Kit Chellel – författare

Winner of the True Crime Awards Book of the YearShortlisted for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year Award***A Waterstones Best Books of 2022 pick***A Financial Times, The Times and The Economist Book of the Year 'Gripping... A startling tale of fraud and impunity. ' The Economist'I read it in one sitting, and I know it'll stay with me for a long time.' Oliver Bullough, Sunday Times bestselling author of Moneyland Inside the corrupt and secret business of global shipping, the explosive true story of a notorious international fraud and murderIn July 2011, the oil tanker Brillante Virtuoso was drifting through the treacherous Gulf of Aden when a crew of pirates attacked the vessel and set her ablaze. But when David Mockett, a maritime surveyor working for the ship's insurer Lloyd's of London, inspected the damaged vessel, he was left with more questions than answers. Soon after he started his investigation, Mockett was killed by a car bomb.Through first-hand accounts - from members of the crew who survived the hijacking to the ex-London detectives turned private investigators seeking to solve Mockett's murder - award-winning reporters Matthew Campbell and Kit Chellel piece together the explosive true story behind one of the most brazen financial frauds in history.

The secret history of a trio of gamblers who used homemade technology and their own ingenuity to outplay the house, raking in hundreds of millions of dollars and transforming the way games are played. In the late 1970s, three men declared war on the casino. They arrived in Las Vegas just as the personal computer was beginning its boom. If the power of computers could be applied to gambling, they reasoned, a player could make a mint. There was only one problem: How do you smuggle a computer, typically, the size of a suitcase, onto a casino floor without getting noticed? Using cutting-edge strategies and technology that was decades ahead of its time, they did just that. They became pioneers of what’s known as advantage playing, applying their intellects and creativity to everything from poker and blackjack to horseracing and roulette. For more than thirty years they faced down angry pit bosses, violent Mafiosos, bankruptcies, nights in foreign jails, lawsuits, and personal betrayals. They learned that the only thing harder than reaching the pinnacle of gambling achievement was staying there. Drawing from exclusive interviews with all three players and their associates, award-winning Bloomberg journalist Kit Chellel delivers a cinematic and often uproarious account of fortunes gained, lost, and gained again. Scrupulously reported and irresistibly told, Lucky Devils reveals how these players did more than simply amass wealth; they revolutionized the game itself. They gave the lie to the old adage—the house doesn’t always win.

The secret history of a trio of gamblers who used homemade technology and their own ingenuity to outplay the house, raking in hundreds of millions of dollars and transforming the way games are played. In the late 1970s, three men declared war on the casino. They arrived in Las Vegas just as the personal computer was beginning its boom. If the power of computers could be applied to gambling, they reasoned, a player could make a mint. There was only one problem: How do you smuggle a computer, typically, the size of a suitcase, onto a casino floor without getting noticed? Using cutting-edge strategies and technology that was decades ahead of its time, they did just that. They became pioneers of what’s known as advantage playing, applying their intellects and creativity to everything from poker and blackjack to horseracing and roulette. For more than thirty years they faced down angry pit bosses, violent Mafiosos, bankruptcies, nights in foreign jails, lawsuits, and personal betrayals. They learned that the only thing harder than reaching the pinnacle of gambling achievement was staying there. Drawing from exclusive interviews with all three players and their associates, award-winning Bloomberg journalist Kit Chellel delivers a cinematic and often uproarious account of fortunes gained, lost, and gained again. Scrupulously reported and irresistibly told, Lucky Devils reveals how these players did more than simply amass wealth; they revolutionized the game itself. They gave the lie to the old adage—the house doesn’t always win.

