Pustynia i morze: 977 dni w niewoli na somalijskim wybrzeżu piratów

by Michael Scott Moore

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.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Africa, Biography, History, True Crime, Crime

480 pages, Paperback

First published July 24, 2018

About the author

Michael Scott Moore is a literary journalist and novelist, author of a comic novel about L.A., "Too Much of Nothing," as well as a travel book about surfing, "Sweetness and Blood," which was named a best book of 2010 by The Economist and Popmatters. He was kidnapped in 2012 on a reporting trip to Somalia and held hostage for two and a half years.

His book about the ordeal, "The Desert and the Sea," is due out from Harper in mid-2018. He’s covered the European migration crisis for Businessweek, and politics, travel, and literature for The New Yorker, The Atlantic, LitHub, Newlines, Der Spiegel, GQ, The New Republic, The New York Times, and The L.A. Review of Books.

Reviews

[da AL · Rating 5 out of 5]

A commentary on heroism, journalism, survival, and sanity. How do journalists report on dangerous situations and emerge with body and soul intact? In some ways one may, in others one can't entirely... The author intelligently and vividly discusses how and why he survived almost 3 years as a hostage. In addition, he contemplates the effects of U.S. involvement in other countries. Excellent, including audio narrator.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fascinating story about the three years of Moore’s captivity by Somali pirates. Moore is a journalist and a gifted storyteller. Moore used his journalist tools of observation, interviewing techniques, and his interest in people’s stories to help him survive and then write an excellent memoir. The author provided a first-hand account of the Muslim pirates, the beginning of Al-Shabaab and the rise of ISIS which revealed the various faces of Islam. I was interested in his analysis of the political and economic problems of Somali.

The book is well written; in fact, Moore’s storytelling gift made it read like a page turning novel. The story of his capture, starvation, isolation and injuries made this into a nail-biting thriller. He made this so real I almost felt the flies crawling on my face.

I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is just over twelve hours. Coray Snow does an excellent job narrating the story. Snow was a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division and is now a full-time audiobook narrator. Snow specializes in science fiction, fantasy, military and history audiobooks. He has a voice that is easy to listen too. He has a reading rhythm appropriate to the story.

[Nicola · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm going against the grain here, because this book has had rave reviews. Well, folks, it's an interesting enough tome and I feel bad being critical of it because, heaven only knows, Michael Scott Moore underwent an ordeal that likely would have killed me. But, in his telling of it, I kept waiting for some really serious analysis, some attempted explanation of why piracy happens; how he found the will to survive; how a mix of tribalism, distorted Islam and world events may or may not create the 'perfect storm' that allows these kidnappings to happen. I never really found it in the book, in any depth. So, while I persisted with the entire thing, just to find out how it ended, I closed the covers feeling not one whit more informed about the circumstances of the event, and somewhat overfed on the details of the captivity.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am amazed that a 450 page book about almost three years of captivity was so engrossing. I didn't realize how good a job Moore had done evoking what his captivity was like until the end of the book when he is finally released. Before he even tells you of his reaction to freedom, you can intuit what that would be like (only to a degree, of course) after the deprivation and hopelessness he experienced. Everything about this book was deeply human.

[Ieva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maikls Skots Mūrs cerēja nointervēt pāris pirātus Somālijā, uzrakstīt savu materiālu un atgriezties mājās, bet ceļā gadījās neīstie cilvēki un viņš tapa citu pirātu sagūstīts. Nez vai tā ir gana liela kompensācija par pazaudētiem vairāk kā divarpus gadiem, bet ticu, ka šī grāmata sanākusi daudz interesantāka par iecerēto. Stāstījums ir ļoti dzīvs un spilgts, būtībā uztverams kā romāns, tikai notikumi ir patiesi. Tātad, ja ir vēlme izlasīt kaut ko par mūsdienu pirātiem, kas lasās teju kā klasiskie piedzīvojumu romāni (bet modernā valodā), tad šī grāmata ir īstā.

[Veeral · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Fucking."

"Fucking."

