Khat - the narcotic leaves widely consumed by locals - in order to gain their confidence. At one point in his travels, he learns to identify himself not as a Canadian, but as essentially an honoured member of a Somali sub-clan, all the better to break down barriers and talk with people. His grasp of the minutiae of how local clans interact, and his ability to explain this seminal aspect of Somali culture to us, is remarkable. But the fundamental problem is not really the instability of Somalia, but understanding the complexity of its local culture.īahadur overcomes this by having spent a lot of time developing contacts within the country. And many, if not most, of those reports are filed by journalists working outside the country, so fearful are foreigners of the place.

As he puts it, 'Somalia is like a country out of a twisted fairy tale,' a land we only hear about from brief news reports. On landing in the country, the cold reality of where he is immediately hits Bahadur. And he has turned his research into a compelling and insightful book that takes readers into the very communities that harbour these high-seas criminals to meet with many Somalis, including pirates.

He has ventured where few others have gone - be they foreigners or even Somalis - to craft one of the most incisive looks at modern-day piracy yet seen. 'Engaging. a rich, suspenseful account.Bahadur, a young Canadian journalist, has spent the last few years digging into the nefarious world of the pirates who have made Somalia so infamous. Justin Marozzi, author of The Man Who Invented History A brave and timely book that reaches far behind the glib newspaper headlines to uncover the hidden world of Somali piracy.' Takes readers through the evolution of the pirate groups from garrulous, self-proclaimed vigilantes who claim they are protecting Somalia’s waters from illegal fishing vessels to the deadly criminal gangs they are today.' Bahadur has probably spent more time with Somali pirates than just about any other Western researcher or writer.'

'This vivid and intelligent study of Somali pirates uncovers the reckless men behind the nation’s most lucrative business. He has peeked behind the curtain of the pirates of Somalia in their faraway tribal homelands. “Bahadur has borne witness and seen what no other journalist has seen. Selected praise for The Pirates of Somalia

The Pirates of Somalia by Jay Bahadur