Type of bind: Paperback
Format: Bargain Price
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 368
Printing Date: September 30, 2003
Sale Popularity Level: 380228
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While sailing alone one night in the shipping lanes across one of the busiest waterways in the world, John Burnett was attacked by pirates. Through sheer ingenuity and a little bit of luck, he survived, and his shocking firsthand experience became the inspiration for Dangerous Waters.
Today's breed of pirates are not the colorful cutthroats painted by the history books. Unlike the romantic images from yesteryear of Captain Hook, Long John Silver, and Blackbeard, modern pirates can be local seamen looking for a quick score, highly trained guerrillas, rogue military units, or former seafarers recruited by sophisticated crime organizations.
Including new, up-to-date information for the paperback edition, Dangerous Waters is both a dauntless investigation and an epic, breathtaking modern tale of the sea.
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Rated by buyers -
The thrill of the high sea has new meaning today. The romance is gone and the adventure is more ominous. In Dangerous Waters: Modern Piracy and Terror on the High Seas the author, John S. Burnett, has thrown a damper on what was once every boy's dream and every man's secret longing. In startling detail and tight-knit writing, Burnett has presented a new danger that is real, threatening, and not easily set aside by some sentimental vision of wind and water.
John S. Burnett and his family actually survived being attacked by pirates in the South China Sea south of Singapore. Knives and guns were brandished, money was demanded and, because he didn't have much money aboard, Burnett had his head gun-butted before the motley crew sailed away with a meager haul of a set of binoculars and some cigarettes. The incident prompted Burnett's interest and closer investigation of piracy.
Through research, interviews, and personal travel in some of the most set-upon waters in the world, the author has presented a riveting study of the fear of pirates felt by the crews of the ships who pass through every day - and night. One might wonder how a tanker that is larger than three football fields could be compromised by a ragtag crew of four or five hijackers but it happens regularly. Sometimes the crew members escape any real harm, sometimes they don't.
I always assumed that my friends Smith & Wesson could ward off trouble but ship owners are advised not to allow firearms on board. Cooperation and compliance with the terrorists' demands are believed to be a better way to escape harm. That may be true but entire crews still disappear and ships are turned into ghosts, never to be seen again. I understand the principle behind the no firearms policy, but it would take a steely will to face machetes, knives, attack rifles, and even rocket-propelled grenades, be shoved around and threatened, and then trust in the goodwill of the attackers to leave docilely after their mission is accomplished.
Some of the protection techniques outlined by John S. Burnett seem to be effective. The larger shipping companies have resorted to patrols, mercenary protection placed on board, negotiation, and even payoffs to the main forces behind the attacks. Ships no longer carry much money but now the cargoes themselves have become the targets. However, in spite of best efforts, piracy seems to be escalating. As Burnett points out, it's probable that some accident caused by piracy will cause a major environmental and economic disaster. We know that terrorists could intentionally cause enough damage to a Very Large Crude Container (VLCC) ship to spill nearly two million barrels of petroleum product into these vital waterways. But pirates could cause the same damage by taking over a ship and crew while allowing the tanker to continue out of control down a narrow, heavily trafficked corridor only to collide with another heavily loader tanker or to break up on the shoreline rocks.
Burnett leaves you with a lot to think about. There aren't any satisfactory answers as to how to handle the ever increasing threat. I strongly recommend this book as an early warning about a problem that must be solved.
Rated by buyers 
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Mr. Burnett has done a terrific job on describing what every national security agency should be focusing on right now -- piracy. The stories he tells and the research he has done is exceptional. Well done.
Rated by buyers -
I bought Dangerous Waters after recently seeing the author interviewed on CNN. This book is a real eyeopener and is a must read for anyone with the slightest interest in international security -- our security. The fast-moving pace of the book makes this a great read. It helps that the writer also had his own experience with pirates -- he survived while many at sea yesterday apparently don't. Well written and highly entertaining and highly recommended.
Rated by buyers 
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I'm on Chapter 4 and though I want to read about the subject I am really not looking forward to slogging through all the swampy fictional embellishment packed in here.
The many paragraphs like the following make we want to throw the book out the window (preferably at the author.)
-"Donny could never quite forgive Vimala for refusing to leave the bridge, but he could not be displeased with her determination to stand by his side when the rest of the crew had taken cover. It was the defining moment of their marriage. She was a strong, intelligent woman and he loved that in her; he knew that while he commanded men and ships, Vim showed she had a will of her own."-
Dragging through hogwash like that I feel my brain starting to melt and turn into jello. Is this a journalistic book about modern Piracy or a bloody romance novel? COME ON!! Show me the subject matter, not all this foul fluff.
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OK - I am editing this review after having read the rest of the book. After reading Chapter 3 and starting Chapter 4 I nearly put it down. I'm glad I didn't. Those were the only two chapters written in the style I ranted about above. The rest of the book is just fine and I enjoyed it very much.
I think that besides illustrating the serious vulnerability of the world economy to shipping security problems, this book points to a real need to examine and address the economic and other issues that are behind this situation. Increased security and law enforcement are necessary, but without the other half of the equation - the human side, the problem will not be addressed. Desperate people will do desperate things. You have to take away the desperation. Not sure who's going to deal with that though.
Thanks for a good book. Four stars (won't let me edit that)
Rated by buyers 
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This is the stuff that Randall & Cunningham do at Decature-MS ... I think the other big security provider is Hudson Trident. I don't think Blackwater or Dyncorp even touches it... it is very specialized.
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