Synopses & Reviews
For the first time in history, the navies of every superpower on the planet have united against a common enemy—a couple thousand ragtag underfed men and boys. Crammed together in tiny open boats, they range up to a thousand miles away from their home shores. Armed with ancient AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenades, they scour the western Indian Ocean. No one knows how many simply die at sea. But occasionally these modern-day pirates hit the jackpot, seizing vessels and crews that will be ransomed for millions of dollars. This is a war that's estimated to cost the world economy eighteen billion dollars every year and has so far seemed impossible to win.
A lawyer turned filmmaker, John Boyle builds up the story of the Somali pirates using his experiences on the ground while filming for National Geographic, as well as interviews with key figures, including prosecution and defense lawyers, a prison governor, pirates serving life sentences, freed hostages, and a skipper of a Maersk containership identical to that captured in the Captain Phillips film. Each chapter strips back the well-known issues to the gritty realities beneath: Somalia's recent history; why young men and boys are choosing to risk their lives and freedom at sea; the reality of being a modern-day pirate; the tactics and technologies being used by the international navies and shipping vessels; capture and trial; and what happens next.
Synopsis
The first book to look at the issue of modern-day piracy from every angle and to hear the voices from every side of the war—from pirate to president, from hostage to those fighting the battle.
Synopsis
For the first time in history, the navies of the world have united against a common enemy--a couple of thousand rag-tag, underfed men and boys in the western Indian Ocean. Crammed into open boats and armed with ancient AK-47s, they range up to a thousand miles from home shores in Somalia. No one knows how many die at sea. But occasionally they hit the jackpot, seizing vessels and crews to be ransomed for millions of dollars. This is a war that's estimated to have cost the world economy as much as eighteen billion dollars in a single year.
Lawyer turned award-winning filmmaker John Boyle takes us with him in this investigation into modern-day piracy. We meet all those involved--from pirates to presidents, naval commanders to negotiators and heroes to hostages. He addresses why these young men are choosing to risk their lives and freedom; the reality of life as a pirate; the defense tactics used by the international navies and shipping vessels; and what happens next . . .
About the Author
John Boyle studied at Oxford, then went on to set up his own legal firm, selling it after fifteen years to focus on documentary film production. Over the following twenty-five years, he filmed and produced over thirty documentaries, which have sold worldwide. Current projects include a film on rhino poaching in South Africa, a documentary for the BBC, and an underwater series in Mexico for National Geographic.