Mark Brandon Read

Chopper Read, real name Mark Brandon Read (born November 17, 1954), is a former Australian criminal and author. Convicted of many crimes including armed robbery, firearm offences, assault and kidnapping, Read spent a mere 13 months outside prison between the ages of 20 and 38, then went on to become a successful author of crime novels, selling in excess of 500,000 copies of his works. More recently, he has also found success as an artist.