Review by Choice Review
Over the past decade, there has been a flood of books about piracy, so it should come as no surprise that a venerable institution like the Naval War College should eventually contribute to the subject. Although the volume has a substantial historical dimension reaching back 200 years, this is not an account that features the familiar cast from Caribbean legends. The 13 essays deal largely with modern piracy and the strategic policy and operational methods made to suppress it. The approach is scholarly, analytic, and devoid of sensationalism. Even the book's cover illustration is low-key. Instead of a familiar Howard Pyle-like scene depicting swashbuckling marauders, it offers an aerial perspective of Newport, Rhode Island, circa 1878. The collection's areas of concentration are those where piracy has flourished over the last 25 or 30 years: off Africa, along South Asia's coasts, and in the Malacca Strait--the vital sea-lane bordered by Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. The purpose of the work is to further both scholarship and professional naval planning, and the contributors include an impressive cast of international scholars and nonacademic authorities on maritime topics. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate students/faculty/professionals. B. R. Burg Arizona State University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
