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American Kingpin: The Epic Hunt for the Criminal Mastermind Behind the Silk Road Hardcover – Illustrated, May 2, 2017

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NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER. The unbelievable true story of the man who built a billion-dollar online drug empire from his bedroom—and almost got away with it
 
In 2011, a twenty-six-year-old libertarian programmer named Ross Ulbricht launched the ultimate free market: the Silk Road, a clandestine Web site hosted on the Dark Web where anyone could trade anything—drugs, hacking software, forged passports, counterfeit cash, poisons—free of the government’s watchful eye.
 
It wasn’t long before the media got wind of the new Web site where anyone—not just teenagers and weed dealers but terrorists and black hat hackers—could buy and sell contraband detection-free. Spurred by a public outcry, the federal government launched an epic two-year manhunt for the site’s elusive proprietor, with no leads, no witnesses, and no clear jurisdiction. All the investigators knew was that whoever was running the site called himself the Dread Pirate Roberts.
 
The Silk Road quickly ballooned into $1.2 billion enterprise, and Ross embraced his new role as kingpin. He enlisted a loyal crew of allies in high and low places, all as addicted to the danger and thrill of running an illegal marketplace as their customers were to the heroin they sold. Through his network he got wind of the target on his back and took drastic steps to protect himself—including ordering a hit on a former employee. As Ross made plans to disappear forever, the Feds raced against the clock to catch a man they weren’t sure even existed, searching for a needle in the haystack of the global Internet.

Drawing on exclusive access to key players and two billion digital words and images Ross left behind,
Vanity Fair correspondent and New York Times bestselling author Nick Bilton offers a tale filled with twists and turns, lucky breaks and unbelievable close calls. It’s a story of the boy next door’s ambition gone criminal, spurred on by the clash between the new world of libertarian-leaning, anonymous, decentralized Web advocates and the old world of government control, order, and the rule of law. Filled with unforgettable characters and capped by an astonishing climax, American Kingpin might be dismissed as too outrageous for fiction. But it’s all too real.
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

An Amazon Best Book of May 2017: The Silk Road was once an ancient trade route through Asia, but in 2011 an idealistic young man named Ross Ulbricht used the moniker for a new enterprise that the internet age had never seen; A Dark Web site where everything from drugs and guns to passports could be bought and sold—this was the new Silk Road. Ulbricht was an extreme libertarian who never imagined his revolutionary new free market enterprise would become a billion dollar empire, or that he would be sought by multiple agencies of law enforcement over the coming years. American Kingpin takes us back in time, from Ulbricht’s early failures to becoming Dread Pirate Roberts, the name he adopted to hide himself online. We see how a small pink pill in an anonymous envelope caught the eye of a low-level Homeland security employee and became the catalyst for Federal agency power struggles, and cops who became criminals over the course of a massive manhunt for someone they weren’t even sure existed. The cast of characters involved, those who Ulbricht enlisted to aid him and those who worked to bring him down are a fascinating mix of personalities, but none more so than Dread Pirate Roberts himself. American Kingpin is addictive reading, and whether or not you are already familiar with the Silk Road, by the time this book ends you will likely want to know even more about the Dark Web and the legacy of the world’s largest online retailer of illegal goods. --Seira Wilson, The Amazon Book Review

Review

“An astonishingly well-researched narrative… Bilton's storytelling bears not so much as a trace of fat; the book he's conjured is so sharp and bright that it can be whipped through in the airport lounge before the flight takes off."
—The Globe and Mail

"Unbelievably riveting."
—CASEY NEISTAT

“I dare you not to read this book in one sitting. Masterfully reported and written, Bilton’s book drops you hard into the dark heart of the most famous Internet crime to date. A first-rate thrill.”
—JOSHUA COOPER RAMO, author of The Seventh Sense
 
“Nick Bilton has issued a fantastic modern true-crime thriller. The book moves at a stunning pace while packed full of exquisite reporting and detail. It delivers a vivid pic­ture of what happens when genius, ambition, and depravity collide, as well as a study on the complex interplay between good and evil.”
—ASHLEE VANCE, author of Elon Musk
 
“Engrossing, addictive, suspenseful, riveting—this book hooked me on page one and I could not put it down. American Kingpin is the best thing I’ve read in ages. I can’t recommend it highly enough.”
—DAN LYONS, author of Disrupted
 
