An outstanding work of investigative journalism has won the prestigious Cornelia Ryan Award, presented by the Overseas Press Club. It is the story of the violent rise and fall of Pablo Escobar, the head of the Colombian Medellín cocaine cartel. Escobar's empire of crime held a thirty million strong nation hostage under a reign of terror that only ended with his death. Renowned journalist Mark Bowden, in an intense, detailed account, reveals unknown details of the sixteen-month manhunt led by the United States. With unprecedented access to key participants in the campaign – including Colombian President César Gaviria and the incorruptible commander of the special police unit that pursued Escobar, Colonel Hugo Martinez – as well as to classified documents and transcripts of Escobar's phone calls, Bowden has created a gripping narrative that presents a stark portrait of harsh justice in the real world.
