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Kings of Cocaine: Kings of Cocaine
Traces the rise of the Medellin Cartel and reveals how the organization perfected its smuggling and processing operations
688 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 1989
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744 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
September 11, 2017
The title of this book is somewhat misleading. It doesn't take us "inside the Medellín cartel" but rather it condenses a lot of public knowledge information from newspaper articles, interviews and court records.
The author does not seem to have spent one second "inside the Medellín cartel" or ever having met anyone who did.
The author does not seem to have spent one second "inside the Medellín cartel" or ever having met anyone who did.
September 13, 2012
Great book. Almost read like a fiction thriller.
However, it has one major defect that prevents me from recommending. It is old. 1989 release. A lot has likely changed since then.
Still it was interesting to read how nasty cocaine is and a perspective on how it's trafficking grew.
However, it has one major defect that prevents me from recommending. It is old. 1989 release. A lot has likely changed since then.
Still it was interesting to read how nasty cocaine is and a perspective on how it's trafficking grew.
June 18, 2023
Read the condensed version from the 1989 Readers Digest Best Nonfiction. Started out really interesting, but got tedious quickly when so many of the good guys were slaughtered by the Medellin cartel. But still a good book that sheds light on just how dominant the drug cartels were in Columbia and how bad America’s cocaine addiction was in the 1980’s. Unfortunately, 40 years have passed and the United States still has the same problem albeit with a different and way more potent drug.
April 5, 2020
From the book you can definetely gain additional knowlede on subject matter. Especially if you knew almost nothing before you start reading :))
But my personal rating is 2 out of 5. The book has nothing to do with fiction and detective genre. It feels more like you've read dozens of newspapers in a row. It's also complete lie "Enter the terrifying world of the Colombian Medellin cartel" in annotation. If you want to know something about Medelling cartel - it's better to watch the "Narcos" show by Netflix.
But I repeat that the book is intersting to read if it's your first encounter with Colombian cocaine empire.
But my personal rating is 2 out of 5. The book has nothing to do with fiction and detective genre. It feels more like you've read dozens of newspapers in a row. It's also complete lie "Enter the terrifying world of the Colombian Medellin cartel" in annotation. If you want to know something about Medelling cartel - it's better to watch the "Narcos" show by Netflix.
But I repeat that the book is intersting to read if it's your first encounter with Colombian cocaine empire.
July 22, 2008
Awful writing.
February 12, 2021
(Audiobook) This book is a little dated, but the back story of how South Florida grew into such a hotbed for drug trafficking in the 1980s, as well as how the drug cartels in Colombia grew into such a political and destructive force for that country is very instructive. With drugs, it is so much about money. They bring in so much money that people will do terrible things to control power over making that money. This account is incredibly detailed as Gugliotta was able to get such detailed interviews from key witnesses and players in the drug trade. The War on Drugs did not do so much to dent the market, even if many arrests were made. It also showed the limitations of US power and how weaker governments are unable to stand up to the drug money.
This was written before the eventual death of Pablo Escobar, the fracturing of the Colombian drug gangs and the rise of the Mexican cartels. Yet, the actions of the Colombians and Mexicans were very similar. Men from lower-class backgrounds used their cunning and ruthlessness to rise up the ranks to become arguably the most powerful forces within the countries. It didn't help that the countries (Colombia, Mexico) had weak government structures susceptible to corruption and bribery. Even if there were strong individual leaders that did the right thing and tried to stand up to the cartels and corrupt officials, they were minority and would usually end up betrayed to their deaths.
This book can show how there is some glamour and allure in the drug trade, but it quickly shows the violence, the short lifespan of the participants (or their eventual long-term incarceration) and the dangers of the products they trafficked in. It reflects very poorly on the US, as that is where the money and business is, and the money is way too powerful to resist.
Overall, a good historic read. Much of the information is dated, but it offers insight into how cocaine became such big business in the country.
This was written before the eventual death of Pablo Escobar, the fracturing of the Colombian drug gangs and the rise of the Mexican cartels. Yet, the actions of the Colombians and Mexicans were very similar. Men from lower-class backgrounds used their cunning and ruthlessness to rise up the ranks to become arguably the most powerful forces within the countries. It didn't help that the countries (Colombia, Mexico) had weak government structures susceptible to corruption and bribery. Even if there were strong individual leaders that did the right thing and tried to stand up to the cartels and corrupt officials, they were minority and would usually end up betrayed to their deaths.
This book can show how there is some glamour and allure in the drug trade, but it quickly shows the violence, the short lifespan of the participants (or their eventual long-term incarceration) and the dangers of the products they trafficked in. It reflects very poorly on the US, as that is where the money and business is, and the money is way too powerful to resist.
Overall, a good historic read. Much of the information is dated, but it offers insight into how cocaine became such big business in the country.
September 17, 2025
Drug culture is my favourite genre and I’ve read dozens of books on it. This book gives a great chronology but I can’t help but feel it was a bit of a propaganda piece. I’ve read so many first hand accounts of the CIA, Clinton’s, Bush etc being tied into the drug trade and this book spins it the other way. Anyone who’s read Smuggler by Roger Reeves knows what I’m talking about.
This book is very informative, but there was something about it which didn’t sit right.
This book is very informative, but there was something about it which didn’t sit right.
August 28, 2019
Well written account of the illegal cocaine trade. This is an above average True Crime story. It is a little long and detailed. You have to really be interested in the subject matter to get through this book.
