Having made a living out of ridiculing the evil antics of arms companies and other corporate criminals in his stand-up shows and on national television, Mark Thomas has finally got round to writing his first book.
Unsurprisingly, the butt of his written jokes is of course the arms trade. Well, the arms trade, the government, fellow activists and anyone else he cares to point the finger at. Starting with a good old rant about “why the reader should care about the arms trade”, it's clear that the book is not aimed at well informed die-hard activists - which, in my opinion, has got to be a good thing. Some of his “working man” stereotyping is bound to offend the more self-righteous moraliser and egotistical eco-crusty reader amongst us, but the rest of us will find ourselves chuckling into our collars. You may also find yourself, as I did, nostalgically recalling that arms fair or BAE Systems AGM, and wondering whether you were there when Mark was locking on to the bottom of a bus carrying arms dealers or questioning the morality of missile makers.
Thomas's characteristically witty and blunt tone ensures that As used on the Famous Nelson Mandela is far removed from your usual dry facts and figures reportage of the arms industry. By describing the creative and gutsy ways in which he has uncovered some of the decade's murkiest arms deals, Thomas reveals just how easy it is to set up as an arms dealer - and once in, how easy it is to sell weapons to the world's most corrupt human rights abusing regimes.
Along the way he enlists the help of two after-school arms clubs, an ex-army public schoolboy minder, some crusty friends and a nun (who he confesses to falling in love with). The result is an easy-to-read, highly amusing journey through a difficult to describe and not easily simplified topic. Well worth a read and one you can give to that Daily-Mail reading-aunt or unsuspecting student friend and expect to see some change of heart or at least hear a giggle or two.
Mark Thomas is currently in the middle of a nationwide stand-up tour. For the latest ticket info, visit http://www.markthomasinfo.com