Not my favorite. Author is someone I could not admire for being a whistle blower (self-serving, arrogant, played the same system until it no longer wanted him, then he needed revenge). But at the same time Yeah! I'm glad someone made the self serving banking system pay! Ugh!! Worth a read if you are into this type of thing.

Really liked this book and its insight into Swiss banking. Really, it makes me a little afraid of what banks might really be like.

Bradley is an American citizen living in Switzerland and is a private banker. Attracting hundreds of million of $$$ the private world of Swiss banking. Eventually circumstances become such that Bradley decides to become a whistle-blower in the US and expose the long hidden secrets of private banking in Switzerland. Eventually winning a $104 million whistle blower payment.

While I find Bradley arrogant and parts of his book a little on the self centered side, amazing story he brings public and I am a little taken back that he becomes the main person the Department of Justice decides to prosecute. And you won't believe some of the hidden politics he brings up.

***********************************************************************************************************************************************************************

I found it difficult to like the main character Bradley Birkenfeld, he was so full of himself it was nauseating, getting an insight into the banking world was fascinating though.

Bradley rises through the banking world eventually ending up as a private banker in Switzerland, which is where he helped the wealthy avoid paying taxes. He decides to blow the whistle on the corrupt system which lands him in hot water for a while.

Overall a good book but 4 stars instead of 5 because the main character was unlikeable which spoiled it a bit for me.

This tell-all tale of Swiss banking and tax evasion by the super-wealthy is written in the same vein as Frank Abagnale’s Catch Me If You Can. You need to get past the author’s arrogance (and, wow, there’s a lot of that!), self-serving interests and smarter-than-thou attitude and just take in the story. At the beginning, I was ready to just give up as the author is so pretentious and pompous, but then I realized that if he hadn’t been, there wouldn’t be a story after all because “normal” people don’t behave in such a manner.

Birkenfeld is a banker working for UBS in Switzerland, living a life of luxury. He’s happy to do so, and makes no apologies for breaking the rules. It’s what keeps him in the cars, watches and jet-setting lifestyle he craves. However, once he realizes he may be the fall guy, he turns whistleblower. Birkfenfeld was later prosecuted and spent time in a low-security prison. After his release, he received a $104 million reward, which was a percentage of the taxes the IRS was ultimately able to collect.

Read the story and you be the judge. Did he deserve prison time? Did he deserve a reward for his dirty deeds? What about the U.S. judicial system and corruption? Dirty politicians and their political machinations?

I can see this being a movie soon.

Enjoyed the book but not crazy about the author - incredible true story. - a real page turner

Imagine a job where you spend much of your time staying in 5-star hotels, regularly eating at world class restaurants on the company's nickel and jetting off to exotic locales on the weekends. That was Bradley Birkenfeld's world for years as a private banker in Switzerland helping the wealthy evade US income tax. Then UBS issued a memo disavowing the work he and others on the Americas desk did bringing in billions in new money in accordance with its guidelines, and the author exploded.

To expose UBS's role in defrauding the US government, he amassed volumes of documents demonstrating that UBS trained its bankers in how to do the deed. He also compiled a long list of UBS bankers and clients, their contact information and the clients' hidden assets. His goal was to destroy Swiss secret banking and its infamous numbered accounts even if it exposed him to prosecution. And, all because of a memo and some arrogant bosses--the proverbial straw.

The author tells his story as if he were talking to you personally. He shares his unfiltered thoughts, hopes, feelings and political views. He can be a bit juvenile at times and I nearly put the book down after the first chapter, but I am glad I didn't. Birkenfeld's story is fascinating. He is the James Bond of finance.

Although i found the story interesting, i lost interest when the author started slandering Hilary Clinton in anti-semitic terms.