[Hillary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an engrossing read, made all the more harrowing because the author is an acquaintance of mine.

[Renée · Rating 5 out of 5]

Michael Scott Moore's "The Desert and the Sea: 977 Days Captive on the Somali Pirate Coast" is phenomenal. It is an incredible book of memoir and reportage, personal experience and historical context. The writing is thoughtful, insightful, and beautiful. I wish Moore had never had the experience of being taken hostage; nevertheless, since he did, I am grateful for his profound record. (And--enormous thanks to all those who worked to bring him home. Plus Moore's mum really emerges as the hero of this story. Amazing.)

[Scott K Bozarth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Twice as long as it should be.

It’s a good story. Possibly even a great story, but it starts to drag early on and doesn’t pick up again until the very end. It was a chore to read, and that’s a shame because it’s an amazing thing to have lived through.

[Corinne Noel Garcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprisingly boring

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

After watching Captain Philips I wanted to learn more about Somali pirates and their country, this far-flung corner of the world thathas long been touted as the 'worst country in the world', one of the poorest, and one of the most dangerous. Michael Scott Moore's book is powerful, compelling and informative. Held captive in wretched conditions for almost 3 years by a revolving cast of pirates, thieves and criminals, he talks about his constant struggles to keep himself sane, look after his fellow captives, and manage and maintain the important but potentially devastating hope of going free.

Moore's work is in the best vein of non-fic works. He makes you forget that you re reading at all, and before you know it you ve read 100 pages. He paints a vivid picture of life, such as it is, as a captive in the Somali bush or aboard a captured, derelict fishing vessel. His writing on his own interior struggles with his declining mental and physical health, as well as his variable relationship with his captors, helps to paint a picture of just what an ordeal this was. Upon his eventual release, he describes how, even when he was safely back in Germany, he could scarcely believe it, and how long it took him to regain the powers of polite conversation and fully rational thought.

It also brought home to me just how alien Somalia is. Thanks to civil war and ongoing tribal conflicts, most of these pirates had never had any education. They lived in a world where FGM was the norm, where there was a universal hatred of jews despite tje fact none of them had ever seen one. They saw themselves as devout muslims despite contravening many of the Koran s rules. The outside world, particularly the west, was a distant land, barely understood if at all. Moore manages to generate some sympathy for the kinder pirates during his ordeal, but his simmering rage and anger against those who show him and his comrades cruelty, hardship or outright violence is clear, and neverending surprise and frustration at the pirates lax attitude towards the truth also rankles effectively.

This is where Moore is most effective, when describing events. There are some passages where he veers into philosophical thoughts and rumination on his capture that are harder to follow, where his point becomes somewhat nebulous.

Overall a great book that should be talked about more as a key work on modern Somalia, as well as included in lists of best nonfic books.

[.•º°༺×Ṩสℛสℋ×༻°º•. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely gripping and amazingly written. Never read a non fiction book so fast in my life.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

My husband read this and afterward said "read it". And I am glad I did, Michael Scott Moore has written an incredible story about a horrific situation. The way he humanizes his cruel, but ridiculous Somali guards is a testament to his talented writing and his generous spirit. By the time I finished his tale I loved him like a son. I am so glad he survived his capture to write this very important and informative book.

[Cooper Denny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Surprisingly boring given the subject matter. A lot of focus on being alone in a concrete room for months on end. Ended rather abruptly without saying how much he was ransomed for. There were attempts to go into the cultural and societal pressures that allowed piracy to thrive but they were surface level and jumpy. Would have loved to have more of a side narrative about his mother and fbi in real time dealing with negotiations. Extremely long without much substance. Gotta feel for the guy though. Also a big pet peeve how they say exactly how long he is captive in the title.

[Cav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a story! Author Michael Scott Moore went to Somalia to research and write a book on the Pirates there. I can say in a tongue-in-cheek way that his ultimate kidnapping and imprisonment by these pirates provided him with some great first-hand material for this book.

His presence became known by the local pirates almost immediately, and he heard rumors that they wanted to kidnap him. The rumors turned out to be true, and they scooped him up one day in January 2012, in the Somalian town of Galkayo.

The story here is quite incredible. I love reading tales of real-life sagas like this.
Moore's captivity ultimately lasted an unbelievable 977 days, and spanned many different locations; every time the pirates heard an airplane or got spooked, they would pack up and move.
Don't worry, I won't give away any spoilers in this review...

The writing here is very good; Moore writes with an easy and engaging style. The book never struggles to hold your attention.
The Desert and the Sea was also super-interesting; there are many insights into the pirate culture, and there are some excellent stories in here.
Moore also intersplices the tale of his kidnapping with some deep information about his past, his father, and himself.
Moore doesn't get into the details of how much ransom was eventually paid to secure his release. A quick internet search reveals that it was $1.6 million USD. There was no mention as to where this money ultimately came from.
Another small complaint about this book is that there were no pictures. I would have really liked to see the mercenary Joe, his fellow prisoner Rolly, and whatever else could be added. Oh well...

I would definitely recommend this one to anyone interested. Because, as catastrophically naïve and/or stupid as it may have been for a white American to travel to Somalia to research a book on pirates, it did at least make for a great story...
The irony (which I'm sure has not been lost on the author) is that Moore traveled to Somalia to write a book about the Somali Pirates. Well, he got his book.
Mess with the bull, get the horns.
4.5 stars.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the very interesting true story about the author's harrowing experience as a journalist whose desire to interview pirates lead to his kidnapping and over 2 years as a hostage in Somalia.

[Bridget · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a certain feel to a certain kind of captivity (or isolation) narrative and this one definitely has it - this sense that this person has spent a lot of time alone with their thoughts, and has perhaps written portions, or even the majority, of the book you're reading in their head during the worst stretches of confinement. It's the kind of book where the author seeks to understand his captors, then judges them harshly, then comes around to accepting them as individuals, and then writes them all off as hopeless criminals. And then does it all over again.

I was skeptical about how interesting this book could possibly be, having been recently burned by Prisoner, and seeing that it's really just the one guy and seemingly interchangeable captors. But Moore has none of Azarian's pettiness and Azarian has none of Moore's curiosity, and Moore's captors turn out to not be so interchangeable. Plus, he spends a decent chunk of time with a multinational band of hostages aboard a captured fishing boat and they are an extremely colorful cast of characters. If it weren't for the miserable circumstances, the opportunity for him to spend time with people like Rolly seems almost enviable.

[Tim Spalding · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insane story about a journalist who was captured and held hostage by Somalian pirates for nearly 3 years. It not only is a tale of human endurance, but also an exposé on Somalia and it’s people and how they turned to piracy through an amalgamation of political and economic forces. I felt almost a sense of sympathy for the pirates, despite their inhumane actions they are only trying to raise money to escape the corruption and danger of their failed state. Concerned about the amount of trauma the author has been left with after this though eek.

[Sofia Traversone · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually can’t get over this guys mental strength and intelligence during it all. At points I wanted to say this book is a tad repetitive but then I remember it’s non-fiction and the guy was literally a hostage for 977 days so I forgive the repetitiveness.

[Cindy Vallar · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a reporter for Spiegel Online, Michael Moore covered a piracy trial – the first held in Germany in over four hundred years. What he learned piqued his curiosity to know more about Somali pirates, so he accompanied Ashwin Raman, a documentary maker and war correspondent for German TV, to the Horn of Africa in 2012. At the time of their arrival, the pirates held more than 700 sailors captive. They mostly hailed from Asian countries and were often referred to as the “forgotten hostages.”

The journey cost several thousand dollars for two weeks and a Somali elder from the same town as many of the pirates on trial arranged for Moore’s and Raman’s protection during their stay. Having dual citizenship, Moore traveled under a German passport, but was also an American. All went according to plan until one conversation with Somalis mentioned a pirate lord who wished to kidnap him. It was just a rumor, perhaps spread to raise their anxiety, but an incident soon after convinced both men it was time to go home. But Moore hadn’t yet interviewed any of the pirate defendants’ families, so while Raman prepared to leave Somalia, Moore decided to stay just a few days longer to conduct the interviews. Instead, he was forced to remain in country for nearly three years.

