Pirates of the 21st Century: How Modern-Day Buccaneers are Terrorising the World's Oceans

Piracy is rife in the South China Sea and has returned to the Caribbean and South America, and this fascinating book examines how a phenomenon thought to be consigned to history is once again a worldwide problem. It also looks at attacks that have taken place in the Malacca Straits and the fate of the couple making a once-in-a-lifetime trip around the world by yacht, and questions how the international community and its peacekeeping forces can try to bring stability and security back to the oceans. What started as a patrol to combat commercial plundering of Somali fish stocks has now grown into a highly organized and lucrative business. In a war-torn country, the pirates have brought hope and entire villages depend on the wealth that they bring in—they have even been likened to Robin Hood. But these modern-day buccaneers should not be romanticized—their attacks are becoming more violent and they are increasingly in possession of automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades.