Modern Piracy

Gr 9 Up—This well-organized mix of historical background; case studies; and viewpoints, opinions, and analyses explores the complexities of an intriguing contemporary issue. Marley provides solid context on how history, politics, economics, and social issues have impacted incidents of piracy in the past two decades. The thorough text calls attention to the wide range of contributing factors, including shipping methods, firearm technology, fishing patterns, insurance premiums, and local and international laws. The challenges of combating the problem are balanced by occasional success stories and potential strategies. The level of detail can be daunting, as in a 33-step summary from a manual on deterrence. Major ideas are typically introduced in general outline form, followed by more detailed sections on each item, which will help students keep track of the often-complicated events. Quotations from people at all levels of the piracy issue, as well as the opinions of analysts, provide a well-rounded picture, with coverage extending into 2010. The language is clear, but the fairly sophisticated vocabulary and sentence structure, along with the lack of illustrations and maps, make this a challenge for less-accomplished students. An extensive time line includes paragraph-length accounts of dozens of recent incidents of piracy. Additional chapters provide biographical sketches, data and documents, organizations, and resources.—Steven Engelfried, Wilsonville Public Library, OR