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"An excellent book on Bout, Merchant of Death...detailed his extraordinary life." (Waugh.Standard.co.uk, December 23rd 2008)
Review
"...absorbing expose." (Publishers Weekly, June 11, 2007)
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
33 of 34 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
It's difficult to write a balanced review of this book: it really is that poor. If you want to know about Victor Bout, you're better off reading the various UN reports about his operations in Sierra Leone, Liberia and elsewhere.
Unlike Farah and Braun's effort, the UN reports are well researched and documented, well argued and reasonably well written. This book, unfortunately, is none of these things.
Here's a quote, from p. 215 , that's fairly representative:
"On one night flight, electronic alarms aboard Walker's C-130 suddenly wailed, warning that a manned surface-to-air missile had locked in on the plane's heat trail."
Manned missiles! Can you believe it! Well actually, no -- it's nonsense: no one has used manned missiles since Kubrick's "Dr Strangelove"...
Most of this book is cobbled together from unattributed sources and hearsay, and it's a shame that this sort of thing now passes for "investigative journalism". Here's another quote to give you an idea of how rigorous Farah and Braun's research is: on p. 200 they receive "reliable information... that certain individuals, including Victor Bout... may be tempted in the future to become involved in the illegal supply of arms."
Is he? Has he? May he, or some other "individuals" be tempted to, in the future? Perhaps?
The writing is hackneyed (every route, for example, is "circuitous"), often ungrammatical and in places downright unintelligible:
"Ruprah was also was given a Liberian diplomatic passport" (p. 158)... "just about anything... were up for sale" (p. 158)... "Bout was sentenced in abstentia [!]... Without direction from above, the group treaded water (p. 212)."
What's most worrying is the authors' stance on civil liberties and the rule of law. On p. 187 they sympathize with a US agent who complains that, before Bush took over as president,
"There was a limit to what the United States could do... We couldn't hold people for three years at Bagram Air Base, like they do now. We knew eventually we would have to have him [i.e. Bout] in a court somewhere and make the case against him.'"
They're disappointed (on p. 189) that other countries insist on evidence:
"'We did take it seriously, but it needs to be within our law', D'Olivera [South Africa's special prosecutor] explained in 2002... 'Without concrete evidence, there's nothing one can do.'"
They cite accusations made during a "military tribunal" in Guantanamo Bay and then conclude: "Gul [the prisoner] denied the charges, but he remains in US custody at Guantanamo" (pp. 139--40) -- as if being indefinitely held at Guantanamo, against all international law, proved anything.
It's a shame that at the moment this is the only book specifically on Bout because, frankly, it's rubbish.
Unlike Farah and Braun's effort, the UN reports are well researched and documented, well argued and reasonably well written. This book, unfortunately, is none of these things.
Here's a quote, from p. 215 , that's fairly representative:
"On one night flight, electronic alarms aboard Walker's C-130 suddenly wailed, warning that a manned surface-to-air missile had locked in on the plane's heat trail."
Manned missiles! Can you believe it! Well actually, no -- it's nonsense: no one has used manned missiles since Kubrick's "Dr Strangelove"...
Most of this book is cobbled together from unattributed sources and hearsay, and it's a shame that this sort of thing now passes for "investigative journalism". Here's another quote to give you an idea of how rigorous Farah and Braun's research is: on p. 200 they receive "reliable information... that certain individuals, including Victor Bout... may be tempted in the future to become involved in the illegal supply of arms."
Is he? Has he? May he, or some other "individuals" be tempted to, in the future? Perhaps?
The writing is hackneyed (every route, for example, is "circuitous"), often ungrammatical and in places downright unintelligible:
"Ruprah was also was given a Liberian diplomatic passport" (p. 158)... "just about anything... were up for sale" (p. 158)... "Bout was sentenced in abstentia [!]... Without direction from above, the group treaded water (p. 212)."
