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Killing Pablo
- The Hunt for the World's Greatest Outlaw
- Narrated by: Mark Bowden
- Length: 5 hrs and 52 mins
- Categories: Biographies & Memoirs, True Crime
Non-member price: $29.19
Publisher's Summary
Over the coming days and weeks, the United States launched a joint military and intelligence operation with the Colombian government, assembling a team of expert personnel and an arsenal of state-of-the-art weaponry and surveillance technology the likes of which the world had never seen. Their mission: to track down Pablo.
But this time, they knew it would not be enough to just capture Escobar. This time, they would have to finish the job. This time, they were going to kill him.
Critic Reviews
"A gripping investigation...fascinating." (Booklist)
"Bowden hits another home run..." (Publishers Weekly)
"A master of narrative journalism." (The New York Times Book Review)
More from the same
What listeners say about Killing Pablo
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Hank
- 09-04-2019
Very interesting
Having had no real understanding of the problem of drug cartels and their involvement in violent crimes to protect their business and punish energies; this true story was a real education on the complexity of relationships and activities of all the players involved; including American intelligence, American special forces, Columbian military, Pablo's militia, rebel militias; and the government administrations in Washington and Bogota. Very interesting read.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 26-03-2019
Absolutely Brilliant
There was never a dull moment. It was brilliantly written, informative, engageing and well read.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Graham Perth Western Australia
- 04-02-2019
If you like true stories, you’ll love this.
Wonderfully researched and narrated by the author this story left me saddened by its inevitable truth that the fight against corruption and evil will continue. Western civilisation is in big trouble.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Bob
- 25-03-2003
Relevant Accessible History
As somebody who uses Audible to make my commute bearable, I have the tendency to gravitate mostly towards mindless fiction to make the time pass... and base my reviews primarily on how successful books do with that criteria.
That being said... this is a book that isn't mindless, but still kept me captivated. It's a facinating look into both American policies in Central America as well as techniques that are used in tracking people. I have thought about this book frequently during the recent hunts for Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. I was very surprised how hit-and-miss the technologies seem to be.
The author does a good job in presenting the details of the situations without making personal judgement on the characters involved, but does so in a manner that isn't school-bookish.
Well done.
31 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Nicktirebiter
- 23-03-2004
4 Stars - Really Gripping Story
This is a story worthy of Robert Ludlum or Elmore Leonard. Intrigue, deception, suspense, global politics and fantasy -- plus it's actually true! Provides a wild inside view to the cocaine trade, Columbian politics and the bizarre world that money can create. Pablo emerges as an almost mythic figure, on the one hand revered by his associates and public, and on the other a frighteningly brutal indescriminate killer. Without giving away the story, I'll tell you that there are real parallels with the Elliot Ness story of the untouchables. A great read (listen).
7 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- JustThisGuyYouKnow
- 09-04-2004
Almost too scary to be true
Mark Bowden's writing on the modern history of Columbia and the horror that engulfed the entire country for a decade is an astonishing piece of work.
This is a gripping work of non-fiction and is a truly powerful insight to one of the world's most notorious terrorists, Pablo Escobar.
A huge thumbs up.
5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Dave Picarillo
- 08-03-2003
Fantastic
Excellent book that not only tells an exciting story, but also delves into Columbia's past and provides some insight into how a manical person such as Pablo Escabar can rise to such power and in some eyes prestige
10 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Bob
- 14-01-2017
great story
I wish the unabridged version was available! Great story telling and background by the author.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
- M.W.
- 02-06-2005
Not that great
I don't share the other reviewers' enthusiasm for this book. The author is also the reader...and he does not bring a great deal of enthusiasm to the table. The story reads like a chronicle. In all, it's a rather stiff, uninspired timeline of Pablo Escobar's life.
11 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
- JT
- 04-06-2003
3 STARS
Overall, a very good book. However, it would have been much better if read by a professional voice actor.
7 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Heath
- 18-06-2005
Bowden hits another home run
Bowden is one of the few authors who can read his own work and keep you intrigued. The trade-off is that he does sound like a journalist rather than a story teller.
You won't find a more well-researched account of the drug wars up close and personal. A fascinating read and one of the books I found myself listening to in my driveway.
My only beef - it's abridged...
5 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- ForrestUnderwood
- 26-12-2018
Watch Narcos instead
Mark Bowden is a great author (I liked BHD) but shouldn’t narrate his own books.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Omar
- 25-09-2016
Thriller
It is impossible to verify the facts surrounding the hunt and killing of Escobar, so I am not sure how accurate it is. But this is as good as a nonfiction can ever be written
1 person found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mrs. Margaret Henry
- 04-06-2016
Great book.
I enjoyed this book due to its massive build up and its notorius inevetibilility of the ending.
4 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Will A.
- 29-11-2016
Excellent
Well written and narrated, gives a good insight into the lead up to the events and interesting to know the background from 1948 onwards on the history and culture, which answers the questions of the loyalty the public have to Pablo.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 10-10-2016
Good read
I have watched and read many books and articles on this topic and this by far is the stand out work I have enjoyed.
It wasn't flowery romantic it was portrayed as it was. Ruthless and violent.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Moez M
- 02-05-2020
Worth listening to after watching Netflix's Narcos
This book helps with the nuances that you may miss or have been reconstructed in Netflix's Narcos due to 'creative licences'. It's worth a listen for that reason and I enjoyed listening to the author who does a great job of creating a narrative that you almost don't want to hear the end to. I would suggest listening/reading to this after understanding some of the main characters in the plot, this will certainly help place them in this story.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- shaun patterson
- 03-10-2016
awesome
my favourite book even better in audio a must read/listen only wish there was more
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- LD's
- 23-05-2018
Great recollection of the events
Being just a teenager when the terror and manhunt happened, still remember these events in the news as it was yesterday.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Natalie Lockett
- 03-01-2017
decent
it was ok i think there should be more in depth details on the lofe and tomes of escobar
finito
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jo Blogs
- 29-02-2016
Very interesting story
Would you consider the audio edition of Killing Pablo to be better than the print version?
Not read it
What was one of the most memorable moments of Killing Pablo?
When they took down the mountain.....
What about Mark Bowden’s performance did you like?
Good and solid
Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
NO
Any additional comments?
Worth a listen, interesting how a bully and a thug with a bit of charm can take over a country....
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