The first study of Somali piracy by a native Somalian, this book adds a new, a much-needed perspective on an issue that will recur so long as it remains blind to Somali history and culture, as well as Somalia's sense of its place within the Horn of Africa and the world.

Here Muuse Yuusuf synthesizes the copious, Global-North-based studies of Somali piracy available in English, complements them with Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, and Somali sources, and adds new insights gleaned from sources to which he has unique access: interviews with pirates; interviews with Somali politicians and navy personnel; concerns of local fisherman about international trawlers; and even Somali poetry on Somalis' relationship with the sea. All this reveals how Somali piracy in the Indian Ocean relates to, and is even driven by, the geopolitical and economic rivalries among the world's superpowers that play out there, rivalries that entail illegal commercial fishing as well as greed and poverty created by nearby maritime shipping lines. Such cultural, socio-political, economic, and environmental factors, Yuusuf argues, will continue to drive piracy off the Horn of Africa so long as they remain misunderstood and unaddressed.

For its clear structure and explanations of the history, present, and future of Somali piracy, this book is a must-read for upper-level undergraduates, postgraduates, and researchers interested in African studies, international development, and international relations.