• Blow

  • How a Small-Town Boy Made $100 Million with the Medellín Cocaine Cartel and Lost It All
  • By: Bruce Porter
  • Narrated by: Stephen Bowlby
  • Length: 13 hrs and 44 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (1,197 ratings)

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Blow  By  cover art

Blow

By: Bruce Porter
Narrated by: Stephen Bowlby
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Publisher's summary

Blow is the unlikely story of George Jung's roller-coaster ride from middle-class high school football hero to the heart of Pablo Escobar's Medellín cartel - the largest importer of the United States cocaine supply in the 1980s.

Jung's early business of flying marijuana into the United States from the mountains of Mexico took a dramatic turn when he met Carlos Lehder, a young Colombian car thief with connections to the then newly-born cocaine operation in his native land. Together they created a new model for selling cocaine, turning a drug used primarily by the entertainment elite into a massive and unimaginably lucrative enterprise - one whose earnings, if legal, would have ranked the cocaine business as the sixth-largest private enterprise in the Fortune 500.

The ride came to a screeching halt when DEA agents and Florida police busted Jung with 300 kilos of coke, effectively unraveling his fortune. But George wasn't about to go down alone. He planned to bring down with him one of the biggest cartel figures ever caught.

With a riveting insider account of the lurid world of international drug smuggling and a supercharged drama of one man's meteoric rise and desperate fall, Bruce Porter chronicles Jung's life using unprecedented eyewitness sources in this critically-acclaimed true-crime classic.

©2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc. (P)2017 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

What listeners say about Blow

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Head shaking story!

Amazing the things people will do for money! The movie does not even touch on the full story of George. It’s a great read if you are in to Crime books.

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7 people found this helpful

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Fantastic

Fantastic account of Boston George. A enthralling look at the life of one of the United States most notorious drug smugglers.

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4 people found this helpful

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Great book

I could barely stand listening to the reader not finishing his words although sometimes the lead characters name is George at other times it sounds like “Nore” The book is great though two thumbs up

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great story

as per usual the book is far superior to the movie! story was highly detailed with the exploits of george jung! have recommended to many people and will continue to do so!

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3 people found this helpful

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excellent read very In depth

very very good books I love how's it going to detail how the drug trade works definitely a good read

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2 people found this helpful

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Scary Journey But Sad Ending

The narrators voice was very pleasing and easy to understand the most memorable part in the book was at the end when his dad played the cassette in his car over and over again telling him good bye for the last time from prison very good book very well layed out it becomes more adventurous towards the last 40% of the book.

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Massachusetts residents beware

I’m from this area and I’m really interested in this story, but I can’t listen to this terrible accent. This isn’t how we talk and it makes this audiobook unlistenable.

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A World Shared

As a former undercover narcotics detective, I found this book both riveting and familiar. Thank you....

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Starts slow, but it gets better

I love hearing the true story behind the movie really great book. I enjoyed it so far starts off a little bit slow but it gets way better.

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Enjoyed the movie, loved the book

An excellent reading of the whole drug affair. Readers/listeners get the full scope on the foundations of the drug cartel from unique perspectives.

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  • ross pygall
  • 07-18-18

better than the movie

this was a very easy read. if you liked the movie you will love this.

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  • RussH9
  • 09-27-21

Interesting to an extent but a whole lot of padding

This was in interesting story spoiled by a huge and unnecessary amount of padding. George’s story is fascinating but did I need to spend hours listening to the highlights of every game of college football he played and who is favourite teachers were? Likewise did I need to know about his weird sexual fetishises. Absolutely not.

It’s was a little anticlimactic too. The whole thing unravels quickly and surprisingly easily - there’s no particular drama involved. I can’t believe that in an area of “work” like this, he didn’t get into a few more scrapes/dangerous situations.

If you want to hear this story, I would look for an abridged version.




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  • Robert I.
  • 11-21-18

Great listen

Very good , alot more detail than the movie,excellent from start to finish. Five stars

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  • Anonymous User
  • 10-19-23

Blow

Much better than the film version. Amazing how something so good came to nothing in the end

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  • Tommy Hamilton
  • 03-14-23

I fair enjoyed this.

Excellent book and really informative.

It’s amazing to listen to the story behind how it all started.

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  • Anonymous User
  • 01-26-23

better than the film!

so much more detail than the film offers, clears up loose ends and tells and extremely fascinating story

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  • jenbob
  • 12-18-22

interesting and entertaining.

loved the narrator of this audiobook, he really made the characters, especially George, come to life.

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  • Sallyanne McCrory
  • 12-07-22

Great listen

After enjoying the film so much it was good to have more of an in-depth insight into what went on. I really enjoyed this book.

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  • Anonymous User
  • 07-25-22

Brilliant

The movie is one of my favourites, however, the book is a different level. Obviously with a book, you get far more detail and the story telling is excellent. The narrator of the audiobook does a brilliant job and probably the best narrator of an audiobook I have heard. Its a must listen.

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  • Anonymous User
  • 05-11-22

What a life.

I've not seen the movie. I'm not sure if it does the book justice, but what a crazy life this guy lead. great book.

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  • Bradley n.
  • 10-28-19

What a ride

What a great read. Seen the movie 1st, but loved the book more.
Alot more indepth of course.
This narrator was really good as well with different voices of several characters.

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  • Robbie
  • 09-01-23

A Cracking Yarn.

What a story. Moves along nicely. I found myself taking the long way home so I could hear a bit more.

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  • Troy
  • 06-01-23

The book is always better than the movie!

If you enjoyed the movie than you won’t be disappointed in the book I promise you!

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  • Anonymous User
  • 10-26-22

Good yarn with a few laughs along the way

Pretty crazy times back then by the sounds of things! I found this tale to be very entertaining and had a few laughs along the way.

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  • Kindle Customer
  • 03-02-22

Awesome story.

What a great story! George Jung the master smuggler..Well read and easy to listen to.

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  • Anonymous User
  • 02-10-22

Far better than the movie!

A great story told well.
Interesting how the movie differs from the book in some ways

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    3 out of 5 stars
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  • Chris Williams
  • 10-27-21

This topics been saturated now

It wasn't until I started listening to this that I realised how many books and movies I've watched, read or listened to on this topic.
They're all pretty much as follows...
1. Small time dealer
2. Large scale trafficker
3. Anecdotes of the highlife
3. Busted by the Feds
4. Jail
5. Write a book

I didn't finish this one.

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  • Stev
  • 09-13-20

heralding story with fantastical events...

Amidst the curtain of the US drug war this tells a captivating tale of entrepreneurialship.

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