July 17, 2019
Great history of the Colombian drug cartels. Especially liked the tie to American politics/law enforcement.
April 9, 2020
Good book. Lots of grammatical errors. Very interesting and talks about some other characters bother than Escobar.
Good read. Recommend it.
Good read. Recommend it.
July 9, 2023
Felt a bit long, I was ready for it to be over. So many names to keep track of. But informative.
February 16, 2025
Narcos on paper
July 3, 2017
Excellent journalistic recounting of the main events and persons in the US, Nicaragua and Colombia concerning the drug trade. The focus is on the Medellín Cartel, the antinarcotics unit of Jaime Ramírez in Bogotá, the cooperation with US authorities, and the hunt for Carlos Lehder. The book starts out with the Miami Dadeland Mall shootings, then takes you to the friendship of George Jung (yeah, you saw him through Johnny Depp's eyes in Blow) and Lehder. The authors take the reader on Lehder's journey in the US, the Bahamas and Colombia.
Numerous key people are accounted for and, as far as I could tell, the information is correct: pilot Barry Seal, DEA agent in Bogotá Johnny Phelps, Minister of Justice Rodrigo Lara Bonilla, General Noriega and, of course, the Ochoas, Escobar, and the list goes on. The Cali Cartel is for the most part left out, but this is about Medellín.
It is a must-read for anyone interested in or studying the drug trade in Colombia. The very detailed book was published in 1989, so look elsewhere for later events, yet look no further for a great primer on the early Kings of Cocaine.
Numerous key people are accounted for and, as far as I could tell, the information is correct: pilot Barry Seal, DEA agent in Bogotá Johnny Phelps, Minister of Justice Rodrigo Lara Bonilla, General Noriega and, of course, the Ochoas, Escobar, and the list goes on. The Cali Cartel is for the most part left out, but this is about Medellín.
It is a must-read for anyone interested in or studying the drug trade in Colombia. The very detailed book was published in 1989, so look elsewhere for later events, yet look no further for a great primer on the early Kings of Cocaine.
October 29, 2015
Was recommended this one not long after Narcos premiered on Netflix with Gugliotta's book being cited as one of the main influences on the screenplay for the series. I certainly was not disappointed. A fascinating read that tracks the rise of the Columbian drug industry (focusing primarily on the Medellin Cartel, with some references to Cali) and how men like Pablo Escobar and the Ochoa brothers oversaw it's growth. Detailed, fascinating portrayals of government agents, cartel assasins, DEA informants and all levels of Columbian law enforcement help paint a total picture of the industry and the era. The only complaint that I have about the book is that it ends too soon, essentially where season one of Narcos left off. For anyone who has read Killing Pablo (spoiler alert, they kill Pablo - it's right there in the title) many of fascinating stories of his cat and mouse game with the Columbian government are not present - or took place after the close of the narrative. In all, an engrossing, recommended read
July 15, 2014
Though presented in simple and straight-forward journalistic prose, I found the book quite gripping. The rise of the Medellin cartel in the 1980's and the bribery and barbarities it committed to expand and protect its position was staggering. In Colombia alone, they assassinated the justice minister in '84 ... got half the Supreme Court killed in the Palace of Justice siege in '85 ... and in '88 killed the attorney general. Though the book was published in 1989 (before leading drug baron Pablo Escobar was killed in '93), I was very glad I read it given the great amount of detail provided. After traveling through Colombia, it has definitely given me a greater appreciation for the terrible trials and tribulations this country has been through.
September 26, 2015
Best history of cocaine I've ever read
A borderline-infuriatingly readable book; I'd pop by to knock out a chapter and end up in the book's grip all over again. Also probably the best account of Barry Seal's life ever written; he's one of the most interesting characters from the era, but because he predates the internet he's impossible to learn anything new about - or so I thought until I read this book.
A borderline-infuriatingly readable book; I'd pop by to knock out a chapter and end up in the book's grip all over again. Also probably the best account of Barry Seal's life ever written; he's one of the most interesting characters from the era, but because he predates the internet he's impossible to learn anything new about - or so I thought until I read this book.
September 23, 2008
I don't think any criminal organization ever topped the Medellin cartel in chutzpah, power or money. It was silver or lead -- they bought you off or killed you. They assassinated police officers and journalists. They attacked the Supreme Court building in Colombia. They killed many thousands. Pablo Escobar was one of the wealthiest men in the world.
May 10, 2008
A riveting account of the history and "current" (1990) activities of the Medellin drug cartel in Colombia. I was amazed at the phenomenal amount of money involved...easily a small country's worth of green.
April 22, 2010
The definitive study on the Carlos Lederer cocaine smuggling operation. The authors connect him with the Medallin Drug Cartel; but their coverage of the Cartel itself is less specific and detailed.
January 12, 2013
Worst writing ever. Good content, but the most uninteresting storytelling I've ever read. I couldn't even finish the book. I used to sit at my pool reading for hours every weekend and I gave this book many chances when I had nothing else to do BUT read, before just giving up.
June 25, 2014
Read this doing some research for a novel. Being born and raised in Miami (born in '83) it was almost surreal to read about all this stuff that was going on in the city before and right after I was born. Really eye opening and entertaining.
October 21, 2012
Great book that methodically walks you through the berth of the cocaine cartels without boring you. Well researched and very well written.
March 3, 2020
A very interesting read
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews