"The Pirates of Somalia" provides insights into the men who turned to piracy in the failed state of Somalia. Journalist Jay Bahadur spent months living among the people of Somalia, including the leaders of pirate groups, and explains the origins of piracy, how the acts are carried out, the reaction of shippers and affected nations, and describes the lives of the pirates. The answers are far from the images we might have in our minds from stories of pirates of the Caribbean.

There is much to learn from the book, including how the Country is divided, the problems of leadership, and some (unlikely) ways to discourage or eliminate the problem. ( )

Really 3 1/2 stars. Extremely interesting, but the writing is not great and the material is not terribly well-organized. The research is impressive, and I learned a lot, but it could have been so much better. ( )

First off, this author has dangly bits of steel. Flying into Somalia to write this book pretty much straight out of school ...

This book details in great depth the who, how, and why of the pirating of the coast of Somalia. A very worthy read. ( )

Really 3 1/2 stars. Extremely interesting, but the writing is not great and the material is not terribly well-organized. The research is impressive, and I learned a lot, but it could have been so much better. ( )

This look at the inside of piracy in Somalia was interesting. The problem is more complex and out of control than depicted in Captain Philips. ( )