Pirates & Privateers: Martin N. Murphy's Books

Internationally recognized as an expert on maritime piracy, Murphy analyzes Somalia and how its waters come to be the most prolific region of pirates today. He also compares this evolution with the Barbary corsairs in Northern Africa, who threaten Mediterranean ships and seamen from the Middle Ages into the 19th century.

Many volumes on Somali piracy focus only on that and fail to examine how historical events impact the people and culture. Murphy provides a comprehensive examination through twenty-eight chapters. Also included are a list of abbreviations, map, notes, and an index.

In the early 1990s, the International Maritime Bureau designates the waters off Somalia as one of the most pirate infested in the world. Many scholars blame this on the country being a “failed state,” yet that alone cannot be the cause of piracy as Murphy shows in his comparison to piracy in Indonesia. He then lists what common bonds piracy-prone areas share before returning to how piracy evolves into its current situation in Somalia. His overall rationale is “to examine whether or not state failure is a useful and accurate explanation” for this piracy, and he does so through a review of “the history, motivation, organization, criminal methods, and operational tactics of the Somali pirates.” (3) He also explores terrorism as it relates to the maritime world here. While highlighting various attacks, he puts this type of crime into perspective globally. The narrative clearly shows that just because the state has failed doesn’t mean that governing is nonexistent. To round out this assessment, Murphy discusses why legal prosecution of these criminals is such a problem.

After providing a well-rounded investigation into Somalia, Murphy compares this region to that of the Barbary States. This interesting chapter shows the similarities and differences, as well as the lessons that can be learned in studying these two regions and periods. Perhaps the strongest and most succinct paragraph is the closing one in the final chapter. This summary epitomizes what was and is true, not only as regards Somalia but also other regions to come where we must and need to fight piracy.

Read an interview with the authors