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Yesterday I got "catch me if you can "  out of the library.  I have just finished it earlier on the train.  It is the biography of Frank Abagnale, conman from the movie

If you have seen the film and liked that, then the book is ten times better.  I loved the movie, and like Claire  ( in favorite actors thread ) I also think that Leonardo DiCaprio is underrated. Well judging by his performance in that film anyway.

This was the second time I have read this book.  I originally read it back when I was about 12 or 13.  After reading it, I wanted to follow in Frank Abagnale's footsteps.  My teachers at school probably alerted the authorities back then and I am most probably on a government watch list as we speak. 

I would definitely recommend getting this book out of the library. It is excellent.

 nah i dont read

I do, might give this a look-see at some point.

Cheers for the tip.

Will probably not get it out of library though. It's a daft thing, but once I've read a book, I like it to go on the shelf and collect dust. :)

Tis a belter of a story alright.

Shame he got greedy & got caught.

I think that's the age where the natural instinct is to test societys boundaries.

With no parental role models after he left home, he was always going to keep going till he got caught.

Yea the book is great. It goes into more detail and explains a lot of his scams.  In the film, it misses out a lot of his other scams, such as his job as a university lecturer. He would read the chapters a few days before the class, then teach them..    :D

That's what I did for a year as a Telcoms Lecturer... I thought that's what you were meant to do  ;goodvevil;

i'll wait till they bring out a good film about it

A book I have read recently for the 3rd time is Confessions of An Irish Rebel. 

Before anyone starts to run it down, its not about the modern day conflict in Ireland its a biographhy of one Brendan Behan, quite superb read.

When asked what I was reading once before someone had a go at the book before reading having given them alone of the book they read it and where remarkably suprised about the life that Behan lived.

Is that what gave him away? The lecturer actually knowing what he's talking about.

 :D   :D


 I read an interview with him once and apparently the class said he was one of their favorite teachers .

Fascinating book - sent to a prison for kids at 16 IIRC.

Book is mostly about the prison life - which is shocking.

War and peace, a bind to read, but almost savage horse proof, and great for standidng on when you can't reach

Rod, did you ever read Borstal Boy?

Does it have pictures?

At the end of the film I seem to recall the bit about Frank now working for the Us government - does anyone know if he is still alive and still working for them? I loved the film, possibly one of my favourites. Its jsut so impossible it was possible!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Abagnale


Yep, he is still alive.

Cheers Sark... I only found out about that site last week and had lost the name!

no problem Boss .  It is a great site

So does the book follow the movie or what is on that site about him?

check your PM mate

He was interviewed on the BBC a couple of weeks ago about identity theft

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4758501.stm (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4758501.stm)

I loved that film..gonn search ebay now for a cheapy..cheers


a few books which i read recently  and highly recommend ..black hawk down ( great film too )   and killing pablo (same author)

Cheers, I had never seen that interview before.  I will also check out Black Hawk Down, I liked the film a lot.

I must admit, up until recently I was careless with my bank details and all that kind of stuff. But, I have started keeping a closer eye on things now.

I reluctantly bought this book when going on holiday a couple of years back, thought it would last the two weeks.... in fact lasted a day and a half! Great book, much better than the film, havent read a book since and my greatest reading achievement prior to this was reading the entire mr men collection. Highly recommended.

Mr Men.  :D    They are good .  Which one is your favorite?

I like the tale of Mr Tickle, it's a real page turner.

It starts off well, he is lying in bed, can't be arsed getting up, but wants a biscuit.

So he reaches his big long arm out of his bedroom, down the stairs, into the kitchen cupboard and has a wee scoff before he gets up. Genious.

Then he goes all around town, tickling every bugger, and ignoring the resultant havoc that ensues.

He tickles the milkman, (or it may have been the Baker) who drops a load of milk (or it may have been buns)

He tickles a policeman, whilst the good officer of the law is busy doing his civic duty by directing traffic. Cars go everywhere, it's not pretty.

And so on, and so on.

The thing which really surprised me about the book was the ending. As I'm approaching it, I fully expect and almost demand that Mr Tickle will get his come-uppance.

The twist is, he doesn't. Wake up, tickle a heap of folk, end of book.

That's the brilliant part, it allows the reader to make their own mind up. More childrens books should be like that. Instead of indoctrinating them to think a certain way (eating biscuits and tickling rozzers is bad) it encourages them to use their head.

can i have some?

Yea that's a good one.  I also thought Mr Happy was well written .  Richard Hargreaves must be up there with Shakespear and Wordsworth. I prefer something a bit more grown up like the Beano though

The great Casino heist - True stories of a pastposting gang

Adrift- True story of a guy who boat sinks and he survives 40odd days adrift in the ocean on an inflatable raft

All In 
Mitchell Symons

This book is one of my favourite gambling fiction stories.   Basically the guy has 12 months to make money from gambling (poker/horses/football) or he will kill himself and let his family live off his life insurance, written in diary format it is very hard to put down.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0747273162/qid=1149263970/sr=1-26/ref=sr_1_0_26/026-6039646-6570056

I'd be amazed if anyone who posts here didnt enjoy reading this book.

Just ordered it from Amazon looks a good Holiday book... 

just ordered it too sounds good

Has anyone read "Bringing Down The House. How Six Students Took Vegas for Millions" by Ben Mezrich. I had it on my shelves, but its disappeared. Is it worth me tracking down another copy to read?

A great book for I read abour 3 years back was " The Wrong Boy" by willy Russel.

Its a fantastic read, deeply sad but insanely funny at the same time.

I've read it,  very interesting book although a bit repetative at times.

Made me want to be a I.T geek

I really enjoyed this, thought it was great.  Ending was a bit strange though.

Based on this post I brought the book and just finished it last night. It comes very well recommended. I loved the writing style and the story is just supurb. as his "bet" delvelops you really feel swept away with his gambling. There is a little bit of him in all of us but hopefully not too much.
A must read I think. Very hard to put down.

I'm really glad you enjoyed it, its a great book.    The good thing is you can read it again in 4-5 months and its just as good!  I think I've read it 5 or 6 times in the last 3 years!