Flight of the Diamond Smugglers: A Tale of Pigeons, Obsession and Greed along Coastal South Africa

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Matthew Gavin Frank

Flight of the Diamond Smugglers

A Tale of Pigeons, Obsession and Greed along Coastal South Africa

Matthew Gavin Frank

$29.99

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English

Icon Books
19 October 2021

Biography; True crime; Society & culture: general; The natural world, country life & pets

"For 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.

Uncovering 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.

A rare and remarkable portrait of exploitation and greed, Flight of the Diamond Smugglers reveals how these feathered bandits became outlaws in every mining town.

AUTHOR: Matthew Gavin Frank is the author of The Mad Feast, Preparing the Ghost, Pot Farm and Barolo. His work appears widely in journals and magazines, including The Kenyon Review, The Paris Review, Guernica, The New Republic, Iowa Review, Salon, Conjunctions and The Normal School. He teaches creative writing and lives in Marquette, Michigan."

By: Matthew Gavin Frank
Imprint: Icon Books
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 216mm, Width: 135mm, Spine: 16mm
Weight: 225g
ISBN: 9781785787430
ISBN 10: 1785787438
Pages: 224
Publication Date: 19 October 2021
Audience: General/trade , College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , ELT Advanced , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: No Longer Our Product

Matthew Gavin Frank is the author of The Mad Feast and Preparing the Ghost, which was reviewed on the front page of the New York Times Book Review. He teaches creative writing and lives in Marquette, Michigan.

Reviews for Flight of the Diamond Smugglers: A Tale of Pigeons, Obsession and Greed along Coastal South Africa

'Ghost towns, corporate cruelty, the centuries-old relationship between humans and a species almost magical in its abilities ... fabulous.' -- The New York Times 'Unforgettable. ... An outstanding adventure in its lyrical, utterly compelling, and heartbreaking investigations of the world of diamond smuggling.' -- Aimee Nezhukumatathil, author of Oceanic and World of Wonders 'A beautifully written book on diamond smuggling, the universe, life and much of what lies in between.' -- Toby Muse, author of Kilo: Life and Death Inside the Secret World of the Cocaine Cartels 'A lyrical portrait of a resilient species caught in the grinding gears of a cruel industry of extraction and exploitation.' -- Kirk Wallace Johnson, author of The Feather Thief