Pirates & Privateers: Books for Adults~Modern Piracy

The Brutal Seas: Organised Crime at Work
by Douglas Stewart
AuthorHouse, 2006, ISBN 978-1-4259-8710-7, US $14.50
(Also available in German under the title Piraten)

A solicitor and author, Douglas Stewart explores the world of maritime piracy and organized crime in this non-fiction book that begins:

Even as you read this book, mariners somewhere are being attacked by armed pirates, their faces masked and the weapons deadly. Some may be murdered, tortured, seized as a hostage or simply dumped overboard to sink or swim. Attacks have become increasingly violent, the profits of crime ever greater. International law enforcement has yet to show sufficient concerted will to beat organized crime at sea.

The idea for this book comes about as he is researching a novel. It is one of the few books on maritime crime that explores piracy, terrorism, and organized crime syndicates in a single volume. It is divided into ten chapters.

“Organised Crime, Corruption and Murder: Pirates at Work” examines the attack on the MV Baltimar Zephyr, Chinese triads, and the mysterious world of Mr. Wong.

“Mass Murder? The Loss of Car Ferry mv Estonia” explores what is known and not known about the sinking of this boat with a high loss of life.

“Swimming with Sharks: The Tragedy of the Lisa Marie” is about a maritime fraud case involving a cargo of cigarettes.

“Piracy in Port: A Tale of Two Guns” looks at several instances of piracy, including the raid that results in the death of Peter Blake, and whether guns should be carried on ships and boats as a defense against attacks.

“Shipping Fraud of the Century? The Salem Scam Unravelled” discusses a crime arranged by Greek shippers in an attempt to profit from a cargo of oil.

“Death Doesn’t Matter: The mv Lucona” details how an Austrian arranges for a vessel and her cargo to be blown up at sea without regard to the crew aboard.

“The Chinese Enigma” examines two pirate attacks on cargo vessels and China’s role in abetting and curbing maritime piracy.

“People-Smuggling and the Shame of Rape Island” discusses the trafficking of humans, piratical attacks on boat people, and the wanton rape of innocent women enslaved for the pirates’ pleasure.

“Bodies in the Fridge: The Phantom Journeys of Erria Inge” explores the hijacking of a cargo vessel and the mystery of the bodies found in her hold once she finally resurfaces.

“Terrorism at Sea: When and Not If” attempts to assess the danger, evaluate the safety of maritime trade and travel since 11 September 2001, and discusses reforms to curb terrorism.

To gather background and information about this topic, Stewart speaks at length with Eric Ellen (retired Chief Constable of the Port of London Police Authority and the founder the International Maritime Bureau (IMB)), Shiao Lin (a former Taiwanese Police Inspector and a key investigator for the IMB), and Captain Pottengal Mukundan (current Director of the IMB).

The weakest part of the book is the inclusion of mv Estonia because there is no solid evidence to categorize the sinking of the car ferry as a criminal act. I discuss this with the author and he says, “I remain of the view that this ship was sunk for commercial or political reasons by a serious conspiracy and was therefore mass murder at sea.” It remains an interesting case and some decisions certainly seem to indicate that somebody doesn’t want the facts to become known, but because it appears as the second chapter, it slows the pace and makes me constantly wonder whether I should keep reading. I did, and subsequent chapters prove to be on point and quite interesting.

Since the author is British, there are occasions when a word or the spelling of a word may seem strange to Americans, but most readers will have no problem understanding the text. There are instances, however, where the text will have benefited from a copyeditor’s proofing. Acronyms are not spelled out the first time they are used, which makes it difficult for the uninitiated to know what they mean.

Despite these drawbacks, The Brutal Seas is an intriguing glimpse into piracy, organized crime, and terrorism in the maritime world. It also examines how the criminals are pursued and punished, when possible. Perhaps best of all, it demonstrates the difficulties law enforcement encounters when pursuing and prosecuting these people.

