As the go to' journalist for all major media, and with unparalleled access to all the major players, from government officials to local residents and of course the pirates themselves Bahadur sets out to discover who is behind the masked menaces who appear on the news. Exploring the politics and history of the self-governing region of Puntland, Bahadur looks at the challenges facing this troubled mini-state as piracy rises and examines how the UN and other bodies are attempting to deal with the scourge of every sea-faring nation. 288pp, UK. PROFILE BOOKS.

After his bodyguards double-cross him, journalist Colin Freeman finds himself captured by Somali pirates - beginning a nightmare 40 days in the hands of some of the most dangerous men in the world. It is a terrifying experience - the gang's hideout is attacked by rival pirates, Freeman is threatened with being handed over to Islamists who wish to execute him and he constantly fears death at the hands of his constantly drug-addled captors. But he survives - thinner, greyer and wiser - to tell the tale of an astonishing adventure in a surprisingly funny and fond way. 288pp, UK.MONDAY BOOKS.

Somali piracy has been linked repeatedly to the spectre of Barbary. Piracy off the Horn of Africa has certainly raged with the intensity of a perfect storm with the spread of conflict and disorder. The purpose of this book is to examine whether or not state failure is a useful and accurate explanation for Somali piracy and if violent Islamism could exploit what the pirates have achieved for their own ends. It reviews the history, motivation, organization, criminal methods and operational tactics of the Somali pirates from their first manifestations in the mid-1990s to the present. 277pp, UK. HURST.

The situation in Somalia today embodies some of the most pressing issues in international relations. How should the international community deal with the collapsed state that is Somalia? From the presence of al-Qaeda operatives to pirates, to what extent is Somalia a threat to global peace and commerce? Which aspects of Somalia's economic, social and political landscape can be considered successful, and how do these success stories reflect some of the more problematic issues the country faces? 120pp, UK. ROUTLEDGE.