somalia

At the age of eighteen, Amanda Lindhout moved from her hardscrabble Alberta, Canada hometown to the big city--Calgary--and worked as a cocktail waitress, saving her tips so she could travel the globe. In war-ridden Afghanistan and Iraq she carved out a fledgling career as a TV reporter. And then, in August 2008, she traveled to Mogadishu, Somalia--"the most dangerous place on earth"--to report on the fighting there. On her fourth day in the country, she and her male photojournalist companion were abducted. She is kept in chains, nearly starved, and subjected to unthinkable abuse. She survives by imagining herself in a "house in the sky," looking down at the woman shackled below, and finding strength and hope in the power of her own mind. Upon her release, to counter the violence she endured, she founded an organization to help the Somali people rebuild their country through education.

In 2006, twenty-seven-year-old Jessica Buchanan stepped off a plane in Nairobi, Kenya hoping to help educate African children. By 2009 she had met and married a native swede named Erik Landemalm who worked to coordinate humanitarian aid with authorities in Africa and together they moved from Nairobi to Somalia. On October 25, 2011, Jessica and a colleague were kidnapped by Somali pirates and held for ransom. Jessica was terrorized, held indoors in filthy conditions, and kept on a starvation diet as ransom negotiations dragged on. After ninety-three days, Jessica's deteriorating health was becoming a life-or-death issue and President Obama ordered Navy SEAL Team Six to attempt a rescue operation.

This riveting narrative examines the world of the Somalian pirates: how they live, the forces that have created piracy in Somalia, how they spend the ransom money, and how they deal with their hostages.

Lieutenant Commander Ryan Cross is in charge of a special operations force drawn from every branch of the military, and called the Shadow Squadron--and for their first mission they have to rescue several hostages from Somali pirates.

Explores the crisis of famine and war in Somalia by tracing its evolution through the nation's history and politics.

American journalist Scott Peterson describes the violent events that have torn apart Somalia, Sudan, and Rwanda during the 1990s, including the involvement of the U.S.

Wise Somali leader Wiil Waal asks men to bring him the part of a sheep that symbolizes what can unite men as one.

Presents a diverse selection of primary sources representing all sides of the debate in question about modern-day piracy.

U.S. Army pilot Michael J. Durant describes his harrowing experiences as a prisoner of war after his Blackhawk helicopter was shot down in Somalia in 1993.