Nothing to Declare: A Memoir [Paperback]

Taki (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 26, 1994

World-class athlete, playboy, war correspondent, and heir to a Greek shipping fortune, Taki has over the last three decades moved among the rich, the powerful, the titled and the celebrated in London, New York, Gstaad, the Riviera—wherever fun or stimulation was to be had. But in 1984, while passing through Heathrow Airport, Taki was arrested for possession of cocaine and summarily sent to jail. Nothing to Declare is the hilarious and surprisingly wise account of the three months Taki spent in prison, a story filled with perilous day-to-day events as well as reflections on the glamorous life he has led.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Jet-setter and columnist Taki tells how a three-month imprisonment for cocaine possession interrupted his ``life of relentless privilege'' in this enjoyable story of high and low life.

Copyright 1992 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

In 1984, Taki--Greek shipping fortune heir, jet setter, and journalist--was arrested at Heathrow Airport for possession of cocaine and sentenced to a three-month jail term in a notorious English prison. In what could easily be retitled "Confessions of the Rich and Famous," he presents a diary mixing the horrors of incarceration with anecdotal reflections on his past and enough name-dropping and dirt-dishing for any fan of his "High Life" column in the London Spectator . Throughout, he even offers hints of remorse and repentance for a decadent lifestyle. Taki's chatty pacing is lively, his digressions are amusing, and the characters he describes are memorable, all amounting to an enjoyable, nontaxing read for a general audience.
- David Nudo, New York
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press (January 26, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0871134845
• ISBN-13: 978-0871134844
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,130,619 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Honest portrayal of life inside a high security prison., August 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Nothing to Declare: A Memoir (Paperback)

After seeing the film, 'American History X', I was hooked on finding out about what it's really like in a prison without the added drama of films. Taki gives an honest, undramatised description of his short time in prison for attempted drug smuggling. He explains the torment of being alone and not being able to walk around freely, 24 hours a day, as well the the disgusting conditions prisoners may put up with. It was certainly different to the the image that films like 'shawshank' gave. It showed the human side of prisoners as well as the goodness that the guards were capable of. It also gave interesting descriptions of the social code that inmates followed. For example the unspoken rule that a prisoner never uses the lavatory when the other prisoner is present, as this is 'home'. A recommended read to anyone interested in prison and the loyalty inmates share.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great BooK, July 1, 2002

By 

Gordon (Yukon, OK USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Nothing to Declare: A Memoir (Paperback)

A great book, maybe a little slow at the end. If you like Taki, I highly reccomend this collection of his writings.

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Her Majesty requests your presence at dinner...promptly...for a period to be determined by the Courts..., February 7, 2007

By 

Bachelier ""1004"" (Ile de France) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nothing to Declare: A Memoir (Hardcover)

Not Reading Gaol.

This is a wonderful book about Taki's period as a guest of Her Majesty. For those looking for prison memoirs, read "Nothing to Declare" and Jim Goad's "S**t Magnet" for contrasting tales told with amusement and panache. Throw in "manchild in the Promised Land" in you want another colourful voice.

Reading Taki is like a good tennis game with an attractive partner, a warm summer afternoon in beautiful surroundings, and a perfect cocktail answer to the slur of Eurotrash. Taki is glamour without the glitz, wealth combined with anonymity, privilege and comfort without meterosexual softness, and manliness without burlesque or misogyny.

An unapologetic elitist gentleman, ever giving communists and the spineless a fair punch in their clownish noses. Pure delight.