What's most worrying is the authors' stance on civil liberties and the rule of law. On p. 187 they sympathize with a US agent who complains that, before Bush took over as president,
"There was a limit to what the United States could do... We couldn't hold people for three years at Bagram Air Base, like they do now. We knew eventually we would have to have him [i.e. Bout] in a court somewhere and make the case against him.'"
They're disappointed (on p. 189) that other countries insist on evidence:
"'We did take it seriously, but it needs to be within our law', D'Olivera [South Africa's special prosecutor] explained in 2002... 'Without concrete evidence, there's nothing one can do.'"
They cite accusations made during a "military tribunal" in Guantanamo Bay and then conclude: "Gul [the prisoner] denied the charges, but he remains in US custody at Guantanamo" (pp. 139--40) -- as if being indefinitely held at Guantanamo, against all international law, proved anything.
It's a shame that at the moment this is the only book specifically on Bout because, frankly, it's rubbish.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
If like me, you watched Lord of War (Nicholas Cage - 2005), and thought this was pure Hollywood fiction, then the truth is far stranger than even Hollywood screenwriters could conjour up.
With the recent acquital of Viktor Bout in court in Thailand, this book traces the rise of an international arms dealer, the types of people who deal with them and the ability of one seemingly very clever man to outwit the forces of justice in the self proclaimed "advanced" West.
The book is very readable, and I found it very hard to put it down to get any sleep.
Didn't get five stars as some of the writing style is a bit journalistic, but still well worth reading.
With the recent acquital of Viktor Bout in court in Thailand, this book traces the rise of an international arms dealer, the types of people who deal with them and the ability of one seemingly very clever man to outwit the forces of justice in the self proclaimed "advanced" West.
The book is very readable, and I found it very hard to put it down to get any sleep.
Didn't get five stars as some of the writing style is a bit journalistic, but still well worth reading.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I read this book about 3 years ago on a holiday to the states. Before reading this book I had no prior knowledge to who Victor Bout was. I am familiar with the various conflicts around the world e.g. Sierra Leone, Liberia, Congo, Uganda, Sudan, Somalia, Colombia, Afghanistan, Iraq and more, and I discovered one of the main characters behind all of these war zones. He was a former intelligence officer, with the rank of lieutenant Cornell, for the former Soviet Union, who was fluent in various languages, and has a entrepreneur flair about him. He took advantage of the fall of the Soviet Empire, and through his connections in the Soviet army, bought up stockpiles of military weapons and equipment, and sold them around the world, to who ever had the money. And we are talking about on a grand scale here, Billions of dollars, over the course of 15 years. While the world authorities we playing a game of cat and mouse with him, he was completely untouchable! with protection from the the highest levels of the Kremlin. He actually created civil wars, he supplied the governments with tanks, helicopters, RP-Gs, Artillery pieces, and then went to the rival rebel groups and provided them with a equally, devastating arsenal of weapons too.
And as time of writing (Jan 2011), Victor Bout has been arrested and extradited from Bangkok, Thailand to the U.S, after a operational sting by the FBI/CIA, posing as Colombian paramilitaries, requiring to buy a large assortment of Missiles, RP-Gs, etc, to fuel a fresh conflict in Colombia. That's a better story line than any Hollywood film could offer.
I do not want to get into too many details of the book, and spoil it for you, but I do recommend this book, if you like a good, true story, with plenty of action.
And finally The journalism of this book is not the best, but the story of his life compensates for that.
And as time of writing (Jan 2011), Victor Bout has been arrested and extradited from Bangkok, Thailand to the U.S, after a operational sting by the FBI/CIA, posing as Colombian paramilitaries, requiring to buy a large assortment of Missiles, RP-Gs, etc, to fuel a fresh conflict in Colombia. That's a better story line than any Hollywood film could offer.
I do not want to get into too many details of the book, and spoil it for you, but I do recommend this book, if you like a good, true story, with plenty of action.
And finally The journalism of this book is not the best, but the story of his life compensates for that.
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