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Smuggler's Blues
- A True Story of the Hippie Mafia
- Narrated by: Richard Stratton
- Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins
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Smuggler's Blues
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Summary
Goodfellas meets Savages meets Catch Me If You Can in this true tale of high-stakes smuggling from pot's outlaw years.
Richard Stratton was the unlikeliest of kingpins. A clean-cut Wellesley boy who entered outlaw culture on a trip to Mexico, he saw his search for a joint morph into a thrill-filled dope run, smuggling two kilos across the border in his car door. He became a member of the Hippie Mafia, traveling the world to keep America high, living the underground life while embracing the hippie credo, rejecting hard drugs in favor of marijuana and hashish.
With cameos by Whitey Bulger and Norman Mailer, Smuggler's Blues tells Stratton's adventure while centering on his last years as he travels from New York to Lebanon's Bekaa Valley to source and smuggle high-grade hash in the midst of civil war, from the Caribbean to the backwoods of Maine, and from the Chelsea Hotel to the Plaza as his fortunes rise and fall. All the while he is being pursued by his nemesis, a philosophical DEA agent who respects him for his good business practices.
A true-crime story that sounds like fiction, Smuggler's Blues is a psychedelic road trip through international drug smuggling, the hippie underground, and the war on weed. As Big Marijuana emerges, it brings to vivid life an important chapter in pot's cultural history.
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What listeners say about Smuggler's Blues
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- EMANON
- 18-10-21
Riveting story
I really liked it, I couldn't sleep one night and started to listen to this book and it just gripped me. I just like listening to people who live life on their own terms and the perils and pitfalls, lessons and of course rewards they experience from living their own lives, and not a life borrowed from another. This is what attracted me to the book, I don't so much care for the 9-5 life myself to be fair so maybe this is one reason I was drawn to this mans story. It also fascinates me as a psychology graduate what is behind such extremes of human behaviour and such high levels of risk taking. What drives people like this? I think the author does a good job of revealing this inner 'angst' so to speak, to shed light on what drove him forwards each day. The story was more than enough to amuse and entertain me for 8 hours anyhow! Great listening. Bravo sir! Bravo!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- alexander hill
- 12-12-22
Great story, Great writing. Great narration. loved it.
Great story, Great writing. Great narration. loved it.
why must i type another 15 words?
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 11-05-22
A good read
The book starts off well, then feels a bit rushed and empty towards the end. Still a good story and worth a listen.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Marcus Goat
- 29-12-21
Black Hash
Excellent tale of days passed
When hippies sold drugs and not gangsters
Truly enjoyable folklore
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Nick Ford
- 20-11-21
A great story, well told
Awesome insight into another time. Many thanks Richard - I hope you have found peace
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- michael fahy
- 18-08-22
Great old romp !
really enjoyed his tales of decadence and deborchery!
assume this is sequel in the slammer !
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- GC
- 31-10-23
Captivating
The Authors narration style and delivery makes this ‘Outlaw’ story all the more intriguing. An open and frank exposure of one mans obsession with the excitement, danger and financial reward in obtaining and supplying drugs internationally. A worthy listen. Richard Strattons Ted Talk post his ‘adventure’ compliments this book perfectly. Certainly one of the most entertaining books that I have listened to.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Peach Pitba
- 19-10-23
Loved it! What an attitude with integrity
Love this guys integrity and belief in his morals. Great story well written and performed.
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Mr Jamie Whitehouse
- 04-01-19
Like a bad Mills and Boon novel at times
To say this story is about a hard nosed drug smuggler some of the flowery language involved made me nauseous at times. Why use five words when 45 will do?
The story itself is quite good but it should have just stuck to the facts rather than the self-indulgent words used.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- DEANO
- 06-11-21
Went to pot
Started off really good, sounded like a true story but half way thru started to feel like I was listening too some sort of fiction. Shame really as I was enjoying it.
Don’t let me put you off tho, narration was good.
DEANO
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