The Hunter, the Hammer, and Heaven

I have read all of Mr. Pelton's works and for him to continue his story of Francis Ona was truly a gift. Pelton takes you to places you and I probably never will, and never should, go to but you return with him and have an understanding of this little place we call the world.

I know the author personally. He has spoken twice to my international conference of intelligence professionals from over 40 countries, and by common acclaim has been invited to join us each year, forever.This is not a "tough guy" or thrill seeker. Robert Young Pelton is an unassuming gentle person who created a niche for himself with his annually updated "World's Most Dangerous Places" and the related Discovery TV program "Come Back Alive," and in the process discovered that most Embassies and most journalists don't look for the truth, much less find it.In this book, he has done something useful that could not be achieved with his more focused and fragmented country by country almanac of world dangers. He has chosen three representative renditions of hell on earth--one dealing with the greed and corruption of diamond mining in Sierra Leone; another dealing with religious intolerance and government terrorism in Chechnya; and the third dealing with massive environmental as well as economic issues in Papua New Guinea.Each of the three stories combines a rather matter of fact but most interesting story of exactly how he gets in and out of places and who he sees and what they say; with his insights on where the various parties are clashing and how they are doing. Each of these "case studies" is distinct, but taken together, they give one the sense of dispair that comes from reading Robert Kaplan, or William Shawcross, or Ralph Peters.Robert Young Pelton is as close as I have found to a true global "intelligence minuteman" capable of getting at ground truth using only legal and ethical methods. He is unique for having traversed the earth and seen it all, as well as for putting such knowledge in the hands of the taxpayers who fund our government's continuing exclusion of such places from the public debate over the future of our peace and prosperity.If we are ever to get a grip on foreign policy and national security spending, it will be authors such as Robert Young Pelton that make it possible for "the people" to take back the power over how we spend taxpayer funds.

...for Americans, who may be tempted to help the Russians fight against the Chechnyan terrorists. There are no good guys here, but a whole lot of evil happens. The story is told by an independant journalist who defies death to go where the Russian army doesn't want witnesses. The description of the fall of Grozny is a classic of war correspondence. Oh, and the stories about Sierra Leone and Bougainville aren't bad either.

What an incredible ride! Mr. Pelton took me along on his journey to meet the people who live in worlds so far removed from our own. He helped me to understand the different sides of every conflict. In particular, the Kamajors of Sierra Leone have developed some interesting startegies as they carve out their survival. Thanks for the insight into these unique cultures.

This is a book which takes one's breath away, it was so hard to put down. It is a chilling and accurate picture of life and death in three extremely troubled world areas. Having spent much time myself in rich and not rich countries I am amazed at the consistency of his experience with mine. The book rings true with the voices of smarmy hucksters, bent politicians, the well-intentioned, the men and children with more guns than sense, and the bullying of powerful governments, or pseudo-governments, against ordinary people. What is most amazing is that Pelton was able to survive these death-defying experiences and live to tell these fascinating and true stories from the unbiased viewpoint of an observer rather than the participant that he was. It will always be one of my favorite books. It has everything - history, politics, contemporary events, a touch of romance, and great adventure, all well-written. Indeed, the book is a lesson for cynics who say that there is no more adventure left in the world. Adventure is not dead - it is alive and lying in the places ignored by the mainstream conservative press which only seems to play the sycophant to today's cardboard politicians and their wealthy supporters, all masquerading as world leaders. Pelton shows us what real men - and women - are made of, and how to dispassionately and professionally relate their history in the making.