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As you’re planning your upcoming summer vacation, it’s time to consider which books you’ll be bringing along.
I’ve got two suggestions for you.
No, you won’t find Theo of Golden, anything involving dragons, or any titles by Elin Hilderbrand about Nantucket.
However, if you’re interested in understanding the history, culture, economics, and power structures that shaped much of Latin America today, you’ll enjoy these two books.
A fair warning: Neither is exactly a beach read. Unless your idea of a beach read involves cartel kingpins, political corruption, and the occasional collapse of government.
In that case, you’re in luck.
Killing Pablo by Mark Bowden
If you’ve heard of the legendary Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar but mainly from Narcos on Netflix, start here.
Written by Mark Bowden, the author of Black Hawk Down(also great), this guy knows how to write nonfiction that has the pace of a thriller.
Killing Pablo tells the story of Escobar’s rise, bloody reign, and eventual transformation into a parallel government—capturing enough money and influence to challenge the Colombian state itself—and then declare war on it.
That’s right. Escobar declared war on his home country and, for some time, was winning the fight.
It’s a story of how one man—fueled by ego, power, and money—can reshape an entire country. It’s also a lesson in leadership, incentives, corruption, and the unintended consequences that ripple across generations.
Understanding Escobar helps explain much of the modern conversation around narcotics, migration, and U.S. political engagement throughout South America—including the recent Maduro capture from Venezuela.
Gangster Warlords by Ioan Grillo
If Killing Pablo explains the rise of the modern drug trade, Gangster Warlords helps explain what happened next.
Journalist Ioan Grillo examines how narcos evolved across Mexico, Brazil, Jamaica, and Central America, creating new forms of power that challenge the legitimate governments supposedly leading the countries in which they operate.
If you’re interested in the context behind today’s headlines—from Mexican cartel violence to mass migration to the role of oil—this book gives you the map everyone in Washington pretends doesn’t exist.
Now, if you’re looking to disconnect from the world’s chaos with a feel-good read on the beach, I’d suggest packing something a bit lighter too, just in case.
Maybe Theo of Golden?
Everyone is raving about it.
Read well.
Travel safe.
We’ll see you back here in two weeks.
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