Author tells of kidnapping by pirates he’d gone to interview
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Author Michael Scott Moore embarks on a tour this week to promote his latest book, “The Desert and the Sea: 977 Days Captive on the Somali Coast.”
It tells how he was taken captive in 2012 while researching a book on modern-day piracy.
Moore spent 2½ years imprisoned by Somali pirates.
He says he endured beatings and squalid living conditions, but giving up any immediate hope of freedom and living in the moment helped him get through it. So did maintaining a sense of humor while trapped in a very unfunny situation. The book contains several darkly comic moments.
Moore was freed in 2014 after his mother raised a $1.6 million ransom.
He says he has recovered physically but still struggles with some emotional scars and is taking part in therapy.
