The Confessions of a Rum-Runner

By James Barbican

The author, an Englishman who found himself at loose ends after service in the war, went into rum running for the excitement and the chance of making money quickly. In time he built up a successful organization and carried on a business running into millions of dollars. For nearly two years he coordinated operations on land and at sea, all the while staying one step ahead of the law. After amassing a fortune, he called it quits, married the woman of his dreams, and opened a famous hotel in Africa. First published in 1928, The Confessions of a Rum-Runner is the most insightful account of the inner workings of smuggling during Prohibition ever written. At times seeming exaggerated and highly-colored, it accurately details the dark side of the era–the graft paid to public officials, the corruption in the ranks of those charged with enforcement, and the double-crossing, lying and violence that pervaded.

Published by Flat Hammock Press