Review: In The Shadow of Papillon – Seven Years of Hell in Venezuela’s Prison System – by Frank Kane with John Tilsley

Frank Kane and his girlfriend, Sam, after their business was failing in the U.K. made the fateful decision to become cocaine drug couriers in Venezuela. Whilst attempting to fly out from the airport on Caribbean Island, Isla de Margarita, the airport authorities stopped and searched them and discovered the smuggled contraband which was a few kilos of locally-sourced cocaine. The story progresses on a downward spiral from here leading us on a gratuitous tour of depravity within the Venezuelan prison system, a place not known for its human rights record and this graphic description of the hell these two lovers face is an arduous journey of disturbing narrative. We meet a host of foreign prisoners and locals and come face to face with some quite unscrupulous prison officers and army soldiers. Initially unable to speak Spanish, Frank picks up the lingo and the book provides a lot of Spanish prison lang and an interesting glossary of jail terminology. Violence and murder is an almost daily occurrence and most prisoners are fully armed with knives, machetes, pistols, rifles, grenades and dynamite and the norm is out and out turf war between jail blocks. It’s hard getting a bed and dodgy dealing whether it be for crack cocaine or a simple cigarette is endemic. The couple are initially lucky to be housed within the same San Antonio Prison on Isla Margarita, where there is a separate female annex. They are visited by the British consul and Frank becomes more politically active in addressing some of the worst liberties taken by the brutal prison authorities. As time wears on Sam and Frank’s relationship and health deteriorate. Ultimately they go their separate ways. Every morning begins with número. The prisoners leave their cells and run the gauntlet of bayonet–toting guards to line up outside and Frank is quick to pick up Spanish language numbers or he’ll get a right beating. Stripped, laid on the ground, it’s a common sight in the prison yard. When the cry of ‘AGUA VERDE’ rings out from the watchmen, it means there’s been an incident and the prison gets stormed by Venezuelan Army soldiers who, in what is termed a raqueta, dish out unrestrained physical weaponised beatings and shootings of all the prisoners. It’s a dog eat dog world and you have to make alliances and watch your back. The title of the book refers to famous French prisoner Henri Charrière aka Papillon. Frank follows in his famous footsteps when he transferred to the remote El Dorado prison in the Venezuelan jungle on the mainland. Here. conditions are even worse and the battle for survival in open prison warfare is very intense. Ultimately Frank serves about 7 years before his release and his grateful repatriation. Despite the dark scenes of the book, there are some great characters in the story and some close friendship bonds are formed. It is a moving, fluent tale of prison literature and to any reader it warns of the dangers of getting into trouble abroad.

Review: On War – by Carl von Clausewitz

In addition to Sun Tzu’s Art of War, this book authored by Prussian officer Carl von Clausewitz is the quintessential classic book on military theory. The book (although this edition was only an abridged version) puts forward in detail theory for all elements of war, from politics to military leadership, from defence to attack. It cites examples from military history with a special favouritism towards Napoleon Bonaparte who, at the time of writing, had only recently wowed the world with his French imperial victories in the turmoil of post Revolution France. Frederick the Great is also regarded well as an able military leader. Sometimes it can be a little difficult to follow the rather lengthy minutae of some of Clausewitz’s theory. From my understanding of the book I would now view military defence to have a superior advantage against any attack. It seems that according to this German expert’s views that patience and correct preparation will ultimately favour a country defending its own territory, even against a more superior force. I did enjoy the historical details of famous figures in their battles, perhaps the most striking event was Napoleon’s mistaken advance to Moscow which ultimately led to the Grande Armée’s destruction. Obviously some of the strategic formulae from this work may be too antiquated for warfare in the modern world, however, I feel that even in hi-tech military action most of the general ideas developed here would still have much relevant application. I can see why Clausewitz is so highly regarded in military academy circles due to this great study of the rules of the conduct of war.

Review: Wired for War by P.W.Singer

Although by the time I finally finished reading this book it was perhaps over a decade old and hence due the hi-tech nature of the subject, perhaps dated, I gained a lot of new knowledge about the robotics industry, technological progress in society and in particular, the application of robotics to warfare. Nowadays everybody from kids to adults play with their minidrones and they’ve become a regular sight in our modern lives. Drones in warfare have had a tremendous impact. The modern theatre of warfare benefits from technological advances where non-human robot systems can conduct some of the most dangerous activities and hence save the lives of soldiers and civilians. Unmanned bomb disposal robots or remotely flown drones have changed the battlefield. A US Army drone pilot can sit in the Arizona desert at a desk and pick up his kids from school and return home to dinner with his wife, all whilst commanding frontline missions against Taliban insurgents in the Afghan mountains. The whole concept of robotics is very much a new phenomenon and is changing the way military and political chiefs act and think. Aasimov’s laws of robotics, although fictional are philosophically analysed and the author spends a lot of time focussing on the whole ethics of non-human combat. The book is very well-researched and is enlightening and I gave it a five star rating. I’d be keen on any follow up work that the author may do in this field.

Review: Mao Tse-tung on Guerrilla Warfare

Having covered Che Guevara’s thoughts on Guerrilla Warfare I was keen to visit those of Chairman Mao. After guiding the Communist Party on its 6000 mile Long March across China, Mao Tse-tung united with Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist forces in order to repel the Imperial Japanese invader that had set up in the North and East of China, a China that was semi-feudal and semi-colonial. Mao emphasises the need of self discipline within Guerrilla bands and lays clear in this treatise the necessity of political indoctrination and unity within Guerrilla forces. The emphasis is constantly on attack, often to the enemy’s rear and withdrawal and dispersal of small Guerrilla bands is encouraged. The rules of Guerrilla warfare are quite laid out clearly and concisely and it is apparent how Maoist thought inspired later guerrilla movements across the globe including, for example, the Senderoso Luminoso or “Shining Path” of Peru. In terms of revolutionary ideology this is an essential text for the practical application of revolutionary warfare. The appendices at the conclusion of the text contains some very neat diagrammatic representations of the structure of Guerrilla forces and is a useful reference tool.

Review: Free Fall: A Sniper’s Story from Chechnya. Nicolai Lilin

Free Fall: A Sniper’s Story from Chechnya. Nicolai Lilin by Nicolai Lilin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed Nicolai Lilin’s first book and was keen to get stuck into this follow-up. It is really quite a different story and focusses on his career as a Russian soldier in the Chechnya war. The same vivid, friendly writing style is eminent and the reader becomes attached to the colourful characters Lilin describes. The first-hand horrors of war are very striking and there are some really gruesome scenes. The story flows from battle to battle whether it be mountain warfare or more typical urban warfare. Lilin’s military comrades seem as tight a crew as the criminal gang from his youth and their dark adventures are really exciting and quite gruesome and dark. He has a clever way of seeing light in even the darkest of scenarios, an existential view on his predicament. The writing is paced quickly and the descriptive detail gives a clear image of the author’s wartime adventures. It’s a great read and I truly hope that Nicolai Lilin goes on to write further stories of his interesting life.

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