Meet the author

Review Copyright ©2007 Cindy Vallar

Contemporary Maritime Piracy: International Law, Strategy, and Diplomacy at Sea
by James Kraska
Praeger, 2011, ISBN 978-0-313-38724-1, US $49.95

In seven chapters, Kraska examines maritime piracy today, focusing on existing laws and evolving strategies the United States Navy employs in dealing with this problem. Chapter one covers the history of piracy from ancient times through the early 18th century. Modern piracy in Asian and East African waters is the focus of the second chapter. Chapter three looks at the International Maritime Bureau, the International Maritime Organization, and shipboard security. Naval strategy and policy is found in the next chapter, while international law is discussed in the fifth chapter. Subsequent sections concern diplomatic partnerships to curb the problem and the complexities of prosecuting pirates today. Notes follow at the end of each chapter and the appendix includes primary documents relevant to the discussions within the text. There is also an index.

Commander Kraska is eminently qualified to write this analysis, having assisted in the development of America’s policy on piracy, particularly as it pertains to the legal and diplomatic sides of the issue. He writes succinctly, covering the essential facts, elaborating where necessary, yet never straying from providing a gripping assessment for readers seeking a well-written perspective on addressing maritime threats, or the casual reader who’s looking for a quality overview on the topic. This is an important reference for those seeking information on legal tools and naval strategies to use in the fight against piracy.

Maritime Private Security
Market Responses to Piracy, Terrorism and Waterborne Security Risks in the 21st Century
edited by Claude Berube and Patrick Cullen
Routledge, 2012, ISBN 978-0-415-68862-8, US & CAN $135.00 / UK £80.00
Also available in other formats

As Rear Admiral Terence McKnight points out in his foreword to this volume, piracy has confronted the United States since our first days as a new nation. Our first war following independence involves repeated attacks on our merchant shipping by Barbary pirates. Then, much of our defensive policies at sea rely on the private sector. The contributors here demonstrate how we have come full circle to once again incorporate private security in defense of our borders and merchant shipping. They also show how private security companies have evolved and changed to meet the growing maritime risks that our seamen face, as well as “the inability or unwillingness for sovereign states to adequately respond to them.” The result is to suggest ways in which these private entities may be used “as a tool to mitigate them.” (3)

Each essay is authored by someone eminently qualified to speak on the subject. The contributors include academicians, maritime security analysts, and security professionals. This collection is divided into five parts and sixteen chapters:

Part I. The historical and contemporary market in maritime private security services

1. Editors’ introduction: the emergence of maritime private security by Claude G. Berube and Patrick Cullen
2. The United States’ use of maritime private security from the War of Independence to the 21st century by James Jay Carafano
3. Surveying the market in maritime private security services by Patrick Cullen
4. Private gunboats on the horizon? Private security and contemporary naval presence by Christopher Spearin

Part II. The emergence of private anti-piracy escorts in the commercial sector

5. Commercial anti-piracy escorts in the Malacca Strait by Carolin Liss
6. Private security at sea: a customer’s perspective by Gordon Evans Van Hook
7. Anti-piracy escorts in the Gulf of Aden: problems and prospects by Claude G. Berube
8. Legal considerations for private naval company armed anti-piracy escorts by Mark Tempest

Part III. The privatization of Coast Guard services

9. Privatized maritime security governance in war-torn Sierra Leone by Patrick Cullen
10. Private security, maritime protection and surveillance in Somaliland by Stig Hansen
11. Private security fighting pirates and illegal fishing in Puntland by Christopher Kinsey
12. Securing the offshore oil industry in the Gulf of Guinea by Roger Hawkes

Part IV. Private security responses to maritime terrorism

13. Maritime terrorism: scope, dimensions and potential threat contingencies by Peter Chalk
14. Commercial risk consulting and management in the maritime sector by Elke Krahmann
15. Integrating private security into port security in a post-9/11 environment by Bill DeWitt
16. Maritime eco-extremism reconsidered: understanding fourth generation eco-warriors in the modern media age by Brendon J. Mills and Howard R. Ernst

