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Kidnap
Book

Kidnap

Inside the Ransom Business

Anja Shortland
Oxford UP, 2019

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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Innovative
  • Eye Opening
  • Engaging

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.

Take-Aways

  • Kidnapping is a burgeoning business, one that sees thousands of victims per year snatched and held for ransom.
  • Kidnappers must keep a hostage sheltered, fed and secure – the victim is worthless if he or she is dead.
  • Some 90% of victims are returned safely, and most captures end within a week.

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.

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