Why I quit my job at NY Times and became a Balkan gangster...

Ever dreamed of changing the world? Daniel Simpson shows how not to do it.

His memoir charts a gonzo career at The New York Times. Ambitious and idealistic, he was hired to report on the Balkans but quit within months, freaked out by his editor’s zeal for starting wars.

Disillusioned, Daniel went to Belgrade. Together with the charismatic G, who’d appeared one night in lavish puffs of dope smoke, he decided to organize Serbia’s version of Woodstock: a festival on an island in the Danube.

Music could revolutionize the country. It was run by a wartime mafia, and most young people dreamed of leaving. But what if they made it Ibiza crossed with Glastonbury? To fund this transition, they hustled Daniel’s contacts, but shady local businessmen had other ideas. Mr Big muscled in, and embroiled with them with his henchmen.

Why do good intentions go awry? With brutally honest humor, Daniel recounts his journey to the edge, and a desperate drug-fuelled quest for the truth. "A Rough Guide To The Dark Side" is a real-life trip through organized crime. In essence, it’s Fear and Loathing in the Balkans, but with added bile and an overdose of hubris.


Join Daniel for a reading, signing, and discussion of his book.