Anja Shortland
Kidnap
Inside the Ransom Business
Oxford UP, 2019
What's inside?
Kidnapping has become a cottage industry. The good news? Most hostages survive. But a lot can go wrong.
Recommendation
For most people, hostage situations are exotic events that play out in Hollywood movies. But for a subset of the global population, kidnapping looms as a legitimate threat. In this engaging look at a little-examined niche, piracy expert Anja Shortland spells out the economics of abduction. For all the terror and drama created by kidnappings, the crimes tend to follow well-worn patterns, and most criminals behave honorably – at least when it comes to promises to release hostages unharmed. Senior managers at multinationals, security officials, actuaries and anyone who travels to risky locales will benefit from this briefing.
Summary
About the Author
Anja Shortland is an expert on Somali piracy and a reader in political economy at King’s College in London. She has advised the World Bank and international navies.
Comment on this summary