Part V. Conclusions and future directions

The hope is that “our readers will emerge with a new appreciation and a broad understanding of the shape and significance of this emergent maritime subsector of the private security industry, and its relationship to the waterborne risks of the twenty-first century.” (11)

The essays are easy to comprehend, but include succinct summaries of the salient points readers need to quickly grasp the content. The print and online resources contained in the chapter notes, which appear at the end of each chapter, provide readers with additional avenues to explore. Several figures and tables are included in two of the essays. The editors conclude this volume with a lengthy bibliography and an index.

The majority of content has specific relevance to students of maritime piracy today. Carafano’s historical recap of the use of private security (privateers) in defense of our nation is particularly compelling. Chalk’s comparison between terrorism and piracy is equally gripping. The title of this forty-eighth volume in the case series Naval Policy and History may make Maritime Private Security seem dry and pedantic. It is actually quite engrossing. It is a must read for anyone interested in how today’s world economy and society influence combating piracy and maritime terrorism now and in the future.

Pirate State: Inside Somalia’s Terrorism at Sea
by Peter Eichstaedt
Lawrence Hill Books, 2010, ISBN 978-1-56976-311-7, US $24.95 / CAN $27.95

While in Khartoum, Sudan for a workshop in 2008, Peter Eichstaedt reads a magazine article about Somali pirates who attack a Ukrainian ship carrying tanks. They also attack and ransom other vessels, including tankers and cargo ships, cruise liners, and yachts. The article stirs several questions in his mind: Are these pirates truly a legion of desperate fishermen bloodying the noses of global shipping companies on a daily basis? Is this the work of organized crime syndicates? Is piracy connected to the madness that grips Somalia? The following year, he travels around East Africa in search of answers. He reveals what he finds and experiences in this book, which he divides into twelve chapters.

Prologue: The Pirates’ Call
1. Attack on the Alabama
2. Pirates and Prisons
3. Cauldron of Chaos
4. Method to the Madness
5. Inside a Hijacking
6. Nightmare on the Delta
7. Ten Months in Hell
8. Malaise in Mombassa
9. Desperation at Dadaab
10. Haven for Terror
11. Fighting Back
12. Sailors Take Warning
Epilogue: A Modest Proposal

The book includes chapter notes, maps, photographs, and an index. The interviews and quotes from those involved in piracy, as well as those who have dealt with the pirates, are the strengths of this volume. The weaknesses are the author’s digression into Nigerian piracy and the interviews at Dadaab, a Somali refugee camp in Kenya.

There have been a number of books published on this topic since Maersk Alabama, the first American ship attacked by Somali pirates, but what sets Pirate State apart from those is that Eichstaedt presents the subject from a variety of perspectives that give a well-rounded and more comprehensive look at the problem through the eyes of those who have been there – the pirates, their victims, and those who attempt to combat the problem through legal means or the use of force. Perhaps one of the most telling sentences in the book is found in the epilogue: “Shipping interests act as if piracy can be ignored and that it will go away. It won’t.”

Anyone interested in knowing more about Somali piracy – those involved, the causes, and the attacks – will find Pirate State an interesting and absorbing book that explores beneath the surface through interviews with those directly involved. Readers leave with a better understanding of the problem and that it won’t be resolved anytime soon.

Pirates of the 21st Century: How Modern-day Buccaneers Are Terrorising the World’s Oceans
by Nigel Cawthorne
John Blake, 2010, ISBN 978-1-84454-807-1, US $16.95 / UK £11.99

In November 2008, Sirius Star, sailed 500 miles off the coast of East Africa – beyond the danger zone the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) warned merchantmen of when sailing these pirate-infested waters. Despite following the IMB’s recommended protocols, her captain and crew found themselves facing well-armed Somalis who seized the supertanker. Never before had these pirates ventured this far into international waters to capture a vessel.

