Who is the author of The Desert and the Sea?

The author of The Desert and the Sea is Michael Scott Moore.

Biography & Memoir

The Desert and the Sea Book Summary - The Desert and the Sea Book explained in key points

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The Desert and the Sea summary

Name: The Desert and the Sea
Rating: 4.6 (18 reviews)
Author: Michael Scott Moore

Michael Scott Moore

977 Days Captive on the Somali Pirate Coast

4.6 (18 ratings)

24 mins

Brief summary

"The Desert and the Sea" by Michael Scott Moore is a memoir about his three-year captivity by Somali pirates. He tells the story of how he survived and what he learned about humanity and the world during his ordeal.

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Memoirs

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The Desert and the Sea
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Key idea 1 of 8

What’s in it for me? Learn why geopolitics is sometimes best understood on a personal scale.

If one location in the world today is associated with piracy more than any other, then it’s Somalia. But of course, historically speaking, piracy isn’t an exclusively Somali phenomenon.

But between the years 2005 and 2012, piracy in Somalia did explode. Somali dictator President Siad Barre’s federal government collapsed in 1991, leading to chaos. Before long, ships from Europe and Asia were stealing fish from Somalia’s coastal waters. To combat this, some regional leaders established boat patrols manned by militiamen. However, by the early 2000s, vessels were simply seized by whoever was patrolling the waters. By 2007, organized criminal networks were in on the act, and the situation deteriorated rapidly.

Michael Scott Moore’s research trip to Somalia and his subsequent capture took place in these circumstances. In these blinks, you’ll see an altogether more human side to piracy through the eyes of one hostage who managed to look within himself to find the strength he needed to survive.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

what part Somali pirates’ faith played in their day-to-day lives;
how captives from all over the world learn to communicate; and
why being offered the choicest cut of meat isn’t always a sign of kindness.

The contrast between the romance of piracy and its brutal modern iteration drew Michael Scott Moore to Somalia.

When you’re young, there's a certain romance to pirates. For generations past, it was the adventures in Robert Louis Stephenson’s Treasure Island that proved so enticing. For the author – like so many other Americans of the same age – Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean ride provided the cliché. Even as an adult, once he’d left his California childhood home and started traveling the world, stories about modern piracy captivated him.

This was particularly true during the time he was working on his 2011 book Sweetness and Blood.

His research on how surfing had become a global hit took him to locations the world over, including São Tomé in West Africa and the Caribbean.

While on his travels he heard detailed true tales about pirates of the past. His curiosity was piqued.

Meanwhile, at the same time, in another part of the world, piracy in Somalia had begun to explode. Reports of hijacks appeared regularly on the nightly news.

The author was struck by just how piracy in Somalia differed from the romanticized stories he’d heard on his travels. This modern version seemed so much more violent.

This got him thinking: what did the rise of modern piracy signify? What did that rise reveal about the breakdown of order in the world at large?

The author convinced himself there was nothing else to do but to make his way to Somalia. In the end, it was the trial of ten Somali pirates in Hamburg that led him there.

Luckily, Moore, as a German-American, had settled in Berlin and so was able to keep a close eye on the trial.

The pirates had been captured in 2010, as they were attempting to hijack a German cargo ship. While he was covering the trial, the author became friends with a court interpreter who, in turn, introduced him to a Somali elder living in Berlin, Mohammed Sahal Gerlach. Gerlach was originally from Galkayo, the hometown of several of the defendants. He’d also once been a guide for a TV journalist filming in Somalia.

It was through Gerlach that Moore and a fellow journalist made arrangements to get to Somalia to begin research. In early 2012 they arrived in Galkayo, where they were hosted by regional president Mohamed Ahmed Alin. Alin was a cousin of Gerlach’s and himself part of the powerful Sa’ad clan.

It seemed as though Moore had struck gold. His putative book project had legs, and his local connections seemed secure. However, it was soon clear that they’d been a little too trusting in making arrangements.

Moore took precautions, but there were still signs early on that something was amiss.

Moore was no muddle-headed tourist. He is a professional journalist and knows what it takes to operate as one. Consequently, he’d devised a clear plan for his research. He would head to Hobyo, perhaps the most notorious hangout for pirates on the Somali coast. There, he would interview a pirate.

