had read previously made sense.
The book goes into much more detail than he had in the live show, explaining about how he lived, the people he met and how they were involved, the places he went to, where he was a wanted man, the countries where he was not allowed, all of his "other known names" and so on.
It is written in a very open personal way, his vivid descriptions of some of the events give you a real feel of what his life must have been like. Sometimes fun and others not so, as not knowing what was around the corner. He takes you on a tour of the world and introduces you to a wide variety of people.
If you enjoy reading true stories and are not easily shocked this is worth a read.
Well the show was Mr Nice Live!!! That night was a real eye opener to me. Mr Nice was talking about his life and everything that had happened in it, all about his Cannabis and other drug smuggling exploits, sometimes getting away with it and others getting caught, plus he did a general question and answer sessions at the end. (The theater was green by the end of the night and smelt very funky as Mr Nice was smoking lots of "very long cigarettes"!!!)
I enjoyed the show despite it not being something I would normally go to, and afterwards I bought his book.
I started reading the book straight away and didn't want to put it down. I did have to re-read 2 or 3 times to make sense of it, and after each re-read more of what I had read previously made sense.
The book goes into much more detail than he had in the live show, explaining about how he lived, the people he met and how they were involved, the places he went to, where he was a wanted man, the countries where he was not allowed, all of his "other known names" and so on.
It is written in a very open personal way, his vivid descriptions of some of the events give you a real feel of what his life must have been like. Sometimes fun and others not so, as not knowing what was around the corner. He takes you on a tour of the world and introduces you to a wide variety of people.
If you enjoy reading true stories and are not easily shocked this is worth a read.
November 28, 2012
The cover states " he was Britain's most wanted man. He has just spent seven years in America's toughest penitentiary. You'll like him"
Well, i didn't. He is an intelligent stoner who wants to be mega famous. He name drops and makes exaggerated claims. His wife was distraught when she got arrested, yet was happy spending the money. Boring boring boring. Get a proper life!
Well, i didn't. He is an intelligent stoner who wants to be mega famous. He name drops and makes exaggerated claims. His wife was distraught when she got arrested, yet was happy spending the money. Boring boring boring. Get a proper life!
January 23, 2021
I suppose the thing about an autobiography is that if you don't like the protagonist, you're almost guaranteed to not like how the story is told.
The entire thing reads like a very long summary of a movie plot. Boring, attention seeking and shallow.
But the author comes across as somehow playing the victim, whilst being proud (or at least shameless) about his greed, selfishness and fickle attitude towards the rule of law.
His morale compass (or lack of) makes him very hard to relate to, or sympathise with even during times of apparent hardship. Any sort of resemblance to what would be regarded as a morale principle, seems to revolve around the pursuit of legalising marijuana. And yet, he seems to do very little to actually make this a reality, instead focusing on smuggling and profit seeking. If anything actually damaging the cause that he claims to support.
Generally he comes across as naive saying things like "I didn't expect anyone to get hurt" after someone died from a drug deal going wrong. The entire thing seems like a game to him, with parents, wife, children and friends all coming in as sideshows to the main event.
His occasional witticisms don't come close to making up for the lack of empathy the reader feels throughout this unnecessarily long book.
The entire thing reads like a very long summary of a movie plot. Boring, attention seeking and shallow.
But the author comes across as somehow playing the victim, whilst being proud (or at least shameless) about his greed, selfishness and fickle attitude towards the rule of law.
His morale compass (or lack of) makes him very hard to relate to, or sympathise with even during times of apparent hardship. Any sort of resemblance to what would be regarded as a morale principle, seems to revolve around the pursuit of legalising marijuana. And yet, he seems to do very little to actually make this a reality, instead focusing on smuggling and profit seeking. If anything actually damaging the cause that he claims to support.
Generally he comes across as naive saying things like "I didn't expect anyone to get hurt" after someone died from a drug deal going wrong. The entire thing seems like a game to him, with parents, wife, children and friends all coming in as sideshows to the main event.
His occasional witticisms don't come close to making up for the lack of empathy the reader feels throughout this unnecessarily long book.
July 17, 2012
Cracking good story, well told.
April 20, 2017
Bicycle Day Review! This guy had almost too many adventures. I would have to put the book down and rest because his antics were overwhelming and unceasing. If Howard wasn't going to stop I had to make up for the slack.
December 11, 2010
amusing briefly but to be honest the guy is a bit of a muppet
November 18, 2019
Smoke weed every day.
January 7, 2017
Proof of the fact that Oxford prepares its students for real life. Howard Marks really had f....g high IQ. Respect.
October 14, 2014
Panie Marks jesteś moim bohaterem i nawet jeśli ktoś pomagał ci to pisać to i tak zmieniłeś moje podejście do życia. Wiszę ci skręta!