One evening of the following March, Malcolm Robertson and his wife were moored off southern Thailand. After midnight, Burmese pirates snuck aboard. In the ensuing scuffle, Malcolm was killed and his body thrown overboard. The intruders plundered the vessel, and then left in the boat’s dinghy. Linda managed to free herself and get to safety.

These are but two of the tales recounted in Cawthorne’s book. As he writes in the introduction:

. . . most piracy takes place in areas where people are poor. Their livelihood has been taken from them by globalisation, civil unrest or war. There, men turn to piracy simply to survive and often go to great lengths to ensure that the crews of the vessels they seize are not hurt. Even The Economist and The Times have compared the modern-day buccaneers to Robin Hood. But that’s not the whole story . . . (ix-x)

Half of this account concentrates on Somali piracy, with a heavy emphasis on firsthand accounts from the perspective of the victims, the rescuers, and the pirates themselves. In this way, Cawthorne slowly reveals the strategies and techniques used, as well as why the Somalis claim they have been forced to become pirates.

The book suffers from a number of weaknesses in its presentation. In separating the events involving Sirius Star into two separate chapters, there is a lot of redundancy. While making readers aware of the problem, Cawthorne incorporates an overabundance of incidents, rather than examining modern piracy in any depth. A sufficient number of missing words and incomplete sentences demonstrates that copyediting was slack before the book went to press. While other regions of the world are included, more than half of the episodes reported occur prior to the 21st century. No index or list of consulted resources is provided. Pirates of the 21st Century clearly demonstrates that modern-day pirates are not akin to Robin Hood, yet choosing to end the book on a “lighter moment,” seems to trivialize the dangerous threat these criminals impose to merchant seamen and pleasure boaters.

Despite these flaws, the author presents an engrossing introduction to modern-day piracy. The inclusion of quotes from those involved is a particular strength because they provide well-rounded perspectives from those directly involved in pirate attacks. Another is the fact that this book focuses on occurrences involving Europeans, rather than just Americans, which gives readers a better understanding on how global this problem is. It also shows how the problem of piracy isn’t reserved just for ships involved in moving the world’s commodities from one port to another. Cawthorne incorporates the dangers that yachtsmen also face – an aspect of piracy often overlooked in other volumes on this subject.

Pirates of the 21st Century: How Modern-day Buccaneers Are Terrorising the World’s Oceans
by Nigel Cawthorne
John Blake, 2010, ISBN 978-1-84454-807-1, US $16.95 / UK £11.99

review by Jeff Pearlman

"It is fun," said one pirate, "an adventure like James Bond."

Pirates of the 21st Century is a book that metaphorically is as wide as an ocean but as shallow as a stream. Cawthorne does go into some detail when writing about some well-known incidents, such as the capture of Sirius Star and the escape of the cruise ship Seaborn Spirit. Mostly, he gives the reader dozens of incidents involving not only huge cargo vessels but private yachts as well. His point, I believe, is to show the reader how pervasive modern piracy has become and the reasons for its growth. However, there are just too many brief accounts.

Explored in this book are the frequent attacks on the Indian Ocean which have been in the news most often. I am glad that other trouble spots such as the Malacca Straits, the Caribbean, and the South China Sea are also addressed.

Cawthorne often repeats certain points in different chapters. Telling us how piracy off the coast of Somalia begins because of European countries dumping their toxic materials into the Indian Ocean and spoiling the rich fishing grounds upon which many natives depend is repeated frequently.

The chapter entitled “Portrait of the Pirates” was most informative, however, I suggest that it be the first chapter. It would be important to know the personality of these characters before citing various attacks.

One of the most frightening incidents was the explosion of the French oil tanker Limburg in the Gulf of Aden. Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility and Osama bin Laden made a very similar statement against the West right after USS Cole blew up in the port of Aden in October of 2000.

Cawthorne's strengths are in his description of the pancungs or small boats that the pirates employ and their methods of boarding the much larger ships that are their prey.

