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
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Written by:
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Michael Scott Moore
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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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Dana
- 2022-03-21
Unimaginable
This story is so completely unimaginable that is seems unreal. Knowing that it is real takes a told on you. While some of it is dry, the story as a whole is wonderful. The strength and honesty that comes through is inspirational.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jared Inkster
- 2022-08-18
great story, a little long
great story to follow, but he goes almost daily/weekly and it gets a bit long. I skipped a lot in the middle and was still content with the story and ending.
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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
- Roberta W
- 2024-04-04
A great listen
Wow, what an incredible and terrifying experience Michael had. I am so grateful that he documented it. I can hardly imagine being kidnapped in such a manner, but to survive almost three years in captivity… so many traumatizing moments. I appreciated how he shared his inner journey and also what it was like to begin to integrate back into society. Highly recommended.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Alex Sims
- 2019-09-16
Started strong, long drawn out finish
The build up and kidnapping held my attention. The story after is however as long and drawn out as his captivity...because that is what it is about. I lost interest half way through but finished just to tick it off the list.
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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
- SamDC
- 2018-09-28
A glimpse to human soul. Thank you Michael.
You have made a mistake, mistakes are human. Most memorable and deeply meaning full phrase from the whole book.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Codey
- 2018-10-15
unreal book
If your a person who thinks life is tough have a listen to this book and it might make you a little bit more humble and give you better ability to enjoy the little things
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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
- Travis P.
- 2023-01-19
Crazy
Pretty good listen, couldn’t imagine being in his shoes and how much stress he and the other captives endured during their years of being held.
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