May 28, 2020
mr nice got high on the regular, which i think is pretty dank. pardon the pun.
February 29, 2012
Very enjoyable book and some of the tales of Mark's exploits had me in stitches, as well as finding it genuinely interesting the way he and his associates dodged custom agents and other law enforcement agencies for so long.
Towards the end of the book I got a little tired of Mark's bluster, reading the book you can see that he is genuinely charming and witty and I am sure many people have great fondness for him, but theres only so many times you can essentially read 'And I walked into a room and by the end of the night was everyones best friend and they all loved me' (A slight over exaggeration but not by much!) before finding the shtick tiring. It spoils the narration as its so over the top sometimes that you find yourself questioning just how much people really did like him instead of just enjoying the stories.
I also got a bit annoyed at his indignation of the American prison system, I am sure it was terrible conditions but he was, regardless of your views on whether weed should be legalized or not, a major international drug smuggler/dealer. He was hardly going to be put up in the Ritz! And one can't help but think if you can't do the time then don't do the crime...
It's a shame because leaving the moral/legal questions behind, it was a greatly entertaining book, but his bitterness over his time in prison seems really at odds with the easy going Mr Nice character that he likes to portray and reveals bit of a darker side of him that spoiled the book for me.
Towards the end of the book I got a little tired of Mark's bluster, reading the book you can see that he is genuinely charming and witty and I am sure many people have great fondness for him, but theres only so many times you can essentially read 'And I walked into a room and by the end of the night was everyones best friend and they all loved me' (A slight over exaggeration but not by much!) before finding the shtick tiring. It spoils the narration as its so over the top sometimes that you find yourself questioning just how much people really did like him instead of just enjoying the stories.
I also got a bit annoyed at his indignation of the American prison system, I am sure it was terrible conditions but he was, regardless of your views on whether weed should be legalized or not, a major international drug smuggler/dealer. He was hardly going to be put up in the Ritz! And one can't help but think if you can't do the time then don't do the crime...
It's a shame because leaving the moral/legal questions behind, it was a greatly entertaining book, but his bitterness over his time in prison seems really at odds with the easy going Mr Nice character that he likes to portray and reveals bit of a darker side of him that spoiled the book for me.
February 3, 2014
This is the best autobiography I have read since _Story of My Life_ by Casanova. Marks reports his observations from his international travels on just the things that interest me. The contradictions he brings up are very funny and often thought provoking. At first I found his tendency for name dropping annoying, then I realized he was a Leo so it was unavoidable. The plus side of Leo is that the delivery of the vernacular in the conversations is phenomenal. Amazingly, for an autobiography, there are no repeats and no tiresome me-me-me focus. Somehow Marks manages to tell his tale without sounding self-centered or apologetic. Sure he made lots of money, mainly because many people value what they want viz. recreational drugs, music, and sports, more than what they need. So drug dealers, top musicians, and top sports stars make way more money than teachers, emergency responders, and public transportation drivers.
Nonetheless, even before the era of high body counts in drug smuggling, Marks certainly earned his pay keeping up with the logistics of each of his deals and continually optimizing his mix of money laundering activities. To appease those who believe in the illegality of his career choice, the narrative is book-ended between his jail sentence, which he magnificently relates with equanimity.
Nonetheless, even before the era of high body counts in drug smuggling, Marks certainly earned his pay keeping up with the logistics of each of his deals and continually optimizing his mix of money laundering activities. To appease those who believe in the illegality of his career choice, the narrative is book-ended between his jail sentence, which he magnificently relates with equanimity.
September 6, 2011
I read this many years ago and remember being mildly disappointed, as I had high hopes. I'd seen Marks interviewed on TV and read various newspaper articles on him; in all of which he cam across as a charismatic, chancer, with an interesting background. A highly intelligent working class lad from the Welsh Valleys who had won a scholarship to an Oxbridge University who went on to lead one of the World's largest Hash smuggling rings. I was looking forward to reading the book.
Unfortunately the book failed to deliver, it was a 100 pages too long and the writing style ground me down to the point I struggled to finish it; it was dull! If Marks is to be believed the international drug smuggling game is like a Boy's Own adventure.
True crime is one one of my guilty pleasures and I will be the first to admit that the majority of it's self glorifying shit (but I do love it so); this certainly falls into that category!
Unfortunately the book failed to deliver, it was a 100 pages too long and the writing style ground me down to the point I struggled to finish it; it was dull! If Marks is to be believed the international drug smuggling game is like a Boy's Own adventure.
True crime is one one of my guilty pleasures and I will be the first to admit that the majority of it's self glorifying shit (but I do love it so); this certainly falls into that category!
