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Halifax Public Libraries
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Frank, Matthew Gavin.
Subjects
Frank, Matthew Gavin -- Travel.
Diamond smuggling -- South Africa.
Diamond mines and mining -- South Africa.
Homing pigeons -- South Africa.
Browse Catalog
by author:
Frank, Matthew Gavin.
by title:
Flight of the diamon...
by call number:
364.1336 F828f
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Frank, Matthew Gavin.
Frank, Matthew Gavin -- Travel.
Diamond smuggling -- South Africa.
Diamond mines and mining -- South Africa.
Homing pigeons -- South Africa.
MARC Display
Flight
of the
diamond
smugglers
: a
tale
of
pigeons
,
obsession
, and
greed
along
coastal
South
Africa
/ Matthew Gavin Frank.
by
Frank, Matthew Gavin.
Liveright Publishing Corporation, 2021.
Call #:
364.1336 F828f
Subjects
Frank, Matthew Gavin -- Travel.
Diamond
smuggling --
South
Africa
.
Diamond
mines and mining --
South
Africa
.
Homing
pigeons
--
South
Africa
.
ISBN:
9781631496028 (hc.)
Alternate title:
Tale
of
pigeons
,
obsession
, and
greed
along
coastal
South
Africa
Edition:
1st ed.
Description:
208 p. : map ; 22 cm.
Bibliography:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 198-208).
Summary:
"For nearly eighty years, a huge portion of
coastal
South
Africa
was closed off to the public. With many of its pits now deemed “overmined” and abandoned, American journalist Matthew Gavin Frank sets out across the infamous
Diamond
Coast to investigate an illicit trade that supplies a global market. Immediately, he became intrigued by the ingenious methods used in facilitating smuggling particularly, the illegal act of sneaking carrier
pigeons
onto mine property, affixing diamonds to their feet, and sending them into the air. Entering Die Sperrgebiet ('The Forbidden Zone') is like entering an eerie ghost town, but Frank is surprised by the number of people willing -- even eager -- to talk with him. Soon he meets Msizi, a young
diamond
digger, and his pigeon, Bartholomew, who helps him steal diamonds. It’s a deadly game:
pigeons
are shot on sight by mine security, and Msizi knows of
smugglers
who have disappeared because of their crimes. For this, Msizi blames 'Mr. Lester,' an evil tall-tale figure of mythic proportions. From the mining towns of Alexander Bay and Port Nolloth, through the 'halfway' desert, to Kleinzee’s shores littered with shipwrecks, Frank investigates a long overlooked story. Weaving interviews with local
diamond
miners who raise
pigeons
in secret with harrowing anecdotes from former heads of security, environmental managers, and vigilante pigeon hunters, Frank reveals how these feathered bandits became outlaws in every mining town. Interwoven throughout this obsessive quest are epic legends in which
pigeons
and diamonds intersect, such as that of Krishna’s famed
diamond
Koh-i-Noor, the Mountain of Light, and that of the Cherokee serpent Uktena. In these strange connections, where truth forever tangles with the lore of centuries past, Frank is able to contextualize the personal grief that sent him, with his wife Louisa in the passenger seat, on this enlightening journey across parched lands. Blending elements of reportage, memoir, and incantation,
Flight
of the
Diamond
Smugglers
is a rare and remarkable portrait of exploitation and
greed
in one of the most dangerous areas of
coastal
South
Africa
. With his sovereign prose and insatiable curiosity, Matthew Gavin Frank “reminds us that the world is a place of wonder if only we look" (Toby Muse)."--From publisher.
Genre:
Creative nonfiction.
Travel writing.
Holds:
0
Copy/Holding information
Location
Collection
Call No.
Item type
Status
Due Date
Bedford Public Library
Adult Nonfiction
364.1336 F828f
Adult books
Checked in
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Musquodoboit Harbour Public Library
Adult Nonfiction
364.1336 F828f
Adult books
Checked out
Jul 04, 2024
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