Pirate Alley: Commanding Task Force 151 Off Somalia

Named a Notable Naval Book of 2012 by Proceedings magazine, Pirate Alley is now available in paperback. The book provides an in-depth look at every aspect of Somali piracy, from how the pirates operate to how the actions of a relative handful of youthful criminals and their bosses have impacted the world economy. It explores the debate over the recently adopted practice of putting armed guards aboard merchant ships, and focuses on the best management practices that are changing the ways that ships are outfitted for travel through what's known as the High-Risk Area. Readers will learn that the consequence of protecting high quality targets such as container ships and crude oil carriers may be that pirates turn to crime on land, such as the kidnapping of foreigners.

Rear Admiral Terry McKnight, USN (Ret.) is a thirty-one-year veteran of the U.S. Navy who, as a Surface Warfare Officer, rose to command the USS Kearsarge, an amphibious assault ship carrying nearly 3,000 sailors and Marines. He was selected to serve as the first commander of Combined Task Force 151, a multi-national unit formed to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden. He currently lives in Fairfax Station, Virginia with his wife of over thirty years and two wonderful sons. Michael Hirsh is a journalist who has produced documentaries and specials for PBS, CBS, ABC and HBO. He’s received the Peabody Award, a Writers Guild Award, and multiple Emmy Awards. Among his television specials are “Memories of M*A*S*H” for CBS, “A Program for Vietnam Veterans―and everyone else who should care” for PBS, and a five program PBS series for on the prevention of child sexual abuse. He’s written six non-fiction books, including None Braver―US Air Force Pararescuemen in the War on Terror, and The Liberators―America’s Witnesses to the Holocaust. He and his wife, Karen, live in Punta Gorda, Florida.