http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/31905149

In the forests of the night encounters in Peru with terrorism, drug-running and military oppression

In one of the most dangerous and thrilling investigations of his distinguished career, world-renowned journalist John Simpson journeyed into Peru's heart of darkness on the trail of Abimael Guzman, who, at the time of his arrest, was the leader of the Shining Path guerrilla movement. This vivid, disturbing book reveals how violence breeds violence in a police state whose economy revolves around cocaine, and how, amid all the casual torture and slaughter, certain brave individuals are prepared to put their lives at risk to tell the truth. John Simpson's expedition into the heart of South America is structured in two parts. First, he traveled to the rainforests of Brazil, where he visited the Ashaninca tribe of Indians in the Amazonian jungle, had a harrowing experience when his canoe capsized in a piranha-infested river, and was persuaded to sample a native hallucinogenic drink called dime. The second and most hazardous part of his journey was to Peru, a country that provides more than 70 percent of the raw material of the entire world's cocaine supply. There Simpson penetrated a hinterland of violence and despair. Simpson spoke to families whose children had been taken away in the middle of the night by the Peruvian army and were never seen or heard from again. He met with people whose lives had been torn apart by Shining Path terrorists. Helped by a few brave friends who risked their lives to provide information and guidance, Simpson and his BBC documentary team were introduced to men and women who testified against army officers involved in the smuggling of coca to Colombia. This is an inspiring story, written with all the color and pace of a thriller, but showing the hard facts about one of the world's most brutal regimes and its equally brutal opponents.

Open All Close All