His writing about phantom ships, which pirates use, is very interesting. These are vessels that after capture are repainted, reflagged, and recertified to continue to operate illegally. Our hearts are moved by the harrowing tales of families on private yachts who are often attacked. These defenseless people are sometimes murdered or, if lucky, are simply robbed of all their possessions and left alone.

These modern pirates are unafraid of capture, Cawthorne writes. Jurisdictional problems have resulted due to the multinational makeup of the crew, the ship being registered in a different country, and insurance companies too willing to pay the ransom. More often than not these pirates are not tried at all. Only Kenya and lately the Seychelles have been willing to adjudicate such crimes.

According to Mr. Cawthorne, piracy will continue to grow unless countries work in unison to eradicate these heinous crimes. China and Indonesia have recently joined the coalition in the Indian Ocean and the Malacca Straits. In the case of Somalia, Cawthorne believes only a stable government will halt the growing menace. (Somalia has been without such a government since 1991.)

Nigel Cawthorne's Pirate of the 21st Century is a wonderful book for the casual reader. If one seeks depth and detailed reasoning about the nature of piracy and more on the root causes, this volume falls short. The book lacks a bibliography and annotations to urge the reader to continue to explore this phenomenon that is creating a toll in human and property loss, as well as a possible threat to our environment.

Cover Art: Pirates,
Ports, and
Coasts in
Asia

Pirates, Ports, and Coasts in Asia: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives
edited by John Kleinen and Manon Osseweijer
International Institute for Asian Studies (The Netherlands) & Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (Singapore)
2010, ISBN 978-981-4279-07-9, Singapore $59.90 / US $49.90
Also available in other formats

Divided into three parts, this book collects presentations given at a conference in Shanghai in 2005, and is the fourth installment in the series Maritime Issues and Piracy in Asia. The contributors – historians, researchers, anthropologists, and professors – are eminently qualified to enlighten readers on the various topics on which they expound.

Part 1: Introduction

1.    Pirates, Ports, and Coasts in Asia by John Kleinen and Manon Osseweijer
2.    Piracy in Asian Waters: Problems of Definition by Michael Pearson

Part 2: East Asia

3.    Giang Binh: Pirate Haven and Black Market on the Sino-Vietnamese Frontier, 1780-1802 by Robert J. Antony
4.    Tonkin Read for China Front: The Dutch East India Company’s Strategy for the North-Eastern Vietnamese Ports in the 1660s by Hoang Anh Tuan
5.    South Fujian the Disputed Coast, Power and Counter-power by Paola Calanca
6.    Maritime Piracy through a Barbarian Lens: Punishment and Representation (the S.S. Namoa Hijack Case, [1890-91])

Part 3: Southeast Asia

7.    Violence and Armed Robbery in Indonesian Seas by Adrian B. Lapian
8.    Robbers and Traders: Papuan Piracy in the Seventeenth Century by Gerrit Knaap
9.    The Port of Jolo: International Trade and Slave Raiding by James Warren
10.   Pirates in the Periphery: Eastern Sulawesi 1720-1905
11.   Suppressing Piracy in Asia: Decolonization and International Relations in a Maritime Border Region (the Sulu Sea), 1959-63 by Stefan Eklöf Amirell
12.   Contemporary Maritime Piracy in the Waters off Semporna by Carolin Liss
13. Piracy in Contemporary Sulu: An Ethnographical Case Study by Ikuya Tokoro

The three facets which these contributors examine are intricately intertwined – various groups of people live in the ports and on the coasts, while pirates interact with and victimize them all. Of particular import to any reader of Asian piracy is to understand that it differs from the western concept of piracy, and this is pointed out not only at the beginning of the book but also in several of the essays. (One term that is new to me is “froth of the sea,” a term that denotes pirates on the South China coast in the past.) These essays focus on the relationship between pirates, ports, and coasts from various historical perspectives, as well as the links between piracy and organized crime, such as smuggling, trafficking in drugs and people, and taking hostages.