“In American Kingpin, Nick Bilton again proves why he’s one of tech’s best storytellers with a stunningly researched and very scary portrait of the creator of a marketplace gone mad, and the oddly uncoordinated officers who took him down.”
—STEVEN LEVY, author of Hackers and In the Plex
 
“You’ll never forget Bilton’s portrait of the brilliant and brazen Ross Ulbricht, even after you sacrifice sleep in a sprint to the final pages and to see justice served.”
—BRAD STONE, author of The Everything Store and The Upstarts
 
“A rollicking, deftly reported tale of the Dark Web. I couldn’t put it down.”
—CLIVE THOMPSON, author of Smarter Than You Think
 
“Bilton’s investigation of the Silk Road is dramatic and, at times, nearly unbelievable. It puts your favorite thriller novels to shame.”
—STEVEN PRESSFIELD, author of Gates of Fire
 
“Nick Bilton is the only writer who could tell this suspenseful story. American Kingpin is engrossing at every turn, right up to its pulse-racing ending.”
—ADAM LASHINSKY, author of Wild Ride
 
“American Kingpin is both a staggering feat of investigative journalism and a triumph of edge-of-your-seat storytelling. This is what true-crime writing should be.”
—BRYAN BURROUGH, author of Days of Rage

"A fast-paced, readable true-crime tale that frames the likely future of the underground economy."
—Kirkus Reviews

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Portfolio; Illustrated edition (May 2, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 352 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1591848148
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1591848141
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.25 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.3 x 1.2 x 9.3 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 10,937 ratings

About the author

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Nick Bilton
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British born Nick Bilton is Special Correspondent at Vanity Fair, where he writes about technology, business and culture, and a contributor at CNBC. He was a columnist for The New York Times for almost a decade. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife, son, and dog, Pixel.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
10,937 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the story engaging and suspenseful. They praise the writing style as well-written and easy to follow. The book provides detailed research and context for the story. Readers describe it as an exciting and entertaining read that keeps their attention. Many consider it a great crime drama with case-breaking detective work. The pacing is described as fast-paced and hard to put down.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

404 customers mention "Story quality"404 positive0 negative

Customers find the story engaging and hard to put down. They describe it as a suspenseful tale full of twists and turns. The book is well-written, using different vantage points to tell the story.

"Great, quick, easy read. Incredible story, and well told. Your mouth will be hanging open in disbelief. Get this book" Read more

""American Kingpin" by Nick Bilton is a gripping and fascinating true story that reads like a thriller novel...." Read more

"...That being said, the story it tells is utterly fascinating and very well done...." Read more

"...The individual stories are fascinating also; from Ross himself (The Dread Pirate Roberts) to interesting profiles of a handful of the government..." Read more

191 customers mention "Writing style"171 positive20 negative

Customers find the writing style engaging and easy to follow. They describe the book as a gripping page-turner that reads like fiction. The author does a good job of making a complex story easy to understand and follow.

"Great, quick, easy read. Incredible story, and well told. Your mouth will be hanging open in disbelief. Get this book" Read more

"...Bilton's meticulous research and engaging writing style make it easy to become fully immersed in the story...." Read more

"...That being said, the story it tells is utterly fascinating and very well done...." Read more

"...I can't recommend this book highly enough. It is thorough, easy to read, and suspenseful...." Read more

108 customers mention "Depth"102 positive6 negative

Customers appreciate the book's depth. They find it well-researched, offering enough details for context. The writing is succinct, explaining the research methods and timeline reconstruction. Readers learn fascinating information and are comfortable understanding the plot.

"...Bilton's meticulous research and engaging writing style make it easy to become fully immersed in the story...." Read more

"...The concept of The Silk Road is so simple, yet so completely illicit. The "Amazon of illegal drugs."..." Read more

"My favorite book. The details of the Silk Road are on point but the stars of the story are the people involved. Beautifully written...." Read more

"...The story about Ulbricht is incredible and very important, but much of Bilton's writing is tabloid-ish and clearly motivated by Bilton's desire..." Read more

80 customers mention "Engaging"73 positive7 negative

Customers enjoy the engaging story. They find it exciting, suspenseful, and hard to put down. The book keeps their attention from start to finish. Readers appreciate the informative and entertaining true crime account.