There’s no denying it was risky, but the author thought he'd taken every precaution.

Traveling to Somalia had been foolish, something Moore only realized in hindsight.

On the way back from Galkayo airport, Moore’s car was brought to a sudden stop. A flatbed truck mounted with a cannon came into view, but even when about a dozen armed men jumped out of it, Moore was still trying to believe it was just a traffic stop. It all happened so fast. There was simply nothing he could do. Blows rained down on him. His glasses were broken when the kidnappers struck him in the face. They hit him hard with the butts of their guns as he held on tight to the car door. The bones in his wrist were shattered.

At that instant, he realized that the line had been crossed; he was no longer a free man, but a hostage. Pure terror descended. It wasn’t just the thought of his immediate situation that shocked him, but the idea that his family would have to suffer.

In captivity, Moore found friends in hostages from all over the world.

As you can imagine, being a hostage is no walk in the park. For Moore, it was the isolation that got to him. Thankfully, he was occasionally bunked with other captives.

Just days after being captured, Moore met two other hostages, both fishermen from the Seychelles. One of them, Rolly Tambara, became his firm friend as they faced down their ordeal.

The pirates were a bunch of walking contradictions.

The pirates Moore encountered weren’t super consistent in their practices and beliefs. For starters, many of them were khat addicts.

Khat is a plant whose leaves, when chewed, produce a stimulant effect. To Somalis, khat is pretty widespread. It’s about as common as alcohol is in the West. However, it is also addictive, and users soon get hooked.

Hostage negotiations were difficult thanks to the pirates’ inefficient and strange demands.

Anyone who’s made any kind of deal knows you have to adhere to a few basic principles: set realistic goals and be prepared to negotiate. Unfortunately, the pirates who’d kidnapped Moore hadn’t even got that far.

For starters, their ransom demand was off the charts. It began at an eye-watering – and frankly, baffling – 20 million dollars. As time passed and it became clear that Moore’s mother and friends weren’t going to get anywhere close to that amount, the pirates still refused to countenance even a cent lower.

Life as a hostage was largely tedious, and its mental effects were inevitable.

When you’re a hostage, there’s plenty to be afraid of. An air of violence lingers over everything, and there’s no way of knowing what will happen on any given day.

However, if there’s one aspect to being a hostage that’s too often forgotten, then it’s the fact that it feels both pointless and tedious.

Moore’s eventual release came as a surprise.

Eventually, Moore’s time as a hostage came to an end. But there was no drama to it. It just ended out of the blue.

There came a point in his captivity when the phone calls had ceased to mean anything, ultimately ending only in disappointment. So, one day, when he was given a phone to speak with yet another hostage negotiator, he didn’t think much of it. He refused to let himself believe it mattered. But this time it did.

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What is The Desert and the Sea about?

In The Desert and the Sea (2018), journalist Michael Scott Moore recounts his experience of being held hostage by Somali pirates. Moore gives an insightful account of his own plight while also managing to empathize with those who held him captive. The blinks chronicle his inner turmoil over the course of the ordeal and look to the bigger picture, grappling with how people manage to endure in the worst of circumstances.

The Desert and the Sea Review

The Desert and the Sea (2018) is a captivating memoir that chronicles Michael Scott Moore's harrowing experience of being held hostage by Somali pirates. Here's why this book is definitely worth reading:

With vivid and descriptive storytelling, it transports readers to the dangerous world of piracy, giving them a firsthand account of the author's survival and resilience.
Through personal reflections and insights, Moore offers a unique perspective on the complexities of Somalia's political and social landscape, deepening our understanding of the region.
The book tackles themes of resilience, courage, and human connection, making it an emotionally engaging read that leaves a lasting impact.

Who should read The Desert and the Sea?

Journalists curious about the perils of their profession
History buffs wanting to know about the legacy of colonialism
Armchair political analysts unsure about what modern piracy entails

About the Author

Michael Scott Moore is a journalist and author from California. His work has appeared in Spiegel Online, Atlantic Monthly and the New Republic. His previous book, Sweetness and Blood (2010), traced the spread of surfing throughout the world. He has also published a novel, Too Much of Nothing (2003).

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Biography & Memoir

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