The ambush occurred soon after he left the airport following the departure of Raman’s plane. Moore was yanked from the car, beaten, his wrist broken, his glasses lost, and his belongings taken. The threat of dying became a constant. He was awakened during the night and moved from one location to another – sometimes staying in dilapidated houses, other times in the bush or on a captured vessel – while enduring sickness, beatings, chains, malicious guards, a thorough regulation of his daily life, few comforts, and a total inability to understand why. Although there were periods where he was the only hostage, he also spent a lot of time with a kidnapped Seychelles fisherman named Rolly Tambara, who became his best friend and often warned, “Do not make them angry, Michael.” (11) Yet small defiances, hope of rescue or escape, friendship, and a desire not to end up like his father helped Moore endure.

The Desert and the Sea is principally an account of Michael Moore’s time as a pirate captive, and yet it is so much more. He introduces readers to Somali culture and history, from colonial times to independence to devolution into a war-torn country rife with poverty and anarchy. This book is not just his story; it is also about other hostages, including those with whom he spent time and others rescued or lost during his captivity. More importantly, he shows the psychological, physical, and emotional impacts of long-term captivity, as well as the after effects he and other captives experienced following their releases. At the same time, he discusses growing up in California and coming to terms with his father’s suicide. He also recounts the often unseen side of kidnappings – what the victims’ families experience and the frustrating process of negotiating with pirates who demand exorbitant ransoms, such as the $20,000,000 they demanded for Moore’s release.

This is an up-close-and-personal, harrowing account of a pirate captive. Perhaps because he entwines confinement with personal episodes from his past, we get a miniscule taste of what he experienced in a way that makes it all too real. We also come away with an inkling of just how long 977 days under the constant threat of loss of life and liberty must have felt like. It is equal to other such accounts, yet it is also unique and unforgettable. As gritty as desert sand and as salty as the sea.

[Jesse Mueller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible story. The author is a very good writer and really showed the good and the bad of his captures.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was more fascinated by the possibilities of this book than I was by its realities. The actual story is both interesting and compelling, but its telling, for me, was not. Putting aside my wonder about why anyone would go to Somalia to do a story about pirates, I found the first 50 pages or so of the book that told the story of his capture to be informative. Those pages were followed by a few hundred pages that, sadly, I found to be written poorly enough to be boring, so I skimmed most of them. I re-engaged toward the end of the book when the author is released, but I finished the book with many questions about that part of the journey. What countries and organizations knew of his capture and what did they do for 977 days? What were the terms of the negotiated release? Who handled the negotiations? How much was paid for ransom? Who paid it?

I Googled the book and the author after I finished reading the book. It seems as though the author's Facebook friend somehow ended up in New York and was arrested. Why and how did he get to New York? What will be the outcome of that trial?

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great read! Combine a gripping story and a good writer and you have a winner. A thrilling tale of kidnapping and survival under the harshest of conditions.

