The extraordinary story of the richest and most violent gangster in history-his youth, his bid for political power, his domination of the world's cocaine trade, his campaign against the Colombian state during which thousands died, his imprisonment in a luxurious private jail, his escape, and his eventual capture and shooting-is told in hundreds of photographs gathered by photographer James Mollison in Colombia. The book contains illuminating interviews with family members, other gangsters, Colombian police and judges, and survivors of Escobar's killing sprees. It is both a compelling picture story and a landmark in visual journalism.

"While in Colombia researching an idea for a photographic project called Narcotecture, I found a bag of photographs on Pablo Escobar's private prison. It set me on a journey for the next 3 years searching for visual material and meeting people who knew Pablo Escobar. Pablo Escobar was 'the richest and most violent gangster in history', the head of the Medellin Cartel, which was responsible for supplying 80 per cent of the world's cocaine during the 1980s. In an attempt to avoid extradition to the USA, he declared war on the Colombian state and thousands died as a result."

• James Mollison

Hardcover, 359 pages