Another book by an investigative Canadian journalist, this time analysing the piracy phenomenon in Somalia and Puntaland. I wanted to gain understanding of piracy in the 21st century and this book pretty much sated my desire with a very objective and humanistic portrayal of Somalian piracy without the gloss of large media news corporations like Al-Jazeera or CNN. The author found no pirate pleasure domes and Islamic militancy, instead discovered the pirates living in shacks and Islam (for once) actually renouncing piracy, thus making pirates undesired individuals among the local community. For me the most interesting realisation was the way Islam probably worked in helping cultivate vile practices like piracy among African cultures before the West took over.
Jay's pirate comes across as a mildly frightened, impoverished, rebellious, frustrated yet courageous with a fair bit of usual romance attached to the image.
I found this book very original and believable and most of all a welcome respite from mainstream media bullshit propaganda which is frankly becoming impossible to ignore.
Jay's pirate comes across as a mildly frightened, impoverished, rebellious, frustrated yet courageous with a fair bit of usual romance attached to the image.
I found this book very original and believable and most of all a welcome respite from mainstream media bullshit propaganda which is frankly becoming impossible to ignore.
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