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Ballad of the Whiskey Robber Julian Rubinstein

Ballad of the Whiskey Robber By Julian Rubinstein

Ballad of the Whiskey Robber by Julian Rubinstein

Reviews:
$33.99
Condition - Good
Only 1 left
Good

Summary

A true-life screwball Ealing Comedy caper set in the twilight of the Eastern bloc

Ballad of the Whiskey Robber Summary

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

What do you get when you add together a bottle of whiskey, a bad gambler, a flea-market wig, a plastic gun and a Hungarian bank? $5,900. And what do you get twenty-nine of these robberies later? The legend of the Whiskey Robber.

When the Eastern bloc thawed, some extraordinary stories were revealed. But none is as entertaining as this. Attila Ambrus escaped late-eighties Romania for Hungary, but soon found that living on his wits wasn't getting him very far. Becoming goalie for a third-division ice hockey team brought no fortune and little glory, and his procession of moneymaking ruses fared little better - until he discovered robbery.

With a supporting cast of car-wash owners, exotic dancers, drunk army generals and cocaine-snorting Hungarian rappers, Julian Rubinstein's tale is a spectacular debut, immortalizing the most charming outlaw since the Sundance Kid.

Ballad of the Whiskey Robber Reviews

'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 *
Rubinstein has found a story of the sort that would make even the most dry-mouthed journalist slobber. Sometimes sad, often hilarious and always absurd, Ambrus's tale microcomsically condenses the politico-historic oddities into one entertaining and fairly tidy narrative.With a keen eye for the ridiculous, fearlessly high-speed prose and an extraordinary wealth of reported detail, Rubinstein conducts the affair like an unusually thoughtful carnival barker. * New York Times *
[The book] got fantastic reviews in the US on publication . . . I am sure it will have a similar success here. * Bookseller *
Outrageously entertaining * San Francisco Chronicle *
An instant classic * Globe & Mail (Canada) *
A fast-paced and exquisitely detailed true-crime lark * Outside *
Punchy, hilarious, and apparently even true ... truth can be better than fiction * Gary Shteyngart, author of The Russian Debutant *
'Fabulous stuff.' * The Times, Ross Leckie *
'Stories abound of Eastern Europe slipping off its communist skin and slipping on leopard-skin hot pants, but it's a story like this that really screws in the light bulbs.' * tangled-web.co.uk *
'Forget girlie pony stories - this is the passionate adventure of taming a wild horse in the red dust and rugged terrain of the Australian outback.' * Good Housekeeping *

About Julian Rubinstein

Julian Rubinstein has written for the New York Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, Details, Sports Illustrated, Salon, and other publications. His work has been selected for the Best American Crime Writing anthology and has been cited twice by the Best American Sports Writing. Raised in Denver, he now lives in New York. This is his first book.

Additional information

GOR003228877
9780719563058
0719563054
Ballad of the Whiskey Robber: A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives, and Broken Hearts by Julian Rubinstein
Julian Rubinstein
Used - Good
Paperback
John Murray Press
20060605
336
N/A
Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
This is a used book - there is no escaping the fact it has been read by someone else and it will show signs of wear and previous use. Overall we expect it to be in good condition, but if you are not entirely satisfied please get in touch with us

Customer Reviews - Ballad of the Whiskey Robber