Mark Thomas is one of the UK’s most effective and best-known political activists, as well as being a highly successful stand-up comedian. His show « The Mark Thomas Comedy Product » ran for six highly acclaimed series on Channel Four. Amazingly, this is his first book. As Used on the Famous Nelson Mandela is a deeply funny, deeply disturbing account of Mark’s rampage through the arms trade. Under a fairly flimsy disguise and with the use of some worryingly poor accents, Mark managed to set himself up and begin trading as an arms exporter. His account of his encounters, adventures and discoveries provide a shockingly entertaining read. His aim throughout was to change the law. Embedded within the sharpness of his humour is the truth of an industry that causes conflict and poverty in developing countries. He talks to arms dealers, torture victims, manufacturers, interrogators and politicians, and moves through South Africa, Ireland, Saudi Arabia and Indonesia to the Serious Fraud Office. Mark Thomas exposes the laws and loopholes, complacency and greed that are used to make money through persecution, at the expense of the poorest people in the world.
