ELEVEN DAYS OF HELL: MY TRUE STORY OF KIDNAPPING, TERROR, TORTURE AND HISTORIC FBI & KGB RESCUE [Paperback]

YVONNE BORNSTEIN (Author), MARK RIBOWSKY (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 25, 2004

On January 6, 1992 Yvonne Weinstock and her then-husband Danny landed in Moscow on a business trip. They had just left the airport when they were ambushed, kidnapped and held for ransom for 11 horrifying days in a dilapidated country house by a gang of Russian "gypsies" who were in reality far more sinister -- cold-blooded conspirators in a sinister plot that joined the Russian Mob, ex-KGB agents and early al-Qaeda operatives looking to fund terrorism, no matter the cost of human life. As told by Yvonne Weinstock (now Bornstein), who survived, but will never be free of its painful echoes, this is the incredible story of those 11 days of hell, and of one of history's unlikeliest rescue operations -- which against all odds allied the FBI and Russian intelligence agencies for the first and only time in history. Reliving the agony, horror and torture she endured, she also unravels the twists and turns of the rescue mission from her own research into the confidential case, skillfully weaving a heart-thumping narrative of drama and intrigue worthy of a top-notch spy novel. Yvonne writes from the heart about the devastating impact of the kidnapping on her marriage and her life, and the change of attitude it had on her that resulted in a belated appreciation for the simple, meaningful things she had come to overlook in her drive to the top of the corporate business world.. In the end, though, she lives uneasily with the memory of her 11 days of hell, she took from it lessons in life that apply to all of us.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Born Yvonne Shilkin in Western Australia, the author of this debut memoir failed to get a start as a singer, survived one divorce and the murder of a fiancé, then married businessman Daniel Weinstock. As Bornstein tells it in this tabloid-style account, in 1992 they set out to make a killing exporting Western consumer goods to the newly opened Russian economy. Unfortunately, their Russian partner was a criminal, which eventually led to Yvonne and Daniel being kidnapped and held outside of Moscow, separately, for $1.6 million ransom total. Their prospects looked bleak, as cooperation between Russian and Western law enforcement authorities was negligible, but a shrewd Russian lawyer in the U.S. established communication between the FBI and the KGB. United efforts led to a rescue; the captors eventually got off with six months for racketeering; the marriage ended a few years later in divorce. In spite of professional assistance, the writing here is frequently pedestrian, and Bornstein is not an entirely sympathetic narrator ("I missed the money," she reports of the time after the rescue). Nevertheless, she throws stark light on the methods of kleptocrats, and on Russia's spasmodic early attempts at capitalism. (Jan. 18)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review

"A terrifyingly true thriller that grips you from the first page and never lets you go!" -- Stuart Beattie-Screenwriter Collateral and Pirates of the Caribbean

"Yvonne Bornstein throws stark light on the methods of kleptocrats, and on Russia’s spasmodic early attempts at capitalism." -- Publishers' Weekly, January 3, 2005 --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 364 pages
• Publisher: AuthorHouse (October 25, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1418493023
• ISBN-13: 978-1418493028
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,881,933 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The woman who came home from the cold., October 11, 2005

By 

Amanda Richards (Georgetown, Guyana) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: ELEVEN DAYS OF HELL: MY TRUE STORY OF KIDNAPPING, TERROR, TORTURE AND HISTORIC FBI & KGB RESCUE (Paperback)

Another title for this review could have been "Risky business". It is the intriguing tale of a woman who has lived on the edge for most of her life, and who has experienced things you and I would never want to imagine.

In a life story that the National Enquirer would have been proud to scoop, a headstrong and determined young woman named Yvonne Shilkin went against the tide, first carving a niche for herself as a singer, (a white, Australian Aretha Franklin), giving up that dream by refusing to compromise on her principles, marrying the man her mother warned her about, enduring a divorce from hell, witnessing the murder of her fiancé, and then finding love with a wonderful man, only to be kidnapped for eleven horrible days in Russia as a result of the couple's very lucrative but risky business ventures as barter/trade agents.

