''American Desperado'' is a 2011 book written by journalist Evan Wright and drug smuggler Jon Roberts, a subject of the 2006 documentary '' Cocaine Cowboys''.

Synopsis

''American Desperado'' is the reminiscences of Jon Roberts (born John Riccobono), connected together by biographical sections written by co-author Evan Wright.

Reviews

Doug Stanton, wrote, "Imagine if Mister Kurtz from '' Heart of Darkness'' sat down with Dick Cavett for a little chat about the nature of good and evil, empathy, fatherhood, violence, drugs, power, self-knowledge, women, family, the hero versus the anti-hero, freedom, imprisonment... Reading ''American Desperado'' is like being in a sumptuous ballroom somewhere and somebody lets loose a cobra across the cold, shiny floor – ‘Oops, there it goes, watch the hell out!’ Jon Roberts, the hero/anti-hero of this tale, is a shape-shifter: you can't really draw a bead on him even though his voice and Evan Wright's voice are singular and bell-clear; the story is a giant pane of smoked glass the color of silver and violet, and the story seems to change colors as you read. What is true is that, try as you might, you can't really put this book down."Amazon.com: American Desperado: My Life-From Mafia Soldier to Cocaine Cowboy to Secret Government Asset (9780307450425): Jon Roberts, Evan Wright: Books
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Jerry Stahl Jerry Stahl (born September 28, 1953) is an American novelist and screenwriter. His works include the 1995 memoir of addiction ''Permanent Midnight''. A 1998 film adaptation followed with Ben Stiller in the lead role. Stahl has worked extensivel ...

described it: "''American Desperado'' is the first great crime book of the 21st Century. Dangerous, darkly hilarious, hair-raising, and terrifically written, Wright's prose spills over with the kind of insane, brilliantly rendered detail and dialogue that make you want to call people at four in the morning and read out loud. Imagine a literary mash-up of Capote and

Carl Hiaasen Carl Hiaasen (; born March 12, 1953) is an American journalist and novelist. He began his career as a newspaper reporter and by the late 1970s had begun writing novels in his spare time, both for adults and for young-adult readers. Two of his no ...

Joan Didion Joan Didion (; December 5, 1934 – December 23, 2021) was an American writer. Along with Tom Wolfe, Hunter S. Thompson and Gay Talese, she is considered one of the pioneers of New Journalism. Didion's career began in the 1950s after she won ...

and Elmore Leonard - with something all the author's own: the heart and guts to place himself in the real-life world of non-stop menace and imminent violence, riding side by side with a killer so matter-of-fact vicious that murder itself is as unremarkable as the tasty breakfasts he loves to cook for houseguests. Fans wondering how Evan Wright would top himself after his balls-out performance in the Iraq War classic ''

Generation Kill ''Generation Kill'' is a 2004 book written by ''Rolling Stone'' journalist Evan Wright chronicling his experience as an embedded reporter with the 1st Reconnaissance Battalion of the United States Marine Corps, during the 2003 invasion of Iraq. ...

'' can rest assured. In this portrait of the original Cocaine Cowboy, Wright has once again walked in the shadow of death and emerged, not just alive, but with a story so compelling, so flat-out, what-happens-next riveting you can forget about sleeping, eating or talking to loved ones until you claw your way to the last indelible page... How fearless and brilliant a writer is Evan Wright? If

Hemingway Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century fi ...

were alive, he'd probably want to punch him in the face. "

Controversies

A 2009 '' Miami New Times'' article reported that Jon Roberts worked for a time as a police informant, quoted court records indicating Roberts assaulted and injured several police officers after he had claimed to have renounced crime and noted an arrest for domestic violence. The article also includes threats Roberts made to the reporter who interviewed him."Jon Roberts: Cracked Cowboy" - Page 1 - News - Miami - ''Miami New Times''
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References

{{reflist 2011 non-fiction books American non-fiction books Organized crime memoirs Non-fiction books about drug traffickers Collaborative non-fiction books Crown Publishing Group books