Piracy Today: Fighting Villainy on the High Seas
Posted on 01 June 2011
Written by Rich Armstrong
Modern piracy detailed and examined
With headlines about increasingly brazen pirates off North Africa becoming more frequent, John C. Payne, a professional marine engineer who spent 35 years aboard merchant ships and offshore oil vessels, has written "Piracy Today: Fighting Villainy on the High Seas" (2010, Sheridan House, $29.95).
Payne documents modern piracy, which is growing despite the forces that patrol pirate-infested waters. A highlight of the book is Payne's depiction of the Maersk Alabama hijacking and Capt. Richard Phillips' decision to give himself up as a hostage for the sake of his crew. Payne analyzes more than 100 incidents.
Modern day-piracy primarily involves commercial vessels, but Payne also chronicles the taking of cruising boats. Two appendices offer a summary of notable incidents since 2004 and advice for yachts transiting Somali waters.
This article orginally appeared in the June 2011 issue.
