Blood Diamonds
by Greg Campbell
Copyright 2004 by Basic Books All Rights Reserved.
Categories: Contemporary Politics War
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Description
First discovered in 1930, the diamonds of Sierra Leone have funded one of the most savage rebel campaigns in modern history. These "blood diamonds" are smuggled out of West Africa and sold to legitimate diamond merchants in London, Antwerp, and New York, often with the complicity of the international diamond industry. Eventually, these very diamonds find their way into the rings and necklaces of brides and spouses the world over. Blood Diamonds is the gripping tale of how the diamond smuggling works, how the rebel war has effectively destroyed Sierra Leone and its people, and how the policies of the diamond industry — institutionalized in the 1880s by the De Beers cartel — have allowed it to happen. Award-winning journalist Greg Campbell traces the deadly trail of these diamonds, many of which are brought to the world market by fanatical enemies. These repercussions of diamond smuggling are felt far beyond the borders of the poor and war-ridden country of Sierra Leone, and the consequences of overlooking this African tragedy are both shockingly deadly and unquestionably global. Updated with a new epilogue.
Quotes
"... Campbell's book is a reminder to the world of the sordid provenance of blood-diamonds."
— African Business
"Mr. Campbell tells this complex tale from a personal, feet-on-the-ground perspective...he reminds us that there is no longer any such thing as an isolated conflict that governments and corporations can ignore with impunity."
— The New York Times
"A vivid, hair-raising tale of brutal proportions that outdistances any fictional tale of derring-do."
— The Washington Times
"A savvy blend of history, mercenary operations, corporate shenanigans, and war reporting. Readers of Campbell's horrific tale - who don't demand proof-of-source on any diamond purchase ought to have their ethics examined."
— Kirkus, starred review
"This is an important, gut-wrenching story, one still unfolding in the wake of the war and September 2001, and journalist Campbell is largely up to the task."
— San Francisco Chronicle
"Like a jeweler examining a diamond's many facets, Campbell looks at the tragedy from different angles, slowly illuminating the difficult details in a polished narrative that is both easy to read and thought-provoking."
— Africana.com
Extended Copyright Informtion
Copyright 2004 by Basic Books,
A Member of the Perseus Books Group.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Opening Lines (Experimental)
throughout all thy borders.
How came it yours?
Which to be spoke would torture thee.
ISMAEL DALRAMY lost his hands in 1996 with two quick blows of an ax. He didn't--or couldn't--recall the pain of the blows. But he remembered being ordered at gunpoint to place his wrists ...
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