Nigel Brennan

In 2008, Canadian journalist Amanda Lindhout was kidnapped and held for 462 days by terrorists in Somalia. Kidnapped with her was Australian photo-journalist Nigel Brennan. I recently read Amanda's book, A House in the Sky and decided to read Nigel's.

Nigel Brennan's book, The Price of Life, was co-authored with his sister Nicky and sister-in-law Kellie. In terms of reading about the kidnapping itself and the horrors of being held hostage, Amanda's book is much better. She is a far better writer than Nigel. But what was so gripping and heart-wrenching in Nigel's book are the perspectives of his family members as they attempt to wade through government bureaucracy and then head out in the uncharted waters of professional Kidnap and Ransom companies, fundraising, negotiating with hostage takers.....all while in the emotional state of worry about their son/brother.… (mehr)

House In the Sky" and "The Price of Life," true-life accounts by Amanda Lindhout and Nigel Brennan, respectively.

Lindhout and Brennan, uninsured journalists who were once romantically involved and remained friends, were kidnapped together and held for ransom in lawless Somalia for 15 months from August 2008 through November 2009.
It was interesting to read the closely tied experiences of each, with Lindhout's book focused most acutely on the actual kidnapping and hostage experience, while Brennan's take revolved more around the behind-the-scenes efforts of the pair's respective governments and families to bring the hostages home alive upon an a payoff of more than half a million dollars.… (mehr)