""American Kingpin" by Nick Bilton is a gripping and fascinating true story that reads like a thriller novel...." Read more

"...It is thorough, easy to read, and suspenseful. Too often, non-fiction writers forget that even non-fiction can be suspenseful and engaging...." Read more

"...What happens is suspenseful and intriguing. I imagine all who read it will enjoy it and consider themselves fortunate to have found it." Read more

"Kept me hooked from the start" Read more

59 customers mention "Crime story"52 positive7 negative

Customers find the book an engaging true crime story that blends facts and fiction. They describe it as a fast-paced mystery thriller that exposes the dark underbelly of the internet. The book is described as educational and well-crafted, with a good blend of facts and fiction.

"Fast-paced mystery thriller that exposes the dark underbelly of the internet and tells the fascinating story of one of its major pioneers." Read more

"Very interesting and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Can't wait to see the movie! What makes it crazier is that it is a real story...." Read more

"...From what I learned American Kingpin is a very interesting and thorough book...." Read more

"...for taking your mind off current "current events" and into a real-world investigation that seemed almost like a work of fiction...." Read more

42 customers mention "Pacing"38 positive4 negative

Customers find the book's pacing good. They say the story moves along at a good pace, and they finish it in two days. The author does a great job of keeping the book moving along at a good speed with clear prose that races along without wasted words.

"Great, quick, easy read. Incredible story, and well told. Your mouth will be hanging open in disbelief. Get this book" Read more

"Brilliant young man who I am still unsure whether he did anything openly illegal or not...." Read more

"...agencies pursuing Ross Ulbrecht, and in general the story moves along at a good pace...." Read more

"...is a good summer read if you want something interesting that moves at a fast pace...." Read more

27 customers mention "Page turner"27 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging from the start. They describe it as a captivating and thought-provoking read that keeps you hooked until the end.

"...Overall, it's a captivating and thought-provoking page-turner that will keep you hooked until the very end!" Read more

"This is a page turner that is easy to read a very gripping story. A very fun book to read." Read more

"This was a literal page-turner, ok page-swiper, but I could not step away from this story. With each chapter, my mouth fell further open...." Read more

"...of LA verbiage into the story of a brilliant young Texan, the book is a page turner." Read more

22 customers mention "Difficulty to put down"19 positive3 negative

Customers find the book engaging and hard to put down. They say it's well-written, interesting, and easy to follow along with.

"A must read. A very hard book to put down. As addictive as Silk Road Merchandise. Now on to more Nick Bolton works." Read more

"...Engaging read. Hard to put down! Finished in a day." Read more

"...It was funny, interesting and not too complicated to follow along...." Read more

"Hard to put down. Modern day saga of one of the most notorious villain on earth. A bit creepy as a lot of activities online can be traced back." Read more

Very good condition
5 out of 5 stars
Very good condition
I ordered this book for a book review that I need to do for a Fraud class. It came in very good condition, and although I’m not reading this by choice it isn’t too bad.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on October 17, 2024
    Great, quick, easy read. Incredible story, and well told.
    Your mouth will be hanging open in disbelief. Get this book
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2024
    "American Kingpin" by Nick Bilton is a gripping and fascinating true story that reads like a thriller novel. The book tells the tale of Ross Ulbricht, the mastermind behind the online drug marketplace Silk Road. Bilton's meticulous research and engaging writing style make it easy to become fully immersed in the story. The book is a wild ride, taking you from the depths of the dark web to the highest echelons of the DEA. With its themes of innovation, rebellion, and the blurred lines between good and evil, "American Kingpin" is a must-read for anyone interested in technology, crime, or human psychology. Overall, it's a captivating and thought-provoking page-turner that will keep you hooked until the very end!
    3 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 15, 2023
    The writing style and general feel makes this book read a little like a generic children’s book, but with more swearing. That being said, the story it tells is utterly fascinating and very well done. Would recommend it for anyone interested in learning about law enforcement or radicalism.
    2 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2018
    I sort of stumbled upon this book while searching true crime, and boy am I glad I did. The dark web is something I've heard exists, but know nothing about it. The concept of The Silk Road is so simple, yet so completely illicit. The "Amazon of illegal drugs." That no one thought about it earlier than Ross Ulbricht is almost a bigger crime than what he did.

    This was an engrossing read. It is so well-written that I didn't want to put it down. It reminded me of the old Batman TV show from the '60s - how are they going to get out of this one?!? Ross dodged bullets in the form of investigations by no less than four different government agencies. On the other hand, I wondered how on Earth the likes of the FBI (the 'feebs') could possibly catch him since the TOR browser and Bitcoin are completely anonymous.

