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A review by blevins
Ballad of the Whiskey Robber: A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives, and Broken Hearts by Julian Rubinstein
4.0
I'm on a roll with these non-fiction books recently. Let's add this one to the good ones for 2008. It's kind of a zany story about this guy named Attilla from Transylvania who moves to Budapest with no money, no hope for a future and latches onto a lower level hockey team--first as the janitor, then as the goalie despite being terrible. He ventures into pelt smuggling and finally as a bank robber.
Hungary at this time, the early to the late 1990s, was a very corrupt place post fall of the Communist bloc, so Attilla becomes a folk hero to the majority of the people and the press. The book takes a sympathetic approach to Attilla and his madcap crimes and I must admit--I was right there rooting for the guy.
I lived for a short spell in Budapest so really liked reading about the city, the people, the corruption, the Romanians, the gypsies and the wild wild west elements that was being a bank robber at this time.
Very entertaining for anyone interested in crime or oddball stories.
Hungary at this time, the early to the late 1990s, was a very corrupt place post fall of the Communist bloc, so Attilla becomes a folk hero to the majority of the people and the press. The book takes a sympathetic approach to Attilla and his madcap crimes and I must admit--I was right there rooting for the guy.
I lived for a short spell in Budapest so really liked reading about the city, the people, the corruption, the Romanians, the gypsies and the wild wild west elements that was being a bank robber at this time.
Very entertaining for anyone interested in crime or oddball stories.