A Mighty Heart: The Inside Story of the Al Qaeda Kidnapping of Danny Pearl - Softcover

Pearl, Mariane

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0743262379 ISBN 13: 9780743262378

Publisher: Scribner, 2004

Synopsis

For five weeks the world waited for news about Danny Pearl, the Wall Street Journal reporter who was kidnapped in Karachi, Pakistan....And then came the broadcast of his shocking murder. The complete account of his abduction, the intense effort to rescue him, and the aftermath are told here -- in astonishing detail, and with courage and insight -- by his surviving wife, Mariane.
A Mighty Heart is the unforgettable story of two journalists who fell in love with their work -- and with each other. Together, Mariane and Danny Pearl traveled across the globe, dedicated to journalism that increases the understanding of international politics and of ethnic and religious conflict. In the end, Danny was caught in the dangerous fissure where warring cultures, politics, and ideologies collide. A Mighty Heart is both a portrait of a partnership built on the ideals of love, truth, and justice and a critical look at the methods and structure of the Al Qaeda network.

About this title

Review

Most people were unfamiliar with Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl before his kidnapping and murder in Pakistan. In A Mighty Heart, his widow Mariane introduces us to Danny as he was when he was alive while also providing a heart-breaking first person account of his disappearance and death. There are plenty of endearing details about Danny--his insistence on moving his favorite Barcalounger with him around the world, his love of playing mandolin, his private conversations with his unborn son--but the more remarkable portrait that emerges is one of extraordinary bravery. Danny placed himself in post-9/11 Pakistan, realizing full well that region's inherent dangers, because of his courageous dedication to getting the truth about attempted shoe bomber Richard Reid and other terrorist activity. When he is kidnapped and pictures are e-mailed to his wife, she notices that he's slyly showing the peace or victory sign with one hand and flipping the kidnappers off with the other. And while clues to his fate are still being pieced together, Mariane's story, until now, has not been widely told. Realizing Danny has been abducted, she must navigate underworld politics, the international spotlight, and her own shattered nerves in a race against time to save her husband. Along the way, with the broad array of people and agencies assisting the cause, clues are gathered about the kidnappers' identity and the intricate machinations of the international terrorist community. When his fate is finally learned, the spotlight does not abate even as she is devastated and awaiting the couple's first child. Mariane Pearl's candor is remarkable and her courage, along with that of her late husband, serve to make A Mighty Heart, despite Danny Pearl's death, an uplifting story. --John Moe

From the Author

Mariane Pearl is an award-winning documentary film director who produced and hosted a daily radio show for Radio France Internationale and has written for Télérama. She lives in New York.

Sarah Crichton, a former Newsweek editor, is publisher of Sarah Crichton Books at Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

About this edition

• Publisher: Scribner
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0743262379
• ISBN 13: 9780743262378
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288