July 19, 2009
The problem with updating Goodreads after a two-year absence is that I can't recall the titles of the books I've read, let alone the content. Read this in a holiday cottage in Scotland, while I was meant to be bonding with the family. Salient points: unassuming, well-read teacher gets in with bad lot. Becomes major player in hashish smuggling trade. Felonious japes ensue. Gets caught, goes to jail. Sees error of ways, writes book. Crime doesn't pay! Says H'ard, probably writing from the veranda of his massive house.
December 1, 2018
It was quite interesting but he does come across as a smug git lots of the time. It was a relief when he eventually got caught.
I never got round to reading this when the rest of the world was a decade ago. I had to put it down for a month or so in the middle as it became a little monotonous.
I never got round to reading this when the rest of the world was a decade ago. I had to put it down for a month or so in the middle as it became a little monotonous.
August 16, 2018
DNF. Took too long to get to the good bits. Book needs a good editor. And maybe a better writer.
December 2, 2025
Autobiographies are different to novels - it's usually hard to rate an autobiography where someone is just telling their life story in plain English instead of actively trying to come up with something to entertain the reader. It's easy to rate this though - it's a brilliant story and it's such an interesting and enjoyable read. I don't want to know how much of it is true or not - I loved the characters and the bizarre encounters and especially the bits about Ireland. Marks reflection on prison sentences imposed for drug offences added a lot to this too.
This was 542 pages and my only slight criticism is that I found it hard to read all at once. That's not really a criticism though because there's nothing in the book that I didn't enjoy, I just stalled a few times and found it tricky to keep reading even though it was an absorbing read.
I originally bought this book in 2016 in Cork as a Christmas present for my dad. I read a few chapters then paused due to exams and didn't go back to it until like 2019.. I then took the book with me to Spain and Morocco on holidays and restarted it and got about halfway through, but lost track again. I tried reading it again at some point and remember bringing the book to London with me but I stopped and then didn't pick it up again until 2025.
I restarted the book from scratch in August 2025 and brought it with me on a holiday to Spain and then a longer trip to Kenya. I got beyond the halfway mark when disaster struck and I left my copy of the book in one of the safari lodges in Kenya. Despite the very generous efforts by the staff to get it back to me, it wasn't to be. I came back to Ireland then and said I had to get another copy, which I did and now I have finally finished it. I think Marks would enjoy that one!
This was 542 pages and my only slight criticism is that I found it hard to read all at once. That's not really a criticism though because there's nothing in the book that I didn't enjoy, I just stalled a few times and found it tricky to keep reading even though it was an absorbing read.
I originally bought this book in 2016 in Cork as a Christmas present for my dad. I read a few chapters then paused due to exams and didn't go back to it until like 2019.. I then took the book with me to Spain and Morocco on holidays and restarted it and got about halfway through, but lost track again. I tried reading it again at some point and remember bringing the book to London with me but I stopped and then didn't pick it up again until 2025.
I restarted the book from scratch in August 2025 and brought it with me on a holiday to Spain and then a longer trip to Kenya. I got beyond the halfway mark when disaster struck and I left my copy of the book in one of the safari lodges in Kenya. Despite the very generous efforts by the staff to get it back to me, it wasn't to be. I came back to Ireland then and said I had to get another copy, which I did and now I have finally finished it. I think Marks would enjoy that one!
March 19, 2016
Mr. Nice is the incredible true story of Howard Marks, the famous Welsh dope-smuggler from the the 1980s who had forty-three aliases, eighty-nine phone lines and who owned twenty-five companies throughout the world.
He smuggled a serious amount of weed – up to thirty tonnes, according to the book’s blurb, and he had contacts all over the place, most famously with the IRA although he also knew people at MI6, the CIA and the Mafia.
Sounds like Mr. Nice ain’t so nice, right? Wrong! See, it turns out that Howard Marks is actually a charming guy, and he’s not the sort of drug pusher who would break your legs or burn down your parents’ house while they were asleep in it. He’s just a charming Welshman who doesn’t agree with the law, and so he worked around it.
It’s actually quite a sad story, and it’s told candidly so that you can come to your own conclusions about whether the law was just or not. Personally, I think it could’ve been fairer, but maybe you’ll disagree. Either way, you can’t deny that it’s a rollercoaster ride along the way – so much has happened in Marks’ life that he could quite easily have written a follow-up to this with all of the stuff that he left out.
And it’s interesting to hear about some of his plans and schemes, like when they hid weed in the amplifiers of touring musicians to exploit a loophole in the laws and processes at customs. Of course, he gets his comeuppance in the end, spending seven years of a twenty-five year sentence at Terre Haute Penitentiary in Indiana, one of America’s toughest prisons.
The fact that he was a Brit who got imprisoned America is like an extra touch of irony, because the British police force would’ve loved to have laid hands on him, too. In fact, his eventual arrest causes all kinds of questions to come up, and he’s as much of a political prisoner as anything else. It’s kind of impressive how many governments he managed to annoy, really.
