Flight of the Diamond Smugglers: A Tale of Pigeons, Obsession, and Greed Along Coastal South Africa

"Flight of the Diamond Smugglers is a quirky mixture of whimsy, history and elegy. Matthew Gavin Frank exposes South Africa’s nefarious diamond industry, along with a history of pigeons, the smugglers in the title. We may know diamonds are a sinister business, but Frank divulges new facets of the trade, taking us into the ancient world, detailing the extinction of the dodo and the passenger pigeon, and teaching intricate lessons in pigeon anatomy, including their inborn GPS systems. He travels through remote territory to expose how diamonds are intimately connected to ruthless colonial rule. The result is a truly intriguing read."