Cocaine Cowboys by Nicola Tallant is the story of the criminals behind Ireland's Cocaine epidemic from the initial rather amateurish efforts of seaborne smugglers to the vicious internecine battles between gangs of violent criminals that rage to this day. This is a fascinating,and brutal, story that tells of the violent people behind the supply of what has almost become a socially acceptable ,if still illegal,drug in Ireland. With pub,club and party-goers now seeing a bit of "Daz Automatic" as part of a night out most don't realise that they're supporting gangsters,terrorists and paramilitaries prepared to,as they've often proved, murder anyone who gets in their way to protect their profits.

This is very well-written book that will be an eye-opener to most outside of Ireland with the battles between drug gangs all over the country from Dublin to small rural towns sounding like more like events during Prohibition era America. It's also bang up date, describing the ongoing violent scrambling by ,"literally", young guns to take over from the Kinahan organised crime gang, under pressure and in exile in Dubai.

An excellent true crime book that shows the reality behind what many now see as a weekend treat that in reality has spawned a major health issue, fuelled corruption and an epidemic of bloody and vicious killing.