Download or read book Flight of the Diamond Smugglers A Tale of Pigeons Obsession and Greed Along Coastal South Africa written by Matthew Gavin Frank and published by Liveright Publishing. This book was released on 2021-02-23 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Unforgettable. . . . An outstanding adventure in its lyrical, utterly compelling, and heartbreaking investigations of the world of diamond smuggling.” —Aimee Nezhukumatathil 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).
Download or read book Diamonds in the Marsh written by Barbara Brennessel and published by UPNE. This book was released on 2006 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first book-length investigation of a fascinating reptile
Download or read book Treasures of the Diamond Coast written by Gabi Schneider and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Diamonds in the Rough written by D. Bruce Means and published by . This book was released on 2017 with total page 389 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is the monograph of the eastern diamondback rattlesnake by D. Bruce Means. Its publication is a culmination of over 40 years of long-term, in-depth study of the world's largest rattlesnake, Crotalus adamanteus. In the preface Means writes, "The limited biological knowledge available for this species is all the more amazing when one considers the economic impact of Crotalus adamanteus. Because of its large size and highly toxic venom, it is arguably the most dangerous venomous snake in the United States and Canada, accounting for more human mortality than any other species (Klauber 1972; Parrish 1980). Its ecological importance may be even more significant, however. The eastern diamondback is a major predator of the cotton rat (Sigmodon hispidus), a significant crop pest that is probably the most abundant rodent in the southeastern United States (Lowery 1974). Moreover, the eastern diamondback, which weighs up to about thirteen pounds (5.9 kilograms), is the largest cold-blooded terrestrial vertebrate living in the temperate zones of the earth (Means 1985)."
Download or read book The River of Diamonds written by Geoffrey Jenkins and published by iUniverse. This book was released on 2009-10 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The wind struck another hammer-blow. The whaler wheeled away stern-on, and then came up with a sickening thump forrard. 'One anchor cable gone!' Minnaar shouted about the roar of the wind. 'The other...' he never finished. the whaler sprang free as the second cable parted. She had been secured facing south-west and now she plunged back into the maelstrom. The water poured ankle deep on the bridge... 'Killer deserts, grizzled prospectors, mass suicides, savage nomads... and a vanishing U-boat patrol. I enjoyed it more than any other novel for ages." -Daily Telegraph 'Top-class, fascinating, scientifically plausible... a brilliant example of how to mix the mundane and the fantastic.' -Observer
Download or read book The Diamond Smugglers written by Ian Fleming and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2024-08-06 with total page 121 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: THE TRUE STORY OF AN INTERNATIONAL CRIME RING AND ITS DOWNFALL In 1957, as the Cold War raged, Ian Fleming took a respite from writing James Bond to craft a work of nonfiction every bit as tense as a Bond adventure. Aided by an ex-MI5 agent and International Diamond Security Organization operative going by the alias “John Blaize,” Fleming chronicled the IDSO’s infiltration of the “million-carat network”―the world’s most notorious diamond smuggling ring. Every year, a shadowy band of racketeers pirated a fortune in diamonds out of Africa, and the majority of the stolen gems wound up in the hands of Communist nations. In response, the IDSO commissioned a private army, led by legendary British spymaster Sir Percy Sillitoe, to penetrate and topple the ring. When the operation was complete, the Sunday Times gave the story to Fleming, who had impressed Sillitoe with his earlier Bond adventure Diamonds Are Forever. A remarkable feat of investigative journalism, The Diamond Smugglers is the thrilling true story behind one of the greatest spy operations in history.
Download or read book The Buddha s Diamonds written by Carolyn Marsden and published by Candlewick Press. This book was released on 2008 with total page 118 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As a storm sweeps in, Tinh's father tells him to tie up their fishing boat but the storm scares him and he runs away, but when the damage to the boat is discovered, Tinh realizes what he must do.
Download or read book Namibia written by George J. Coakley and published by . This book was released on 1983 with total page 68 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Prepared by the US Bureau of Mines with the purpose of providing the latest available data and information on mining and mineral resources in Namibia, this is a well-informed and useful reference work. The study covers regional geology, the history of exploitation, mining policies and legislation, production (including detailed tables on production and reserves 1970-1981) as well as water resources, energy supply, labour and transport. It argues that uranium has the greatest potential for long-term growth, and that elsewhere a pattern of diminishing ore reserves in the metals and to a lesser extent diamonds suggests a declining resource base. Shortages of water supplies, lack of artisans and skilled labour and "the unresolved international dispute"are identified as constraints to future growth in Namibia's mining industry. There is a chapter outlining the main features of mining legislation, and a lengthy, mainly technical bibliography listing close to 200 items. As a technical and economic surveyrelying heavily on information provided by the mining companies themselves, the study has considerable value. As a guide to the political economy of Namibia, it is, however, quite misleading. The UN Decree No. 1 of 1974 is not mentioned at all, while two decades of worker organization, liberation struggle and harsh colonial repression are dismissed in the assertion that "differences among worker languages and interests have inhibited the formation of a uniform political party or union". The study is notably weak on labour and social conditions, wages and labour legislation. For up-to-date information along the same lines, see Bureau of Mines Minerals Yearbook, vol. III: Area Reports: International, which contains a chapter on the mineral industry of Namibia. (Eriksen/Moorsom 1989).