Unknowingly and perhaps naively putting their eggs in the same basket with criminals and thugs, the couple's ordeal only came to a relatively happy ending thanks to a series of fortunate events, some dependable friends, a brilliant and well connected Russian lawyer and a sympathetic, ambitious and competent Russian Colonel.

I say relatively happy, because the ordeal has had lasting effects on the author, leading to divorce, fear of victimization from the largely unpunished perpetrators, and financial ruin.

On the other hand, the fat lady hasn't sung, and the story hasn't ended. The author has since pulled herself together financially, found happiness with the soul mate she waited over forty years to find, and is now living with her extended family in the United States.

This true story is simply told, and although the most brutal parts are not graphically described, what we are told is more than enough to understand the meaning of Primo Levi's words, "I am constantly amazed by man's inhumanity to man."

Rated 4.5 stars


Amanda Richards, October 11, 2005

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book's story is linked to Islamic terrorism, March 1, 2005

By 

C. Hutchison "just a bookseller" (LA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: ELEVEN DAYS OF HELL: MY TRUE STORY OF KIDNAPPING, TERROR, TORTURE AND HISTORIC FBI & KGB RESCUE (Paperback)

This story is a true account of an amazing woman's kidnapping and torture at the hands of Chechen separatist rebels trying to raise money for the beginnings of Osama Bin Laden/Al Qaeda's terrorist activities against the West. The direct link has been validated at the top of US government. But, that fact is a small part of this horrifying account of the ordeal of Yvonne Bornstein and her ex-husband who were kidnapped while on business in the collapsing former Soviet Union. Their rescue by the historic, unprecedented cooperation between the FBI and the KGB would sound unrealistic if it were not absolutely true. 'Eleven Days of Hell' is a testimony to the inner stamina of this brave woman. Yvonne Bornstein credits her 'Never Give Up' attitude to her memories of Senator John McCain's accounts of his endurance of capture and torture as a POW in Vietnam. The book includes photos of Yvonne in her youth, during her marriage, the Soviet dacha where they were held, and pictures of major players in the kidnapping and rescue. Not for the faint of heart, this book includes depictions of gruesome torture Yvonne endured at the hands of her keepers while they attempted to ransom Yvonne and her former husband for millions from their desperate family, again, to be used to fund Islamic terrorist activities. See also 'Why Courage Matters', 'Worth the Fighting For' by John McCain. See also Deputy Sec of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, 'Wolfowitz on Point' by Lee Crane. Also www.TalkLeft.com on links between Chechnyan fighters and Al Qaeda.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Suspenceful and dramatic, December 25, 2005

By 

x - See all my reviews

This review is from: ELEVEN DAYS OF HELL: MY TRUE STORY OF KIDNAPPING, TERROR, TORTURE AND HISTORIC FBI & KGB RESCUE (Paperback)

This is a true story of "man's inhumanity to man" and a wake up call for those living in the television provided security of their living rooms. One cannot accuse Yvonne of of any zest for growing roots into the sofa, au contraire. However, the dangers she encounters go far beyond anything she ever imagined. Russia's organized crime proves too tough, too well organized, and too cruel, when Yvonne and her former husband, Danny Wienstock, are kidnapped by predatory thugs. This terrifying account of the torture and dramatic rescue is recounted in vivid detail Bornstein's suspenseful tale, ELEVEN DAYS OF HELL.


Yvonne's testimony drives home the fact that the events taking place in Russia affect everyone ... it's a small world we live in today. This is a read that tears at the nerves; Bornstein paints a lucid picture of the events of her and her husband's captivity in the town of Noginsk, involving horrible mental and physical abuses heaped on them. Fortunately, back at the ranch some good guys still work at the CIA, and they manage to unite forces with Russian and Australian authorities. The two stories are entwined in a way that builds tension nicely to a thrilling rescue, yet this is not the end. Yvonne must now grapple with the internal demons unleashed by her tormentors. The made for TV drama may be over, but, in the aftermath, her real battle has only just begun.

For anyone who wishes a peak into the horrors and mind set created by events that few of us have or will ever experience, this book is a must read. That said, those who have already experienced "man's inhumanity to man" may have a difficult time getting through the disturbing sequence of events. On the other hand, other victims of violence may be reasssured that justice does exist in the world, and it is sometimes served to the thugs who deserve it.