But deep down, Howard Marks just comes across a generally nice guy, a guy who knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to try and do it. I wouldn’t recommend following him in his chosen career path, but if you bump into him at a pub then be sure to buy him a pint.
Unfortunately, you haven’t got long left to do that – at the time of writing, Marks has recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and he’s trying to live out his days by changing the world for the better. An admirable goal for the man who kept Britain stoned for most of a decade.
He smuggled a serious amount of weed – up to thirty tonnes, according to the book’s blurb, and he had contacts all over the place, most famously with the IRA although he also knew people at MI6, the CIA and the Mafia.
Sounds like Mr. Nice ain’t so nice, right? Wrong! See, it turns out that Howard Marks is actually a charming guy, and he’s not the sort of drug pusher who would break your legs or burn down your parents’ house while they were asleep in it. He’s just a charming Welshman who doesn’t agree with the law, and so he worked around it.
It’s actually quite a sad story, and it’s told candidly so that you can come to your own conclusions about whether the law was just or not. Personally, I think it could’ve been fairer, but maybe you’ll disagree. Either way, you can’t deny that it’s a rollercoaster ride along the way – so much has happened in Marks’ life that he could quite easily have written a follow-up to this with all of the stuff that he left out.
And it’s interesting to hear about some of his plans and schemes, like when they hid weed in the amplifiers of touring musicians to exploit a loophole in the laws and processes at customs. Of course, he gets his comeuppance in the end, spending seven years of a twenty-five year sentence at Terre Haute Penitentiary in Indiana, one of America’s toughest prisons.
The fact that he was a Brit who got imprisoned America is like an extra touch of irony, because the British police force would’ve loved to have laid hands on him, too. In fact, his eventual arrest causes all kinds of questions to come up, and he’s as much of a political prisoner as anything else. It’s kind of impressive how many governments he managed to annoy, really.
But deep down, Howard Marks just comes across a generally nice guy, a guy who knows what he wants and isn’t afraid to try and do it. I wouldn’t recommend following him in his chosen career path, but if you bump into him at a pub then be sure to buy him a pint.
Unfortunately, you haven’t got long left to do that – at the time of writing, Marks has recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer, and he’s trying to live out his days by changing the world for the better. An admirable goal for the man who kept Britain stoned for most of a decade.
June 18, 2018
I recall reading this book c. 15 years ago and being much more impressed than 2nd time round. Marks' autobiography details his life as a marijuana smuggler in the mid-80's portraying himself as an all-round "nice" guy whilst trying to convince us that weed (and hash) should be legalised. The book provides good insight into the lifestyle that accompanies a drug smuggler, glamourising the events that occurred, and also providing what, on the face of it, is a startlingly amount of detail on other individuals also involved in this trade.
Unfortunately, whilst Marks' story is interesting it quickly becomes repetitive and the writing certainly doesn't light up the pages. There are, however, some genuinely entertaining passages, most especially those surrounding his dealings with the IRA gun-runner and classic Belfast con-man, Jim McCann, but on the whole not enough to keep it going through its bloated 560-odd pages.
Unfortunately, whilst Marks' story is interesting it quickly becomes repetitive and the writing certainly doesn't light up the pages. There are, however, some genuinely entertaining passages, most especially those surrounding his dealings with the IRA gun-runner and classic Belfast con-man, Jim McCann, but on the whole not enough to keep it going through its bloated 560-odd pages.
August 19, 2010
Very enlightening, witty and enthralling in places. An honest insight into a world most of us will never encounter - neither apologetic nor written as a self-defence. Uncomfortable to read in places, and seems to gloss over parts, but definitely worth sticking with. It's worth remembering that although this book reads a bit like a novel, it is an autobiography, so the end seems a bit abrupt - a worthy excuse for reading Mr. Marks' other books, if only just to find out what happens next.
June 9, 2021
3.5 stars rather than a 3 but hey ho, what can you do with this primitive voting system.
Not a bad book by all accounts, although Marks' rhetoric about the DEA and the US judicial system does make for slightly dull reading when it's the 30th time he repeats it. Not a bad life story at all though, bit long for my tastes, far too many people to even attempt to keep track of who's who, except for a few stand out characters.
Not a bad book by all accounts, although Marks' rhetoric about the DEA and the US judicial system does make for slightly dull reading when it's the 30th time he repeats it. Not a bad life story at all though, bit long for my tastes, far too many people to even attempt to keep track of who's who, except for a few stand out characters.
September 18, 2020
An incredible read, although I felt myself getting a little tired towards the end for some reason I can't put a finger on. There were an awful lot of names and stories within to follow.
What a lad though!
What a lad though!
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