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Drug Wars
- The Terrifying Inside Story of Britain’s Drug Trade
- Narrated by: Neil Woods
- Length: 11 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, True Crime
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Summary
Random House presents the audiobook edition of Drug Wars by Neil Woods and J S Rafaeli, read by Neil Woods.
To know the true story behind a war, ask the people who fought it.
'An observation van is running surveillance on a high-level Bradford gangster. Suddenly the van is surrounded by men in balaclavas and tied shut. Out comes the can of petrol. It is set alight, and the two cops inside barely escape with their lives. This incident is never reported. The gangsters clearly have informants inside the police, and alerting the public would undermine the force. Everyone shrugs it off - with so much money in the drugs game, corruption is part and parcel of the whole deal.'
From the best-selling author of Good Cop Bad War, Neil Woods, comes the first inside history of Britain’s war on drugs told by those who were there.
Calling upon the gripping firsthand accounts from those on both sides of the battle - the cops and the gangsters - as well as Neil Woods' experiences as an undercover drugs detective, Drug Wars will build a complex, authentic and terrifying picture of the reality of the drug war in Britain.
Beginning with the Misuse of Drugs Act in 1971, we watch decades of violence, racial tension, organised crime and a monumental increase in addiction unfold. We see the birth of rave music and dance culture and yet even more tabloid hysteria. And throughout, we look at the huge numbers of civilians that have fallen victim to Britain’s war on drugs.
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What listeners say about Drug Wars
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- SimonTilton
- 30-12-19
Political statement NOT an interesting insight. Expected interesting frontline anecdotes. Nothing at all like that.
As someone who enjoys crime and and gang etc type true books I was looking forward to this. Unfortunately what I got was basically a left wing manifesto of how every drug user is a victim and how austerity and the tories are too blame.
Not a book I could recommend as in my opinion it’s content doesn’t match its marketing.
10 people found this helpful
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Overall
- Kindle Customer
- 15-01-19
1st class read
Excellent and lucid book on the drug wars in the UK and the sheer incompetence of decision makers to get their heads around the subject. Highly recommended.
5 people found this helpful
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- James N Tweedie
- 06-08-20
Should be mandatory!
Compelling, horrifying, maddening and fascinating. An incredible book. I'm going to send a copy to my MP.
3 people found this helpful
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- Jim Vaughan
- 18-11-20
Why the War on Drugs is Evil
This is the shocking first hand reality of how the “War on Drugs” ruins lives, spreads addiction, corrupts police and pumps billions of dollars into organised crime - told by an ex-undercover Drug Squad officer. The smarter the police get, the nastier the criminals must become. This is the tragic story of how the humane and pragmatic “British System” was pushed out and replaced with US prohibition and criminalisation in the fight against drugs, and how that has spectacularly backfired. The “Just say no” architects of prohibition, as well as the tabloid press who fan the flames of moral panic, have serious blood on their hands. Ironically, it is from within the police themselves, that the greatest hope for a return to the British System style of harm reduction comes. Where it’s been tried (often out of police budgets), crime rates have plummeted.
I read this after reading “Good Cop, Bad War” by the same authors, which is also an excellent book, as an account of Neil Woods time as an undercover drug squad officer. If you like true stories of daring and danger, I also really recommend it.
2 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 10-05-20
Great read.
A great insight into many aspects of drug culture and also the methods of corruption within the police. An outstanding read/listen.
2 people found this helpful
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- Rambo
- 06-04-19
Remarkable read.
so interesting, thought it might be a bit dry but it is a fascinating read.
2 people found this helpful
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- paul hadfeild
- 22-10-20
a good read
This is a book i wish the people who make the law would read .So many wasted lives and the solutions are staring us in the face .It's scary just how corrupt the police are .
1 person found this helpful
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- Dave morgan
- 28-04-20
decent!!!
interesting to hear from both sides regarding how it came about and realising that the current drug epidemic that has swept the country was caused by the police themselves and the government
1 person found this helpful
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- PD 5570
- 20-02-20
Good Read
A little slow to start but it picks up. Not as good as his other book.
1 person found this helpful
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- Jamie Read
- 10-01-20
Drug wars, more of a history
I’m sure this book would have been a bit better if someone who wasn’t so mono tone reading it. Sorry but this book sent me to sleep
1 person found this helpful