Finished Th 1/7/16 (After Crown at Westside Dental)
I've owned this hardback for may years, and I'm sure that I've read it before.
The Genesis of this non-fiction book-
"In February 1974 at the Algonquin Hotel in New York, Robert Sabbag was introduced to smuggler Charles Forsman, who was on trial at the time, and agreed to write a book about his exploits"
It's the story of Zachary Swan III (false name for Charles Fosmon),.. The Gentleman Smuggler. He's hip and fashionable, rich 70's guy.
College educated; military background- Marines
Worked in the Advertising Game. Graphic Artist/Printing.
The non-fiction account begins with his bust in Amagansett in October, 1972. Then, flashbacks to his entry into the Smuggling Game and back to his exit. First in Marijuana, then to Cocaine. Less volume, weight..... much more profit.
Drug Glossary at the end of the book is interesting.
Straight forward narrative, but the characters are not that well developed and hard to keep straight. Several of the ancillary characters were worthy of novels. Not enough development to keep them all straight.
An interesting look at the dope game in the early 70's, but this is almost a half century ago and the laws and social attitudes are drastically changed.
This morning I watched the first episode of a new series about the recent change in Colorado's laws about selling and using marijuana- ' High Profits'.... I wonder what Zachary Swan (or the real guy) would have thought of this in 1972, or what anyone might have thought in 1972? Big Change or Not So Much....I think that I would have thought that pot would be totally legal by 2016, over 45 years later.
Worth a look.
The author's page in wikipedia-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Sabbag
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