[Tom Barber · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I read this book, I was thinking about how I was going to rate it on Goodreads (I suspect we all do that now. I knew that I wasn't really enthralled by the book, but I found it difficult to figure out why. I think it has to do with the fact that, when I read a book like this, I want to find myself in the story. I want to know exactly how the author handled the very trying situation he was in physically and mentally and consider how I may have responded to that same situation. However, until very late in the book, Moore did not delve very much into his feelings or thinking as he searched for ways to cope with captivity. Had he done more of that, I believe I would have found it more interesting although, honestly, it still may have gotten a little boring because, let's face it, 977 days of captivity can get very repetitive.
I do not blame Michael Scott Moore for what he did or did not include in the book, though, because the brain does strange things in a crisis and it's very possible that he doesn't even remember some of the struggles he endured. I'm delighted he survived this experience!
I am a polyglot and there's one thing I must mention: Moore has dual US/German citizenship and his mother is from Germany. Thus, in a very calculated way, he was able to sneak some German into his phone conversations with her (when the pirates were using him to communicate with her) and communicate specifics about his location, condition, etc. It's very valuable to be bilingual!!!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I so enjoyed Michaels writing. Recently I have read many true stories, written by the people who lived them, but the difference with this book is that Michael not only lived it, but he is a professional writer. This bought another level to the book that my other recent reads didn’t have - bigger words, colourful phrases, more descriptions and details. He can paint a picture with words, so that I could “see” the faces, “feel” the hopelessness or the anger, “taste” the food (blerrgh). Michaels story was well crafted, explained the situation/political landscape of the country he was held captive in, with historical and political references, and explored the behaviour/motivations of his guards and kidnappers and the personalities of his fellow hostages.
Thankyou Micheal for telling your story.

[Adrian]

American author is researching modern day piracy in Somalia when he is abducted in 2012. He remains in captivity for more than two years moved continually because of his captors worry about US rescue attempts. He spent a good portion of this time on a docked freighter with the Asian crew as fellow prisoners. Moore befriends a fisherman from Seychelles called Rolly. Like all such hostage situations the time in captivity is mostly extreme boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror. Moore's curiosity about people and willingness to engage his captors keeps the reading interesting. He tries to escape once and worries about his mental balance. His release is emotional and it takes a long time for him to find his bearings. He was ransomed out but does not reveal how much was eventually paid to the pirates probably under advice that this would be harmful to future victims. Very well written.

[Michael King · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ruined by epilogue

Most of the book is very good, but it is ruined by the epilogue. Out of nowhere, the author starts raging that “orange man bad!” and makes blanket statements about immigration without justifying it… he said so, therefore it is true. He also misrepresents the illegal immigration debate and uses the common strawman of treating disagreements about illegal immigration as disagreements about immigration in general. It is also obvious anytime he says something that might offend the liberal elite he starts using disclaimers. I guess he wants to make sure people understand he is a GOOD progressive! LOL. Anyway, having said that, 99.9% of the book is very good, too bad he decided to get political at the end and lecture us dummies on how brilliant his opinions are and how dumb we are.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

"If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being."

This book was one of the best books I've ever read, not because it was written extraordinarily well or was decisively captivating, but because it forces you to think and form your own opinions of complex people in complex situations. It doesn't have a sentence at the end that tells you exactly why things happen as they do, and it doesn't spoon feed you the meaning to life. It just exists as it is, and really, that's the point.

[Barbara Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bardzo porządnie napisany reportaż z ciekawymi wstawkami biograficzno-psychologiczno-filozoficznymi, zaprzeczyć się nie da, ale jeżeli ktoś szuka "prawdziwej historii o walce, przetrwaniu i potędze ludzkiego ducha" niech sobie poczyta idk Grudzińskiego bo to jednak zupełnie nie ten poziom.
Na marginesie przez całą książkę nie przestawało mnie bawić to jak cholernie amerykański jest autor, pomimo swojego mieszanego pochodzenia. Ta amerykańskość wyłazi każdym porem XDDD Przepiękne też były momenty kiedy tłumacz korygował autora. Niesamowicie szanuję.

[Jen K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engrossing account of a journalist held hostage by Somali pirates for almost 3 years. He took a gamble that he would be able to safely investigate the growing trend of pirates from Somalia and went much more in depth than he intended. I really couldn't imagine enduring that ordeal. Moore does a great job bringing the reader into the depravity of it, the constant unknown and instability. His years filled with regret for thinking visit Somalia was a good idea and the impact it would be causing his family in friends accompanied by the interactions with other hostages and the pirates, both guards and bosses. He contemplates the rage of being hostage and how to not let it overtake him. His survival is powerful and his mother is amazing for negotiating his ransom, fundraising money to pay the pirates and being there for her son.

I was able to hear Moore at a local reading when the book came out. It was obvious that this is a trauma that is not easily put in the past.