Product Description

As the author of The World's Most Dangerous Places, Robert Young Pelton has come to know some of the most unusual and dangerous individuals in the world. In THE HUNTER, THE HAMMER, AND HEAVEN, he introduces an extraordinary cast of characters from three of the most war-ravaged countries on earth - the West African country of Sierra Leone, the breakaway republic of Chechnya, and a mysterious island in the South Pacific called Bougainville.

In war-torn Sierra Leone, as he wanders through the world's most expensive peacekeeping mission, he meets an ex-mercenary who hunts pirates, a ragtag militia whose members believe they have supernatural powers, and white men with "diamond fever."

In Chechnya, Pelton enters the jihad with three traveling companions - an American muhjadin who wants to die, a young woman seeing her first war as a journalist, and a grumpy cameraman. Pelton brings this motley crew down the secret muj trail from Georgia and into terrorist-filled bunkers, suicide squad-manned front lines, and SCUD missile attacks.

Finally, Pelton chronicles his two-year odyssey to meet one of the most elusive rebel leaders in the world - Francis Ona - who has survived numerous assassination attempts and who threatens to kill any white man who sets foot on his tiny island, Bougainville.

Filled with tension and intrigue, THE HUNTER, THE HAMMER, AND HEAVEN offers a dramatic vision of war and humanity.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #672049 in Books
• Published on: 2003-12-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

Review
"Robert Young Pelton is the guerrilla guide to the world's most dangerous places."
--Outside
-- Review

Review

From the Back Cover
As the author of The World's Most Dangerous Places, Robert Young Pelton has come to know some of the most unusual and dangerous individuals in the world. In Three Worlds Gone Mad, he introduces an extraordinary cast of characters from three of the most war-ravaged countries on earth - the West African country of Sierra Leone, the breakaway Russian republic of Chechnya, and a mysterious island in the South Pacific called Bougainville. In Sierra Leone, as he wanders through the world's most expensive peacekeeping mission, he meets an ex-mercenary who hunts pirates, a ragtag militia whose members believe they have supernatural powers, and white men with "diamond fever." In Chechnya, Pelton enters the jihad with three traveling companions - an American mujahid who wants to die, a young woman seeing her first war as a journalist, and a grumpy cameraman. Pelton brings this motley crew down the secret muj trail from Georgia and into terrorist-filled bunkers, suicide squad-manned front lines, and SCUD missile attacks.
Finally, Pelton chronicles his two-year odyssey to meet one of the most elusive rebel leaders in the world - Francis Ona - who has survived numerous assassination attempts. Ona threatens to kill any white man who sets foot on his tiny island called Bougainville.
Filled with tension and intrigue, Three Worlds Gone Made offers a dramatic vision of war and humanity in our times.

Customer Reviews

Good book but...
where are the pictures? He goes to all these places, meets all these different personalities, admits that he has a camera and where are they? Now I don't need pictures in a book for me to read it but his stories I think would be enhanced with photos of his journeys.

The book is good and is part adventure/travel/survival/third world political science. In his travels, Mr. Pelton does not seem to take any easy route to go anywhere. He gets smuggled into Chechnya and tracks down a rebel leader on his own choice. The rebels who are known for kidnapping foriegners and journalists are meanwhile being tracked and bombed by the Russian military. He goes to Bougainville when everyone including the people that live there tell him not too. Why? I think because as he feels that there is a story to tell and it usually is not the "popular" one fed to most news agencies. Case in point is his Chechnya visit, where again he chooses to go to the "terrorists", not to give them a voice, but to get the unpopular side of the story (especially when considering the lack of freedom of the press in Russia). It is an objective look at the history of the Chechnya/Russian relationship and the situation where atrocities are seem to be committed by both sides. He even "interviews" a captured Russian soldier whose handlers casually tell Mr. Pelton he will most likely be executed the next day. The part on Sierra Leone is equally impressive, probably because there has been more press about the atrocities and violence there.

So as long as Mr. Pelton feels the need to travel to different "worlds gone mad", writing the about the lesser known histories and/or conflicts, he will most likely have me as a reader of his books.

Robert Young Pelton
I've read everything he has out. Loved it! It's current (as books go), funny, serious and a great read!

Three places I wouldn't visit.
The author shows his personal travel iternary of failed states in Africa, Europe and Asia. They are Sierra Leone, Chechneya, and Bouganville (part of Papua New Guinea). I have traveled widely and even visited some of Pelton's own 100 dangerous places, but I don't think I would travel to these destinations. The author shows the terror of the RUF, and describes the mercenaries of Executive Outcomes. In Chechneya, he shows the terror of the scorthed earth policy of the Russians in their desire to conquer the breakaway province. In Bouganville, he shows how an out of touch government has taken liberties with a remote province. In all three, precious minerals are being exploited for the benefit of an elite. They are diamonds, oil, and copper.

I don't know if I agree completely with all the author states. He relays quite a bit of the mercenaries tales, but these are soldiers of fortune who do not have the local population's interests at heart. In regards to the Chechens, I don't believe the Russians killed their own people to stage a conquest of this province. This is interesting reading, and it gives one man's perspectives.