The Desert and the Sea
977 Days Captive on the Somali Pirate Coast
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The Desert and the Sea
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Narrated by:
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Corey Snow
About this listen
Michael Scott Moore, a journalist and the author of Sweetness and Blood, incorporates personal narrative and rigorous investigative journalism in this profound and revelatory memoir of his three-year captivity by Somali pirates - a riveting, thoughtful, and emotionally resonant exploration of foreign policy, religious extremism, and the costs of survival.
In January 2012, having covered a Somali pirate trial in Hamburg for Spiegel Online International - and funded by a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting - Michael Scott Moore traveled to the Horn of Africa to write about piracy and ways to end it. In a terrible twist of fate, Moore himself was kidnapped and subsequently held captive by Somali pirates. Subjected to conditions that break even the strongest spirits - physical injury, starvation, isolation, terror - Moore’s survival is a testament to his indomitable strength of mind. In September 2014, after 977 days, he walked free when his ransom was put together by the help of several US and German institutions, friends, colleagues, and his strong-willed mother.
Yet Moore’s own struggle is only part of the story: The Desert and the Sea falls at the intersection of reportage, memoir, and history. Caught between Muslim pirates, the looming threat of Al-Shabaab, and the rise of ISIS, Moore observes the worlds that surrounded him - the economics and history of piracy; the effects of post-colonialism; the politics of hostage negotiation and ransom; while also conjuring the various faces of Islam - and places his ordeal in the context of the larger political and historical issues.
A sort of Catch-22 meets Black Hawk Down, The Desert and the Sea is written with dark humor, candor, and a journalist’s clinical distance and eye for detail. Moore offers an intimate and otherwise inaccessible view of life as we cannot fathom it, brilliantly weaving his own experience as a hostage with the social, economic, religious, and political factors creating it. The Desert and the Sea is wildly compelling and a book that will take its place next to titles like Den of Lions and Even Silence Has an End.
©2018 Michael Scott Moore (P)2018 HarperCollins PublishersWhat listeners say about The Desert and the Sea
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- S
- 07-05-2020
A phenomenal account
What are the chances that a very talented writer and storyteller (who was already well acclaimed for his literary achievements) would be taken hostage by pirates.? Well they’re pretty decent chances considering where the author was at the time of capture. But this is an exceptional story retold by an exceptional storyteller. Although quite different in some ways, I put it up there with ‘Canoeing the Congo’ as the best nonfiction account I’ve heard as an audiobook. Incredible circumstances recorded in an incredible story. Since finishing this audiobook two months ago I still often think of Michael, Roley, and everyone else that endured the reality of modern piracy.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Richard
- 14-08-2018
absolutely fascinating
This is a unique and fascinating story. It's well written and eye-opening. YOU MUST LISTEN TO THIS!
Also go to youtube and search for his interview with Joe Rogan. That's how I heard about the book. Well done Michael.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Zaak
- 20-01-2021
Experience through another's eyes
I was initially unsure how this book would connect with me, but almost immediately I was taken in and enjoyed every detail Michael provided. The format and extra notes in his writing really show that he not only has an amazing story to tell, but is also a professional writer.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 19-11-2020
crazy story,
Excellent book, well narrated, engaging content, great insight, and easy to listen too. Not knowing much about Somali i found this story made me want to know more. I feel like the author could have added even more detail regarding some events but obviously i cannot blame him for leaving it out.
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