Each chapter provides a list of references that are predominantly in English, although other languages are also represented. The essays hold the reader’s interest without being overly pedantic. Source notes, tables, and photographs are also provided in some cases. While each provides important information, the essay I find most intriguing involves the attack on SS Namoa, and the photograph of the subsequent execution of the pirates. Also of special note is Ikuya Tokoro’s essay, for he interviews (ex-)pirates to obtain firsthand information for his studies. An index is also included.

When combined with the previous titles in this series, readers and researchers of this region are provided with a comprehensive “overview of the current knowledge and key themes in piracy studies.” This volume is a worthy addition to any collection that deals with Asian piracy, and the information it contains adds significantly to English-language studies on the topic from a variety of perspectives.

Violence at Sea: Piracy in the Age of Global Terrorism
edited by Peter Lehr
Routledge, 2007, ISBN 0-415-95320-0, US $125.00

Although some history books lead readers to assume that piracy ends by the 20th century, it never really disappears. Other topics merely take precedence because it isn’t as major a problem as it has been in the past. In the last several decades, however, there has been an increase in pirate attacks. After 11 September 2001, fears that pirates and terrorists may combine forces have brought maritime piracy to a higher level of focus. This collection of eleven essays explores these topics from a variety of perspectives.

The first three essays discuss where the piratical threat is high and why. While political unrest is key, it remains only one factor that has led to the upsurge in attacks.

Somalia: Pirates’ New Paradise by Peter Lehr and Hendrick Lehmann
Sea Piracy in South Asia by Vijay Sakhuia
Piracy in Maritime Asia: Current Trends by Graham Gerard Ong-Webb

The next series expounds on how pirates take advantage of the opportunities that permit them to successfully – for the most part – conduct their raids. Several authors also compare and contrast those groups that feature aspects of both piracy and terrorism.

Compound Piracy at Sea in the Early Twenty-First Century: A Tactical to Operational-Level Perspective on Contemporary Multiphase Piratical Methodology by Rupert Herbert Burns
The Abu Sayyaf Group: Threat of Maritime Piracy and Terrorism by Rommel C. Banlaoi
The Emerging Nexus between Piracy and Maritime Terrorism in Southeast Asia Waters: A Case Study on the Gerakan Aceh Merdeka (GAM) by Jeffrey Chen

The final four essays examine how governments and people have reacted to the increased attacks, and what the near future holds as it relates to piracy and terrorism. An essential component of this examination is whether or not the anti-piracy measures that have been adopted have helped or hindered the worldwide efforts to suppress this maritime threat.

Piracy and UNCLOS: Does International Law Help Regional States Combat Piracy? by Martin Murphy
The International Politics of Combating Piracy in Southeast Asia by Chris Rahman
Pirates, Renegades, and Fishermen: The Politics of “Sustainable” Piracy in the Strait of Malacca by J. N. Mak
Piracy and Maritime Terrorism: Naval Responses to Existing and Emerging Threats to the Global Seaborne Economy by Robert Snoddon
Outlook: The New Threat of Maritime Terrorism by Sam Bateman

All the essays are informative and cause the reader to think about the problems facing mariners and nations. A few are pedantic, making it difficult to follow the discussion, but most are easy to understand. The question as to whether terrorism and piracy are the same or different is covered from both perspectives, allowing readers to formulate their own conclusions. Charts, graphs, resources, and an index are included, as are the contributors’ qualifications for their writing on these particular subjects. One caveat that readers should keep in mind is that some of statistics and facts aren’t up-to-date. This in no way detracts from the value of the book, especially for those who don’t keep abreast of modern-day piracy.

