Pirate Lands

In Pirate Lands, Ursula Daxecker and Brandon Prins argue that pirates operate in locations where local governance is weak enough to incentivize collusion among pirates and local authorities, but strong enough to ensure that infrastructure and markets permit the organization of sustained piracy. Conducting cross-national and subnational analyses of Indonesia, Nigeria, and Somalia, they show how governance at the state and local levels explain maritime piracy. They further employ interviews with former pirates, community members, and maritime security experts to offer the first comprehensive, social-scientific account of maritime piracy.