Ballad of the Whiskey Robber: A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives, and Broken Hearts

Rubinstein, Julian

ISBN 10: 0316071676 / ISBN 13: 9780316071673

Published by Little, Brown and Company, New York, 2004

About this Item

Glued binding. Paper over boards. ix, [3], 319, [5] p. Illustrations. Maps. Cast of Characters. From Wikipedia: "Julian Rubinstein (b. 1968) is an award-winning journalist, author, producer and adjunct professor of journalism at Columbia University. Rubinstein was born in the Bronx and grew up in Denver. His book Ballad of the Whiskey Robber, published in 2004, is about the Hungarian bank robber and folk hero Attila Ambrus. The book won Borders' 2004 "Original Voices" Non-fiction Book Prize and was a finalist for the 2005 Edgar Allan Poe Award and the 2005 Anthony Award. Warner Bros. and Johnny Depp optioned the book for a film. Rubinstein has written for The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, The Washington Post, Sports Illustrated, Details, Travel + Leisure, Salon, Outside and other publications. His work has been selected for the Best American Crime Writing anthology, The Best American Essays, and twice by The Best American Sports Writing." Very good in very good dust jacket. Signed by author. Inscription on T-p. Seller Inventory # 69661

Bibliographic Details

Title: Ballad of the Whiskey Robber: A True Story ...

Publisher: Little, Brown and Company, New York

Publication Date: 2004

Binding: Hardcover

Illustrator: Ward, Jeffrey (Map)

Signed: Signed by Author(s)

Edition: First edition. First printing [stated].

About this title

Synopsis:

Follows the misadventures of Budapest bank robber Attila Ambrus, who struggled in his pursuit of women and a career as an untalented hockey goaltender before taking up crime, and profiles the investigators assigned to his case.

Review:

'The pace, ingenuity and comical sense of the absurd deployed to tell the story of ice hockey player and bank robber Attila Ambrus make this book read like a novel. But Attila Ambrus is real ... his extraordinary story is told here with a hint of Louis de Bernieres and a lot of panache.' (Daily Mail)

'(A) punchy, preposterous tale of a cut-price Sundance Kid of the Eastern bloc ... Rubinstein relishes every misstep taken by his anti-hero on the way to a long sentence.' (The Times)

'More than a hint of Wild West in the cops-and-robbers tale adds pace to this thoroughly researched book.' (Sunday Times Travel Magazine)

'Those who shy away from the "true crime" section of the bookshop . . . may nevertheless like to try Ballad of the Whiskey Robber . . . I particularly enjoyed Rubinstein's descriptions of the hapless cops . . . funny . . . the book is entirely free of schmaltz, which allows some unexpectedly tender moments' (Daily Telegraph)

'A funny and thrilling slice of modern history, told with all the charm of Butch and Sundance's flamboyant escapades.' (Independent)

'An extraordinary story ... told here with a hint of Louis de Bernieres and a lot of panache.' (Daily Mail)

'An hilarious, absurd parable for our times' (Word)

'A true caper of burglaries and broken hearts in the Eastern bloc' (Wanderlust)

This stuff just can't be made up (Maxim)

One of the quirkiest and most riveting narratives. Weirdness has never been so winning (Elle)