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Black Dogs: The Possibly True Story of Classic Rock's Greatest Robbery [Paperback]

Jason Buhrmester (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)

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Book Description

April 14, 2009
In July 1973, Led Zeppelin played three sold-out shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Before the final performance, $203,000 of the band’s money went missing from a safe deposit box at the Drake Hotel in what was called the single highest deposit box theft in the city’s history. The money was never recovered. Black Dogs might be the story behind the greatest rock ’n’ roll heist of all time.

the last thing nineteen-year-old Patrick Sullivan needed was a new scam. Just months earlier, he had left a trail of broken friendships and new enemies in Baltimore for a fresh start in New York City after a botched robbery attempt landed one of his best friends in jail. But when he spies a briefcase full of cash backstage at a Led Zeppelin concert, Patrick makes plans for one last crazy mission–one that he hopes will redeem him in the eyes of everyone he left behind.

To pull it off, Patrick will have to return to his hometown to round up his crew: Alex, the one who did time for Patrick’s last crime; Frenchy, the neurotic musician who still lives with Mom; and dim-witted but endearing Keith, the greasy-haired loner who excels at installing car stereos and then uninstalling them, all in the same day.

When the unlikely team’s plan goes horribly wrong, the boys find themselves mixed up with Backwoods Billy, the psychotic leader of the Holy Ghosts Christian motorcycle gang. They need some help, and they find it in some unlikely places: by crossing paths and making deals with a pill-popping DA, a safe-cracking funk band called the New York Giants, and the Maryland chapter of the Misty Mountain Hoppers Led Zeppelin Fan Club. Sporting a rare 1958 Les Paul guitar and a complicated plan that could either go wonderfully right or horribly wrong, the guys, fueled by beer and egos, make a desperate attempt at robbing the world’s coolest rock band–to hilarious result.

Black Dogs brings to life one of the infamously unsolved rock ’n’ roll mysteries and introduces us to a lovable bunch of knuckleheads who may have just pulled off the greatest heist in rock ’n’ roll history.

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Rock 'n' roll fans will best appreciate Buhrmester's debut, an average crime novel based on a real-life robbery—the theft in 1973 of $203,000 from a safe-deposit box in New York City's Drake Hotel containing Led Zeppelin's earnings from a recent concert series. The subtitle is a bit of a tease, as it becomes clear how unlikely a bunch of losers could plan to rip off a popular band and manage to do so by dumb luck. Patrick Sullivan, a 19-year-old scam artist who specializes in break-ins, returns home to Baltimore to round up a crew hoping to make a big score by stealing Led Zeppelin's proceeds. The bulk of the book recounts their misadventures, complete with run-ins with the Holy Ghosts, a Christian motorcycle gang. The breezy writing will carry some along, but many will wonder if the plot might've been better served if Buhrmester, the current editor of Inked, hadn't relied on a factual foundation. (May)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

Almost Famous meets Reservoir Dogs in Inked editor Buhrmester's debut novel about a quartet of wannabe young criminals who probably should've stayed in school.

Here's the true story: In 1973, after three sold-out performances at Madison Square Garden, Led Zeppelin had the money for their shows--$203,000--ripped off from a safe-deposit box at the Drake Hotel. Neither the perps nor the money were ever found, and because of the lost revenue, the release of Zep's concert movie The Song Remains the Same was delayed for three years. Here's the fake, but highly entertaining resolution from Buhrmester: Nineteen-year-old Baltimorean-turned-New Yorker Patrick Sullivan and his merry band of rock dorks pulled off the heist. Patrick's Baltimore posse, such as it is, will never be mistaken for the Gambino Family. Hapless Alex should probably find another best pal, considering how Patrick has betrayed him. Smart-ass Frenchy lives for his guitar and little else. And Keith is the dimmest bulb in a chandelier that was pretty dim to start with. Eventually, the boys get mixed up with more musicians-cum-criminals, the whack-job leader of a motorcycle gang called the Holy Ghost Christians and some fanatical Zep followers, all of which leads to a denouement that would bring a smile to Jimmy Page's face. Buhrmester demonstrates an affection for rock 'n' roll's attendant trappings--the camaraderie, the excesses, the lust for both financial success and artistic fulfillment--but never forgets that without the music, the whole thing means nothing. The plot is nothing to write home about, but what's important here are the quirky characters, the snarky Elmore-Leonard-meets-Lester-Bangs attitude, the goofball atmosphere and, most vitally, a heartfelt affection for all that rocks.

Casual music fans will enjoy the heck out of this hilarious and gritty tale; rock fanatics will adore it. --Kirkus, March 15, 2009

"Frequently laugh-out-loud hilarious, Black Dogs keeps upping the ante page after page (after Page, geddit?) ...whether you love Zeppelin or hate Zeppelin, or just want a whacked-out '70s-set crime comedy to keep you warm at night, you need to check out this book." --Maxim


Product Details

  • Paperback: 241 pages
  • Publisher: Three Rivers Press (April 14, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 030745181X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0307451811
  • Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,368,361 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in Kankakee, Illinois, which was once voted, 'the Worst City in North America' by The Places Rated Almanac. That's why I now live in Brooklyn. I've written for Spin, Playboy, Maxim, Village Voice, Wired, FHM and others. I feel that "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath' is Black Sabbath's best song. Feel free to argue.

 

Customer Reviews

12 Reviews
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3 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious and clever! That 70's Show meets Ocean's 11, April 24, 2009
This review is from: Black Dogs: The Possibly True Story of Classic Rock's Greatest Robbery (Paperback)
As a Zeppelin fan, I bought this on a whim and loved it. The characters remind me of every rock burnout I knew and are very cartoon-ish and fun. The plot twists bring even more wild characters into the fold, including Boogie, a safe-cracker with a funk band called the New York Giants, and Backwoods Billy, a born-again biker who leads the Holy Ghosts Christian motorcycle gang. If you like the twists and turns of heist movies like Ocean's 11, Snatch, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, then you'll dig this!
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Unexpected, August 27, 2009
By 
Maureen Mcdonald (California United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Black Dogs: The Possibly True Story of Classic Rock's Greatest Robbery (Paperback)
I picked this book up and wasn't sure I would even like it, but the idea behind it really intrigued me.

I have to say, this author is so creative... not just the writing, but the very idea to take a little tidbit about Led Zeppelin being robbed and turning it into great book.

I couldn't put it down and finished it in two days. It's not even a book I would normally pick up, but I'm so glad I did.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read, July 27, 2009
This review is from: Black Dogs: The Possibly True Story of Classic Rock's Greatest Robbery (Paperback)
It was actually the cover that caught my eye. I know, don't judge a book by its cover, but in this case it worked out great.

I had never heard of the robbery, and being a Zeppelin fan, I had to read this. I completed it on a flight, layover, flight. Total time was about 5-6 hours. I literally couldn't put the book down. I was reading it on the jetway.

This book has to be made into a movie - for the soundtrack alone. The songs referenced in the book are classics.

Great for Black Sabbath fans too.
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