{"product_id":"9781785787430-flight-of-the-diamond-smugglers","title":"Flight of the Diamond Smugglers","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA Tale of Pigeons, Obsession and Greed along Coastal South Africa\u003cbr\u003eA propulsive investigation into the curious role that carrier pigeons play in South African diamond smuggling.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Ghost towns, corporate cruelty, the centuries-old relationship between humans and a species almost magical in its abilities . fabulous.' \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Eye-opening'\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGeographical \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'A beautifully written book on diamond smuggling, the universe, life and much of what lies in between.'  Toby Muse, author of \u003ci\u003eKilo: Life and Death Inside the Secret World of the Cocaine Cartels\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor nearly 80 years, a huge portion of coastal South Africa was closed off to the public. With many of its pits now deemed \"overmined\" and abandoned, journalist and author Matthew Gavin Frank set out across the infamous Diamond Coast to investigate an illicit trade - the smuggling of diamonds by carrier pigeon - that supplies a global market.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUncovering a long overlooked truecrime story dating back to the founding of the De Beers corporation, and blending elements of reportage, memoir and legend, he weaves interviews with local diamond divers, who extract mineral wealth from the seabed by day and raise pigeons in secret by night, with harrowing anecdotes from former heads of security, environmental managers, and vigilante pigeon hunters.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA rare and remarkable portrait of exploitation and greed, Flight of the Diamond Smugglers reveals how these feathered bandits became outlaws in every mining town.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57535938232694,"sku":"9781785787430","price":12.06,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/stand_40213275.jpg?v=1774283488","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9781785787430-flight-of-the-diamond-smugglers","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}