'Gripping. Someone should really turn Lucky Devils into a film' The Guardian'There's simply no one better at chronicling the shady, hackable, and wildly anarchic world of gambling' Brad Stone, New York Times bestselling author of The Everything Store and Amazon Unbound'The best book about gambling I've ever read' Liam Vaughan, author of Flash Crash'A fascinating insight... Lucky Devils brilliantly reveals what it takes to challenge the seemingly impossible and come out on top' Adam Kucharski, author of The Perfect Bet'Readers will be thrilled' PUBLISHERS WEEKLYIn the late 1970s, three men declared war on the casino. They arrived in Las Vegas just as the personal computer was beginning its boom. If the power of computers could be applied to gambling, they reasoned, a player could make a mint.There was only one problem: How do you smuggle a computer, typically, the size of a suitcase, onto a casino floor without getting noticed?Using cutting-edge strategies and gloriously DIY tech that was decades ahead of its time, they solved this and many other problems. They became pioneers of what's known as advantage playing, applying their intellects and creativity to everything from poker and blackjack to horseracing and roulette. For more than thirty years they faced down angry pit bosses, violent Mafiosos, bankruptcies, nights in foreign jails, lawsuits, and personal betrayals. They learned that the only thing harder than reaching the pinnacle of gambling achievement was staying there.Drawing from exclusive interviews with all three players and their associates, award-winning Bloomberg journalist Kit Chellel delivers a cinematic and often uproarious account of fortunes gained, lost, and gained again. Scrupulously reported and irresistibly told, Lucky Devils reveals how these players did more than simply amass wealth; they revolutionized the game itself.They gave the lie to the old adage. The house doesn't always win.

'Gripping. Someone should really turn Lucky Devils into a film' The Guardian'There's simply no one better at chronicling the shady, hackable, and wildly anarchic world of gambling' Brad Stone, New York Times bestselling author of The Everything Store and Amazon Unbound'The best book about gambling I've ever read' Liam Vaughan, author of Flash Crash'A fascinating insight... Lucky Devils brilliantly reveals what it takes to challenge the seemingly impossible and come out on top' Adam Kucharski, author of The Perfect Bet'Readers will be thrilled' PUBLISHERS WEEKLYIn the late 1970s, three men declared war on the casino. They arrived in Las Vegas just as the personal computer was beginning its boom. If the power of computers could be applied to gambling, they reasoned, a player could make a mint.There was only one problem: How do you smuggle a computer, typically, the size of a suitcase, onto a casino floor without getting noticed?Using cutting-edge strategies and gloriously DIY tech that was decades ahead of its time, they solved this and many other problems. They became pioneers of what's known as advantage playing, applying their intellects and creativity to everything from poker and blackjack to horseracing and roulette. For more than thirty years they faced down angry pit bosses, violent Mafiosos, bankruptcies, nights in foreign jails, lawsuits, and personal betrayals. They learned that the only thing harder than reaching the pinnacle of gambling achievement was staying there.Drawing from exclusive interviews with all three players and their associates, award-winning Bloomberg journalist Kit Chellel delivers a cinematic and often uproarious account of fortunes gained, lost, and gained again. Scrupulously reported and irresistibly told, Lucky Devils reveals how these players did more than simply amass wealth; they revolutionized the game itself.They gave the lie to the old adage. The house doesn't always win.

'Gripping. Someone should really turn Lucky Devils into a film' The Guardian'There's simply no one better at chronicling the shady, hackable, and wildly anarchic world of gambling' Brad Stone, New York Times bestselling author of The Everything Store and Amazon Unbound'The best book about gambling I've ever read' Liam Vaughan, author of Flash Crash'A fascinating insight... Lucky Devils brilliantly reveals what it takes to challenge the seemingly impossible and come out on top' Adam Kucharski, author of The Perfect Bet'Readers will be thrilled' PUBLISHERS WEEKLYIn the late 1970s, three men declared war on the casino. They arrived in Las Vegas just as the personal computer was beginning its boom. If the power of computers could be applied to gambling, they reasoned, a player could make a mint.There was only one problem: How do you smuggle a computer, typically, the size of a suitcase, onto a casino floor without getting noticed?Using cutting-edge strategies and gloriously DIY tech that was decades ahead of its time, they solved this and many other problems. They became pioneers of what's known as advantage playing, applying their intellects and creativity to everything from poker and blackjack to horseracing and roulette. For more than thirty years they faced down angry pit bosses, violent Mafiosos, bankruptcies, nights in foreign jails, lawsuits, and personal betrayals. They learned that the only thing harder than reaching the pinnacle of gambling achievement was staying there.Drawing from exclusive interviews with all three players and their associates, award-winning Bloomberg journalist Kit Chellel delivers a cinematic and often uproarious account of fortunes gained, lost, and gained again. Scrupulously reported and irresistibly told, Lucky Devils reveals how these players did more than simply amass wealth; they revolutionized the game itself.They gave the lie to the old adage. The house doesn't always win.