    The individual stories are fascinating also; from Ross himself (The Dread Pirate Roberts) to interesting profiles of a handful of the government agents trying to catch him. Sometimes you would start to feel bad for Ross, but then he'd do something awful like order a hit.

    I can't recommend this book highly enough. It is thorough, easy to read, and suspenseful. Too often, non-fiction writers forget that even non-fiction can be suspenseful and engaging. Not this time.
    22 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2024
    I tend to enjoy complicated stories written by traditional magazine feature writers.
    This book fits the mild.
    A fascinating story, written in an entertaining style.
    One person found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 10, 2024
    Fast-paced mystery thriller that exposes the dark underbelly of the internet and tells the fascinating story of one of its major pioneers.
  • Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2022
    A well told story, but could have used more detail.
    There are two mistakes where the author refers to PGP and an encrypted chat application. PGP or Pretty Good Privacy is an encryption algorithm and not a chat application.

    So in this book Ross makes fun of Jeremy Hammond for using simple passwords and reusing them, but he is using the same cheap Samsung laptop for clear web and dark web work? He is worried about OpSec but he uses Facebook? Even before the Snowden info this was stupid.
    If I would have been a millionaire like him I would have a nice 17 inch loaded Panasonic ToughBook for work and a nice 17 inch Alienware machine loaded for personal stuff.
    4 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2024
    A must read. A very hard book to put down. As addictive as Silk Road
    Merchandise. Now on to more Nick Bolton works.

Top reviews from other countries

  • William Gregg Kiser
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous
    Reviewed in Canada on February 25, 2024
    Cyber crime thriller but true!
  • MGF
    5.0 out of 5 stars Breathtaking and unbelievably detailed and well researched
    Reviewed in Spain on February 3, 2024
    I came across this book probably out of my interest in cryptocurrencies and cybercrime in general while reading the first chapters of Andy Greenberg's "Tracers in the dark". But American Kingpin is by no means limited to those topics, it's way more than that, including politics, some culture, and even a couple of good history lessons thrown in for good measure.

    It goes into many details, even some technical aspects but I'm willing to bet the fast pace of the writing will keep you glued to its pages even if you don't care much about those details. For the number of facts and insights that packs, it is a surprisingly short book (or maybe I just enjoyed it so much it felt short).

    It's one of those books you can read for entertainment (and it will certainly entertain you) but after you finish it you'll feel somehow wiser, with your understanding of how the world works greatly increased.

    If I have to say something on the downside, I did miss some more references and background material at the end and an index in case I want to double-check something in the future.

    I found this book similar to these titles (in case you are looking for more books or just to check if your taste is in any way similar to mine; there is no particular order on this list and most books deal with related topics but not all of them are about crime; all would be rated 5 stars in my opinion):

    -Dark mirror, by Barton Gellman
    -No place to hide, by Glenn Greenwald
    -Countdown to Zero Day, by Kim Zetter
    -Masters of Deception, by Michelle Slatalla and Joshua Quittner
    -Kingpin, by Kevin Poulsen
    -The cuckoo's egg, by Cliff Stoll
    -The spy in Moscow station, by Eric Haseltine
    -Crypto, by Steven Levy
    -The smartest guys in the room, Bethany McLean and Peter Elkind
    -Disrupted, by Dan Lyons
    -Masters of Doom, by David Kushner
    -The Other Pandemic, by James Ball
    -Money Men, by Dan McCrum
    -The man who solved the market, by Gregory Zuckerman
    -Numer go up, by Zeke Faux
    -Going infinite, by Michael Lewis (and many others from the same author)
    -Lying for money, by Dan Davies
    -The soul of a new machine, by Tracy Kidder
    -Most books written by Ben Macintyre
  • Danesh Zaki
    5.0 out of 5 stars Engrossing!
    Reviewed in India on August 23, 2023
    The book is written extremely well. Highly engrossing and hard to put down especially towards the end. It explains the web without going into too much technical details. A must read!
  • Maxi
    5.0 out of 5 stars Thrilling read
    Reviewed in Germany on September 29, 2022
    I really enjoyed reading this book, it not only describes The Silk Roads rise , but also Ross as a person and gives you insights why he did what he did, and how he felt with it.
    I would recommend ! :)
  • Ovidiu suciu
    5.0 out of 5 stars ...
    Reviewed in the United Arab Emirates on March 31, 2022
    Great book