0
   

The Gun Runners and another unamed book

 
 
Reply Mon 1 Dec, 2003 03:51 pm
I've tried this before but still never got the books, so here goes. As a kid I found two books that I'd like to own again. They were in the trash and I kept them under my pillow for a week before they were confiscated and burned. They weren't any good but have symbolic significance to me. I know the title of one but do not know the title of the other and since they are not good books they are not easy to find so I'll need help.

The Gun Runners - I'm pretty sure that's the title. It purports to be written by a ex-CIA type. A horrible book that is set in a fiicticious country that resembled Cuba (at least that's what I remember).

Pictures of the cover would help, there are similarly named books that I have found that are not the one I'm looking for. I really want this one since my brother never finished it (I found them so I got to read them first).

The next book is one whose title I don't remember. It's a thin book and I thought it was funny. Some of the scenes are memorable so if I describe them hopefully someone who has seen it can help.

It's about a guy in college (I think it's set in England) and the most memorable scene is the end. He wants to buy condoms and is embarassed (I think it's his first time and he wants to act causal about it).

So he goes to a barbershop to get a haircut and casually ask for condoms (it's supposed to be readily available in barbershops in his town). After the haircut he finds out that there are none there that day and goes to another barber (who notics that his hair had been cut that day and gives a "it takes all sorts" anecdote about a demanding customer he once had) and once again gets his hair cut without being able to buy the condoms.

Then he goes to a bar (or a few) to get them from the vending machine in the bathroom. When that machine is also empty he calls the company (while drunk) and in some misunderstanding he ends up getting a shipment of them (that were supposed to go to the vending machine).

After more dumb stuff (I don't want to write the whole book here) he fills them with gas and lets them out through the chimney (to get rid of them).

They end up raining down allover his campus and the chimney gets blocked up with gas-filled condoms. I think he has sex with the cleaning lady (or someone) and afterward she lights the fireplace and he dies in the explosion.

Anywho, it's a longshot, but I want these books.
  • Topic Stats
  • Top Replies
  • Link to this Topic
Type: Discussion • Score: 0 • Views: 1,781 • Replies: 14
No top replies

 
fishin
 
  1  
Reply Mon 1 Dec, 2003 05:48 pm
Perhaps if people list the versions of "The Gun Runner" that they might be famaliar with you could narrow it down?

I looked a "Hard to find" books site I use and came up with a few:

One written by George A. Birmingham in the 1920s... (He also wrote several other "spy" type books.)

The second was written by Arthur Stringer and dates pre-1910.

The third was written by Sebastian Morales and printed/released in 1975.

Unfortunately they don't have pics of the covers from any of these.
0 Replies
 
Craven de Kere
 
  1  
Reply Mon 1 Dec, 2003 05:59 pm
I'm thinking it must have been 60's or 70's or later. I really have no idea, but it seemed to have been written by someone who had already seen the 50's.

Some of the bookstores in the portalm have those titles for prices around a dollar. I'll just buy all the ones that look really close.
0 Replies
 
Mr Stillwater
 
  1  
Reply Mon 1 Dec, 2003 06:08 pm
Book no.2 is 'Porterhouse Blues' by Tom Sharpe.

Porterhouse Blues at Amazon
0 Replies
 
Craven de Kere
 
  1  
Reply Mon 1 Dec, 2003 06:11 pm
Thanks! As soon as I saw the title it all came back to me!
0 Replies
 
fealola
 
  1  
Reply Mon 1 Dec, 2003 06:15 pm
Could this be a lead?

I googled the following:
Novel: english college student condoms

and came up with this:

http://www.psych.uiuc.edu/~wbrewer/novels.html

Sharpe, Tom (1974) Porterhouse Blue. Secker & Warburg. (reprinted: Atlantic Monthly Press).
(satire of a stuffy Cambridge College, Peterhouse (?), by a guy who teaches at the local nonCambridge Univ. school of Arts and Technology; I read it in Cambridge where I had tears running down my cheeks--but some of that may have been due to its local relevance; the Brits loved it--made it into a TV miniseries--would love to have seen the scene with the explosive condoms)
0 Replies
 
fealola
 
  1  
Reply Mon 1 Dec, 2003 06:16 pm
Laughing Laughing
0 Replies
 
Craven de Kere
 
  1  
Reply Mon 1 Dec, 2003 06:39 pm
Cool, I just bought Porterhouse Blue. Now I just need The Gun Runners
0 Replies
 
fealola
 
  1  
Reply Mon 1 Dec, 2003 06:41 pm
Do you remember any thing else about it besides "fictional Cuba"?
0 Replies
 
Craven de Kere
 
  1  
Reply Mon 1 Dec, 2003 06:48 pm
Not much, I think it was the worst book I've read.

Since it was a string of clichés I can't think of any queries that would set it apart.
0 Replies
 
Craven de Kere
 
  1  
Reply Tue 30 Dec, 2003 01:30 pm
Well I have Porterhouse Blue, but am still having no luck with Gunrunners. Any help would be appreciated.
0 Replies
 
fealola
 
  1  
Reply Tue 30 Dec, 2003 01:43 pm
http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/1904181066.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

What about this one at:

Amazon/UK

Book Description
Follow Chris and Aki as they personally ignite the first explosive instalment of Jono Way's fast paced, Strange Occurrences Series. Chris and Aki journey into the murky depths of the criminal underworld in their bid to become the unrivalled kings of the black-market arms trade.Along the way you'll meet The Gun-Runners, led by the infamous Mr. Fetch, always on the run from the American Govenment's Special Investigations Bureau and always ready for a fire-fight!

Synopsis
Follow Chris and Aki as they personally ignite the first explosive instalment of Jono Way's fast paced, Strange Occurrences Series. Follow Chris and Aki as they personally ignite the first explosive instalment of Jono Way's fast paced, Strange Occurrences Series. Chris and Aki journey into the murky depths of the criminal underworld in their bid to become the unrivalled kings of the black-market arms trade. Along the way you'll meet The Gun-Runners, led by the infamous Mr. Fetch, always on the run from the American Government's Special Investigations Bureau and always ready for a fire-fight! "Strange Occurrences: The Gun-Runners. This thing's an all out, in your face action movie of epic proportions! You're gonna love it!" - Jono Way.
0 Replies
 
Craven de Kere
 
  1  
Reply Tue 30 Dec, 2003 01:57 pm
Nope. :-(

I'm pretty sure it won't be anything you can find on Amazon.
0 Replies
 
fealola
 
  1  
Reply Tue 30 Dec, 2003 02:03 pm
I was sure that would be it! It looks pretty horrible!
0 Replies
 
Craven de Kere
 
  1  
Reply Tue 30 Dec, 2003 02:09 pm
I didn't think it possible but that one actually looks worse! Laughing
0 Replies
 
 

Related Topics

 
  1. Forums
  2. » The Gun Runners and another unamed book
Copyright © 2024 MadLab, LLC :: Terms of Service :: Privacy Policy :: Page generated in 0.03 seconds on 04/26/2024 at 04:33:23