The Mucky Ducks Sails On -- Second Book Commissioned in Series Highlighting Piracy on the High Seas
Modern Pirates are alive and thriving across the world. One organisation tried to do something about it.
(PRWEB) November 17, 2006
Hendrick Van der Zee is happy to announce that he has been commissioned to write a sequel to his best selling book, "The Mucky Ducks".
The first book pertaining to Harry Drake and his work in the arena of counter piracy appeared almost two years ago under the title of 'The Mucky Ducks. The second book has been commissioned to expand on the theme; in part this follows a continuing upward trend in marine pirate activity during the past two years.
As yet no release date has been announced as there are many legal aspects attached to certain content and these first need to be fully addressed.
Van der Zee states that modern pirates appear to operate with impunity in many parts of the world.
"You pirate music and the law is well prepared to take action," he said. "Yet every week ships go missing, crews and cargo disappear and not one word appears in the news either electronic or print. It's almost as if nobody cares."
The original book was written as a legacy to those of The Mucky Ducks who didn't survive, simply to try and inform the world as to what was happening in the worlds sea lanes.
The second book will continue this theme, yet also highlight the people as much as events.
The continuing biograph of Harry Drake has further been stalled as he has returned to Europe from his Australian base to say goodbye to another of the original crew who has sadly passed away. On return he intends to continue lobbying for increased protection of the sea lanes, particularly in the Malacca Straits and South China Sea region, although failing health has him looking to the younger generation to study and rectify the situation.
At a recent meeting of the book's fan club, Drake said, "Don't expect that anybody, either private or government is going to soon put any genuine, serious effort into stamping out the plague of modern piracy, to most it's out of sight so out of mind." He added, "It costs money to fight this sort of crime, big money and for the moment the much needed dollars are being spent in other, more news grabbing arenas of conflict. Heaven help us there are enough of them."
During the twenty five years of Drake's involvement in marine protection he was, shot several times, stabbed, blown up, tortured and broke around a dozen bones, this just highlights how savage this trade can be and in an abstract way is at odds with the book's style, which contains more humour than tears.
Drake is quoted as saying that the book isn't in the slightest way important. "It's not words on paper that count," he said. "It's eliminating apathy on the part of those who should be acting to stop this trade in its tracks... that's what's important." He also issued a warning, stating that "unless, official law enforcement is stepped up to protect ships and those that crew them, we will start to see individual mercenary organisations throw their hats into the ring and this could prove quite disastrous. We were mercenaries but all were selected not only for their military and marine expertise but for their personal profiles and clean records. Once public pressure swings open the door for multiple organisations to come into existence, they may not be so particular as to who they hire."
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