Memoir For Review

Don't Call Me A Crook!: A Scotman's Tale of World Travel, Whisky, and Crime
by Bob Moore
Afterword by James Kelman
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Dissident Books
(May 1, 2009)

Bob Moore's lost memoir is set to be crowned a classic. It's a tribute to one man's triumph over the law, morals, and sobriety. As unapologetic as Charles Bukowski, with the novelistic flavor of Hunter S. Thompson's The Rum Diary, this book is reminiscent of dark pubs, raspy voices, and tall tales told over strong whisky.

Bob Moore, a Glaswegian, was a marine engineer, building superintendent, and moonshine runner. He traveled throughout the U.S., Australia, Egypt, South America, Japan, and China. He also conned women, fought with pirates on the Yangtze, and set a coffee shop ablaze.

Don't Call Me a Crook! is picaresque, perverse, and darkly funny. With its unforgettable characters and strange plot twists, it reads more like a novel than a memoir.

Originally published in 1935, Don't Call Me a Crook! is a mysterious and overlooked treasure. No critics reviewed it. To date, only four holders of original editions have been identified. Only a handful of people seem to have ever known of the book.

Bob Moore is a mystery… literately. Don’t Call Me’s original publisher has no records of him or his book in its files. No used-book dealers offer Don’t Call Me and only a handful of institutions hold it in their collections. Despite intent research, what became of Moore after the publication of his story is unknown.

James Kelman is author of the Booker Prize-winning novel How Late It Was, How Late.

Email me to request a review copy: onlinepublicist [AT] gmail [DOT] com. Reviewers will receive an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of the book. This title is available for shipping to US/Canada mailing addresses only.