El Chapo

The Story of the World’s Most Notorious Drug Lord

By: Terry Burrows

Narrated by: Mack Gordon

The diminutive Joaquín Guzmán Loera, known universally by his nickname of "El Chapo" ("Shorty" in Spanish), is the highest-profile narco-terrorist since the demise of Pablo Escobar in the 1990s. Loera began work at the age of nine as a gomero—a farmhand harvesting opium—and as he grew up he shot and murdered his way to the top, strewing corpses in his wake.

In 2009, he made the Forbes annual billionaires list and before his capture by Mexican marines in 2016 the Sinaloa cartel which he commanded was turning over more than $11 billion in annual sales to North America, supplying more than 10 per cent of all illegal narcotics used on that continent. He became Public Enemy Number One in the USA. This is his story.

©2020 Arcturus Holdings Limited (P)2022 Arcturus Publishing & ID Audio

The rise and fall of El Chapo

Burrows chronicles the life of the one most feared drug lords, yet was seen as a hero figure to many in Mexico. The former Sinaloa Cartel leader was viewed by some as providing work, food and toys, south of the border. Along the way, Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán became a billionaire. The author outlines the lack of education, poverty, and the drug culture he was born in to. "El Chapo" provides astonishing tales of lax prison life, including wild parties, drinking, and conjugal visits. In the height of corruption, Burrows shows how El Chapo basically bought his way out of prison. Despite some of his early times being clouded in mystery, Burrows does a spot on job of profiling his rise up the cartel ranks, to ultimately being incarcerated for life.

Nothing new

Not particularly mindblowing
Other books have been written on the subject which are more comprehensive and interesting.
It was not read very well either with some questionable pronunciations