The Pirates of Somalia: Inside Their Hidden World

A. I learned quite a bit about Somalia and the pirates. The author spent only about two months in that region but he interviewed many former and current pirates, and others concerned, and came away with something to present to the English-reading world. Q. What did you learn? A. Well, Bahadur, from the beginning of the book, indicates that other nations, western nations and Asian nations, were in Somalian waters fishing for lobster, especially, and other fish, using tactics that would lead to the eventual disappearance of these forms of sea life. Thus, the pirates, in his estimation, began with the goal of stopping these depredations. However, he makes it clear by the end of the book that this original generation of pirates has been replaced by a much more dangerous group of younger pirates, who probably wouldn't know a fish net from a hair net. Q. So things are changing fast in that area? A. Yes. He predicts that the violence in Somalian piracy will increase in the next five years, as will the ransom payouts. But remember that less than 1% of the ships traversing this corridor are successfully hijacked. This corridor is the Gulf of Aden. I also learned that Somalia, and Puntland, which was at one time part of Somaliland, are very disorganized and impoverished, politically, the Puntland moreso than Somaliland. Bahadur reports that the entire Puntland annual budget is about $22 million, an absurdly low amount for any modern nation. Thus, it's no wonder that they have absolutely no public services. They have a type of police, but even they don't always get their paychecks, the government is so poor. Police can be an integral part of the piracy. Q. I guess they don't have any public libraries, then? A. It's not a widely literate or educated country, clearly. Also, the unemployment rate is quite high, and that's one reason why the young men turn to piracy. Bahadur reports that most of the on-ship hijackers are between 18 and 25, though the financial backers are much older, maybe those from the first generation of pirates. Q. So is the book worth reading or not? A. For the general reader without a specific interest in this topic, maybe not. But if you like to explore different topics, various topics, including journalist's memoirs from parts of the world where you would not personally go, without a specific purpose, then this is a good book to read.

From The Sample alone I find this book gives you an Excellent inside to what goes on in Somalia and their Pirates

Loved reading this book. Mostly for the mood and scenery it sets, not so much for the hard facts.