Up in Smoke. Paul Newman Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The Title belongs to Cheech and Chong and always will and serves as a bad introduction to a very good read.
The second half of the book focuses on Paul Newmans time in prison and serves as a mini who's who of the British penal system at the time taking in Eddie Richardson and Luton's Charles Bronson amongst others.
His descriptions of the various institutions are very accurate. I was working as a buiding contractor dring his spell at Parkhurst Prison and was aware of the wardens liberal approach, the ill fated escape that ended with three convicts caught at Binstead air field trying to steal a private airplan. Therefore Paul Newman's accounts have a sound ring of credibility.
Paul Newman appears to hail from a Middle class background and became very rich (and bankrupt) by more legitimate means. Therefore his branching out into drug dealing and his acceptance by the more rougher elements of the criminal fraternity is suprising but nethertheless both convincing and interesting.
It is also an interesting insight into modern drug smuggling as authors like Howard Marx operated in the days when security was much laxer. The methods are still suprisingly primative but nonetheless effective.
I knocked the star off the rating as I felt the book was slightly incomplete and whether he was grassed up by his south African acomplice was never conclusively estabished. I can only presume that this charector just disappeared as quickly as he appeared but it would have been interesting to know what became of his betrayers.
All in all it is a very well written book that takes in property development, drug dealing, motor racing, Jools Holland and the penal system in sufficient depth to provide a good insight to all these areas.
I have no reservations in recomending this book.


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Paul became a playboy, spending his fortune on his daughter's career as Britain's most promising female racing driver. Then can the betrayal from within the smuggling firm, the raid by the police and his life was turned upside down.Designated as a Category A, maximum security prisoner, Paul had to learn to use his considerable charm to see him through prison. And after his release he decided to begin a new career as a singer and designer. His story is of a man who has never been content to play by the rules and had to pay the full price for his ambition.

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