Denison University presents "Ransom: The Untold Story of International Kidnapping" by Ann Hagedorn Auerbach.
A riveting and frequently terrifying investigation of the world's fastest growing criminal enterprise--kidnapping for ransom and political advantage.
In Ransom, Ann Auerbach spans two years in the high-stakes world of international kidnapping, beginning on July 4, 1995, when terrorists seized an unsuspecting couple on the banks of a Himalayan river in Kashmir. Seamlessly moving between this story and others, the book shows how events in the post--Cold War era have compelled criminals, former rebels, former terrorists, and even former soldiers to turn to kidnapping to make a living. She discloses one shocking detail after another about the crime and its perpetrators, including trends that dramatically affect every businessperson and traveler venturing abroad.
Revealing hundreds of never-before-reported facts culled from interviews worldwide, Auerbach provides the first inside look at the highly secretive world of private kidnap negotiators, the little-known international role of the FBI, and the explosive controversies within governments on the question of ransom and other concessions. Most memorable, however, are the often-heroic sagas of individuals who have endured captivity or fought for the freedom of their loved ones.
Ransom entertains, informs, and warns. What The Hot Zone was to the threat of viruses, Ransom is to the larger menace of global kidnapping and terrorism.
