Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: The mission to rescue the hostages the world forgot
'Captivating, a John le Carre-esque yarn' Telegraph

'A thoroughly good read' Michael Portillo, author of Portillo's Hidden History of Britain and presenter of Great British Railway Journeys

'A compelling story of courage, determination and skill' Terry Waite CBE, author of Taken on Trust


The true story of a retired British army officer's private Somali-hostage rescue mission

During the peak of the Somali piracy crisis, three ships - from Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan - were hijacked and then abandoned to their fate by their employers, who lacked the money to pay ransoms. All would still be there, were it not for Colonel John Steed, a retired British military attaché, who launched his own private mission to free them.

At 65, Colonel Steed was hardly an ideal saviour. With no experience in hostage negotiations and no money behind him, he had to raise the ransom cash from scratch, running the operation from his spare room and ferrying million-dollar ransom payments around in the boot of his car.

Drawing on first-hand interviews, former chief foreign correspondent of The Sunday Telegraph, Colin Freeman, who has himself spent time held hostage by Somali pirates, takes readers on an inside track into the world of hostage negotiation and one man's heroic rescue mission.

1137349880
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: The mission to rescue the hostages the world forgot
'Captivating, a John le Carre-esque yarn' Telegraph

'A thoroughly good read' Michael Portillo, author of Portillo's Hidden History of Britain and presenter of Great British Railway Journeys

'A compelling story of courage, determination and skill' Terry Waite CBE, author of Taken on Trust


The true story of a retired British army officer's private Somali-hostage rescue mission

During the peak of the Somali piracy crisis, three ships - from Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan - were hijacked and then abandoned to their fate by their employers, who lacked the money to pay ransoms. All would still be there, were it not for Colonel John Steed, a retired British military attaché, who launched his own private mission to free them.

At 65, Colonel Steed was hardly an ideal saviour. With no experience in hostage negotiations and no money behind him, he had to raise the ransom cash from scratch, running the operation from his spare room and ferrying million-dollar ransom payments around in the boot of his car.

Drawing on first-hand interviews, former chief foreign correspondent of The Sunday Telegraph, Colin Freeman, who has himself spent time held hostage by Somali pirates, takes readers on an inside track into the world of hostage negotiation and one man's heroic rescue mission.

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Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: The mission to rescue the hostages the world forgot

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: The mission to rescue the hostages the world forgot

by Colin Freeman
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: The mission to rescue the hostages the world forgot

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea: The mission to rescue the hostages the world forgot

by Colin Freeman

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Overview

'Captivating, a John le Carre-esque yarn' Telegraph

'A thoroughly good read' Michael Portillo, author of Portillo's Hidden History of Britain and presenter of Great British Railway Journeys

'A compelling story of courage, determination and skill' Terry Waite CBE, author of Taken on Trust


The true story of a retired British army officer's private Somali-hostage rescue mission

During the peak of the Somali piracy crisis, three ships - from Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan - were hijacked and then abandoned to their fate by their employers, who lacked the money to pay ransoms. All would still be there, were it not for Colonel John Steed, a retired British military attaché, who launched his own private mission to free them.

At 65, Colonel Steed was hardly an ideal saviour. With no experience in hostage negotiations and no money behind him, he had to raise the ransom cash from scratch, running the operation from his spare room and ferrying million-dollar ransom payments around in the boot of his car.

Drawing on first-hand interviews, former chief foreign correspondent of The Sunday Telegraph, Colin Freeman, who has himself spent time held hostage by Somali pirates, takes readers on an inside track into the world of hostage negotiation and one man's heroic rescue mission.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781785788208
Publisher: Amberley Publishing
Publication date: 11/04/2021
Pages: 320
Product dimensions: 5.08(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.71(d)

About the Author

Colin Freeman is an author and journalist specialising in foreign affairs. He was chief foreign correspondent of The Sunday Telegraph from 2006-2016, covering mainly the Middle East and Africa. Today he contributes to a variety of publications including The Telegraph magazine, the Spectator and From Our Own Correspondent on BBC Radio 4. He lives with his family in London.

Table of Contents

About the Author ix

List of Key People xiii

Timeline of Hijackings xv

Map xvi-xvii

Authors Note xix

Prologue xxiii

Chapter 1 Sinking Feeling 1

Chapter 2 It's a Sailor's Life for Me 11

Chapter 3 Maiden Voyage 17

Chapter 4 Hunted Down 27

Chapter 5 Pit of Despair 37

Chapter 6 Seafood Slaves 43

Chapter 7 Rules of Engagement 51

Chapter 8 Mother Ship 61

Chapter 9 Slaughter 67

Chapter 10 A Captain's Duty 73

Chapter 11 Son of a Pig 89

Chapter 12 The Humanitarian 99

Chapter 13 In Arrears 109

Chapter 14 The Lady Pirate 121

Chapter 15 'Project Benedict' 127

Chapter 16 'Captain Birdseye' 135

Chapter 17 The Gentleman Amateur 139

Chapter 18 A Lead-Lined Suitcase 147

Chapter 19 'Not in my Children's Children's Lifetime' 159

Chapter 20 Men of Honour 173

Chapter 21 Bandit Country 179

Chapter 22 Homecoming 195

Chapter 23 Ocean Swell 211

Chapter 24 Delivery Problems 225

Chapter 25 Rat Curry 243

Chapter 26 The Odd Couple 255

Chapter 27 Pirate Conference Call 265

Afterword 279

Acknowledgements 291

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