Download or read book The Nature of Diamonds written by George E. Harlow and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1998 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The paragon of physical perfection and a sparkling example of Earth's forces at work, the diamond has fascinated all realms of society, from Russian tsars and Hollywood stars to scientists and brides-to-be. The Nature of Diamonds is an authoritative and richly illustrated look at nature's most coveted gem. Leading geologists, gemologists, physicists, and cultural observers cover every facet of the stone, from its formation in the depths of the Earth and its explosive ascent to the surface, to its economic, regal, social, and technological roles. The book takes the reader to cutting-edge research on the frontiers of diamond exploration and exploitation, from Arctic wastes to laboratories that create industrial diamonds for cutting tools that slice through rock. Charting the history of mining from its origins in India and Brazil, the book follows the diamond rush in South Africa to today's high-tech enterprises. It provides a glimpse into the economics of the diamond trade, and an overview of diamond cutting, from the rough uncut stones in early Indian and Roman jewelry to the multifaceted stones we see today. The cultural history of the diamond as both a revered and a social symbol is explored, from its early history as the exclusive property of royalty to today's brilliant-laden jewelry as an emblem of wealth and status. The engaging text is complemented by more than 200 lavish illustrations which span fine art, earth science, and cultural studies and capture the brilliance and beauty of this extraordinary gem.
Download or read book How on Earth written by Terence McCarthy and published by Penguin Random House South Africa. This book was released on 2012-01-13 with total page 508 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book addresses some of the puzzles in nature: Why do the coastlines of Africa and South America match? Why is Table Mountain flat? Why is there pumice stone on the beaches of Arniston? What causes a tsunami? How does rock get folded? etc. The simple explanations – geological, mineralogical, astronomic, whatever the field – are targeted at those with little knowledge in these fields. The book is vividly illustrated and supported with full-colour photographs.
Download or read book FORBIDDEN ZONE written by JON. GLIDDON and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Diamonds in the Desert written by Olga Levinson and published by . This book was released on 1983 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This well written anecdotal account of the early days of diamond production in Namibia focuses on the settler pioneer August Stauch, who has also become a legend among the settler community today. The author gives a vivid description of the major diamond discoveries and the rush for claims in 1908, followed by the struggle for control and monopoly which eventually led to the takeover by De Beers. It also deals with the political career of August Stauch as a member of the old "Landesrat" and of the Legislative Assembly established in 1926, and describes the fall of his business empire in Germany and Namibia in the interwar period. The biography glorifies a time which, in the overall history of diamond mining in Namibia, is relatively unimportant, and tends to reinforce dearly held colonial myths ("the men who made South West"). It is lavishly illustrated with photos, drawings and facsimile prints of documents. (Eriksen/Moorsom 1989).
Download or read book Industrial Diamond written by Henry P. Chandler and published by . This book was released on 1964 with total page 164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Diamond Dakota Mystery written by Juliet Wills and published by Allen & Unwin. This book was released on 2006-08-01 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This extraordinary true tale follows the disappearance of more than 20 million dollars worth of precious diamonds during World War II. In 1942, as the Japanese army advanced on Java, two wealthy businessmen entrusted a Russian aviator, Captain Ivan Smirnoff, with a small, mysteriously-unmarked package, to be delivered to a businessman in Sydney. The plane was attacked during a Japanese air raid and under heavy fire, but Smirnoff miraculously landed the badly damaged plane on an isolated beach on Java's far northwest coast. A few weeks later, Jack Palmer stumbled across the lost package—containing precious diamonds—among the plane's wreckage. Nicknamed "Diamond Jack," Palmer and two others were charged with theft of the diamonds. This true adventure follows the diamonds as they are lost, found, and lost again.
Download or read book Black Diamonds written by Catherine Bailey and published by Penguin UK. This book was released on 2008-03-06 with total page 544 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Wentworth is in Yorkshire and was surrounded by 70 collieries employing tens of thousands of men. It is the finest and largest Georgian house in Britain andbelonged to the Fitzwilliam family. It is England's forgotten palace which belonged to Britain's richest aristocrats. Black Diamonds tells the story of its demise: family feuds, forbidden love, class war, and a tragic and violent death played their part. But coal, one of the most emotive issues in twentieth century British politics, lies at its heart. This is the extraordinary story of how the fabric of English society shifted beyond recognition in fifty turbulent years in the twentieth century.
Download or read book The Diamond Connection written by Antony C. Sutton and published by . This book was released on 1979 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Abrasive and Industrial Diamonds written by Paul McIntosh Tyler and published by . This book was released on 1932 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