For me, one of the most thought-provoking statements in all the essays appears in Robert Snoddon’s “Piracy and Maritime Terrorism: Naval Responses to Existing and Emerging Threats to the Global Seaborne Economy.” It epitomizes how many people view piracy and explains why this threat remains a danger to anyone who sails the waters of our world. “[Maritime terrorism events] that have occurred have been particularly lethal, and the incidents have spurred governments into taking direct action, whereas reported acts of piracy appear to spur governments only to pontificate about who the perpetrators are. In some areas piracy is considered an annoying activity that is ignored in the hope that, sooner or later, it will go away.”

The War for Muddy Waters: Pirates, Terrorists, Traffickers, and Maritime Insecurity
by Joshua Tallis
Naval Institute Press, 2019, ISBN 978-1-68247-420-4, US $34.95

To truly understand this book’s content, it is essential to understand three points. First, the term “maritime security” lacks a definitive meaning; it connotes one thing to some, another thing to others, depending on who is explaining what it encompasses. Second, the word “littoral” once refers to the water surrounding a nation’s coast. At one time, this extends three miles from the shore; later that distance is extended to twelve. But it encompasses more than just the water, coming to incorporate a portion of the land, people, and economy near the water. For example, if a littoral extends 200 miles inland, this means that “75 percent of the world’s population, 80 percent of capital cities, and practically ‘all major centres of international trade and military power’” lay within this littoral, which turns this area into a more inviting target for terrorists and other criminals. (3)

Third, “broken windows theory” is a way of explaining the connection between the growth of crime in and the decay of urban neighborhoods. For example, if the window of an establishment is broken and then repaired, those who live there take pride in their community and flourish. If, however, the broken window is not repaired, it can lead to other windows being broken, a lack of caring, a growth of fear in the inhabitants, and a rise in crime because those breaking the law know there is little or no policing. What the author attempts to do in this book is to apply broken windows theory to littoral regions of the world to show that this criminological principle can be effectively applied to maritime security and thus, provide those tasked with maritime security, such as the United States Navy, with an out-of-the-box method of addressing a danger that all nations already do or will face in the future.

In the past, the navy’s traditional role has been to safeguard its nation’s interests at sea and far from land. This is no longer the case, since nowadays the highest threats impacting nations can be found much closer to home. For example, Tallis recounts the November 2008 attack on Mumbai, India when Pakistani terrorists hijack a fishing trawler, kill the captain, and successfully infiltrate the city and kill 100 people and wound many more.

But applying a theory originally deemed as an appropriate means of policing crime, doesn’t automatically make it applicable to addressing issues of maritime security. This is what Tallis sets out to do in this book. He shows how this theory can be and has been applied to trafficking crimes, as well as how it can impact other types of crimes, such as money laundering and corruption, that are integral to successful criminal enterprises. Then he tests his hypothesis by showing how it can be applied to two regions where maritime piracy threatens maritime security. To achieve his goals of showing that broken windows theory is applicable and to spark new conversations in strengthening maritime security, he begins by exploring the current literature on maritime security and the challenges strategists face. He focuses on the theory itself and elucidates the key themes of the book.

The second part of the book focuses on the Caribbean and the trafficking of cocaine and crimes tangentially connected to drug smuggling. By the conclusion of these three chapters, he successfully provides readers with the necessary foundation to test his conclusions in part three, where he integrates piracy into the broken windows theory. This section is divided into two chapters, one that examines West African piracy – a relatively new region for this crime – and then moves to Southeast Asia, which has been combatting piracy with varying degrees of success for centuries.

Tallis readily admits that his book isn’t geared toward the general lay reader. He identifies his audience as being either researchers or naval strategists. This doesn’t make the material less interesting to other readers, but it is written in a more academic style than a down-to-earth book on modern maritime piracy, such as John Burnett’s Dangerous Waters or Jay Badahur’s The Pirates of Somalia. What makes The War for Muddy Waters an invaluable addition to collections on modern piracy is that Tallis uses a different approach to examine and address dangers that navies and nations face today and in the future. Since pirates and terrorists have access to modern technologies and tend to think outside normal parameters to achieve their goals, it makes sense that those who study maritime security issues and devise strategies to address these issues should do so as well.