Blogs in September 2020

The Farther Shore 11th September 2020

Narrated by a young soldier caught in the deadly fog of war, Eck’s first novel is a harrowing exploration of contemporary warfare. “What brought you here?” is the question asked of Eck’s young narrator, Joshua Stantz, from the army’s...

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Dead Centre 11th September 2020

January 2005: Nick Stone is in tsunami hit Banda Aceh on a job to retrieve incriminating evidence of an oil deal. When looters arrive a fight breaks out and a man, Mong, is killed. Nick makes a promise to...

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In the Company of Heroes: The Personal Story Behind Black Hawk Down 11th September 2020

Piloting a U.S. Army Special Operations Blackhawk over Somalia, Michael Durant was shot down with a rocket-propelled grenade on October 3, 1993. With devastating injuries, he was taken prisoner by a Somali warlord. With revealing insight and emotion, he...

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When A Hyena Laughs: A Somalian Novel 9th September 2020

I found myself thoroughly entranced by this quiet, slow gentle storytelling — all the more violence in the death of Habib (not described) at the end, which makes its impact as symbolic of the violation of the country (by...

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Pirate State: Inside Somalia’s Terrorism at Sea 8th September 2020

In 2009, the United States was hit broadside by Somali pirates who attempted to capture the U.S. flag ship Maersk Alabama. Suddenly, the pirates were no longer a distant menace. They had thrust themselves onto the American stage. Are...

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