Snow on the Atlantic: How Cocaine Came to Europe - Softcover

Carretero, Nacho

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1786993023 ISBN 13: 9781786993021

Publisher: Zed Books, 2018

Synopsis

The Romans considered Cape Finisterre in coastal Galicia the end of the world. To the Greeks it was the point from which Charon the ferryman set off across the Styx. Since the Middle Ages, more than a thousand ships have sunk along its shoreline, and the lethal activities of pirate gangs gave it the moniker the Coast of Death. Smuggling has been a way of life there for centuries. By the late twentieth century, as Spain battled with the legacy of fascist dictatorship, a very different kind of cargo was arriving from South America through the cape’s ports and fishing villages.
Snow on the Atlantic tells the incredible story of how this sleepy, windswept corner of Spain became the cocaine gateway to Europe. Immersing himself in the life and history of the region, Nacho Carretero reveals an astonishing past and exposes how a new generation of smugglers have taken over, more efficient and ruthless than any of those who came before. He gained unprecedented access to the drug runners, addicts, and kingpins who control the trade. He learns first-hand how local police, international prosecutors, and American DEA agents are fighting to stop the flow of drugs. And he talks to the citizens and victims’ relatives caught in the middle. Carretero’s exposé shows how the cocaine trade can completely infect and transform an entire town—and reminds us that few places are safe from the power of the world’s drug trade.

About this title

About the Author:

Nacho Carretero is an investigative journalist with the Spanish newspaper El Español. His reporting has taken him to countries ranging from the Phillipines to Rwanda, and he has previously written for El País, El Mundo, and many other publications.

Review:

“A Spanish story nobody ever told. A unique story, written with a novel's prose, but beware: this is all true.” (Roberto Saviano, author of Gomorrah: Italy’s Other Mafia)

“Just as the coast of Galicia has become a gateway for one of the most potent substances to flood Europe, this excellent book becomes an entry point into understanding a crucial aspect of the history of our continent—an aspect historians so far have overlooked.” (Norman Ohler, author of Blitzed: Drugs in Nazi Germany)

“Adds a dramatic new chapter to the saga of Colombia’s infamous drug lords—revealing their corrupting influence far beyond the capitals of Cali and Medellin. Intrepid investigative journalist Nacho Carretero has delivered history written as an action thriller and filled it with intriguing characters.” (William C. Rempel, author of At the Devil’s Table)

About this edition

• Publisher: Zed Books
• Publication date: 2018
• ISBN 10: 1786993023
• ISBN 13: 9781786993021
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 368