This well-researched book makes a praiseworthy contribution to the literature on drug trafficking in Central America. It will appeal to academics, policy-makers and students, as well as researchers and activists who are interested in international security . . . and Latin American studies. -Kai Chen, Bulletin of Latin American Research Encyclopaedic in its coverage and size, Julie Marie Bunck and Michael Ross Fowler's book is an important and impressive examination of `just how drugs have moved across the region and with what consequences' (p.8). . . . . . . Bribes, Bullets, and Intimidation is a major accomplishment, and indeed one that I am sure will remain the authoritative source on this subject for a long time to come. -Charles D. Brockett, Journal of Latin American Studies In Drug Trafficking and the Law in Central America: Bribes, Bullets, and Intimidation, Julie Marie Bunck and Michael Ross Fowler-professors of political science at the University of Louisville-provide those interested in Central America, the drug trade and U.S. foreign assistance in the region with an invaluable tool for understanding the causes and implications of drug trafficking through an analysis of what they term the `bridge countries' of Belize, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama. . . . Understanding the drug trade phenomenon through these `bridge' states required the authors to develop an innovative research approach that was both wide-ranging and deep. They used every imaginable source of data, ranging from primary and secondary articles and books to court records from the United States and the `bridge' nations and scores of personal interviews over many years to produce an impressive book on a subject that by its nature is opaque: transnational organized crime. -Americas Quarterly Bribes, Bullets, and Intimidation fills a glaring gap in the voluminous drug literature. It will instantly become the reference book for understanding the role of Central America in the international drug trade and the profound impact of the trade on the region's countries. Anyone interested in drug trafficking in Central America will find this book to be essential reading. And anyone who fails to cite it when writing about drug trafficking in Central America will provoke raised eyebrows. -Peter Andreas, Brown University There is nothing like Bribes, Bullets, and Intimidation in drug-control literature. It covers a region, Central America, that other studies deal with peripherally, if at all. It encompasses a span of time, from ca. 1980 to the present, that will command much attention. The authors make their subject a compelling story, one that is essential to an understanding of recent and contemporary Central America. Julie Bunck and Michael Fowler's exceptional study will appeal to both students and scholars in various disciplines, including history, political science, sociology, and criminal justice. -William O. Walker III, author of Drug Control in the Americas