Law of the Jungle: The Hunt for Colombian Guerrillas, American Hostages, and Buried Treasure [Hardcover]

John Otis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 23, 2010

“Truth be told, they were mostly in it for the money”

On February 13, 2003, a plane carrying three American military contractors on a recon patrol crash-landed in the jungle-covered mountains of Colombia. Within minutes, FARC guerrillas swarmed the wreckage and killed the American pilot and a Colombian crew member as they tried to escape. The survivors—Marc Gonsalves, Keith Stansell, and Thomas Howes—were marched at gunpoint into the rain forest. They would live in constant darkness under the jungle canopy as they faced starvation, fights with fellow hostages, and threats of execution—often with their necks shackled together.

The Colombian government sent 147 soldiers to rescue the Americans. Led by a bold yet corpulent lieutenant, the troops spent weeks subsisting on monkey meat and Amazon rodents as they chased the guerrillas deeper into the jungle. But then a soldier on a bathroom break stuck his machete into the ground and pulled out 20 million pesos, equaling $7,000. Pretty soon, the young, poor, and exhausted troops realized they had stumbled upon a buried rebel cache of $20 million. Within three days, the GIs burned through their newfound fortune, splurging on booze, sex, and flat-screen televisions. And though the money brought pleasure, for many of the soldiers it would end in criminal prosecution or even death by FARC hit men.

Law of the Jungle places the Colombian hostage story in its full context by exploring the inner workings of the FARC, the U.S.-backed war on drugs, and Colombia's efforts to free the rebel-held prisoners. John Otis, a veteran journalist on the Latin American beat, spins an edge-of-your-seat adventure narrative that offers a shocking cautionary tale about the pursuit of fortune in one of the world's most dangerous places.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

In July 2008, Colombia’s army foisted a brilliant ruse upon its Marxist enemy, the FARC. Masquerading as humanitarian workers, soldiers tricked the FARC into handing over its most valuable hostages: three American military contractors whose plane had crashed into the jungle (FARC murdered their two comrades on the spot); Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt; and several Colombian police and military personnel. Journalist Otis’ intensive depiction of that operation culminates his chronicle of how the victims fell into the clutches of the FARC, the ordeal of captivity, and their relatives’ pressure to obtain their release. Otis frames such specifics with the decades-long rebellion by the FARC and its resorting to extortion, drug trafficking, and kidnapping to finance itself. A Colombian army unit that discovered a stash of FARC cash while searching for the hostages is a story told in parallel to the prisoners’ narratives of abusive treatment. With its Conradian atmosphere of jungle-induced madness and an immediacy stemming from interviews with many of the participants, this will engage all who follow Colombian politics. --Gilbert Taylor

Review

“Amazing...Mesmerizing....[John] Otis has assembled a yarn that would make a magical realist blush, complete with outlandish characters, tragicomic twists of fate, and far-flung deeds of derring-do.... Riveting.” (Boston Globe )

“Has the feel of a John Huston movie, with its mix of tragedy, intrigue, black comedy and, ultimately, heroism....fascinating. (BookPage )

“An impossible-to-put-down read with as many twists and turns as a summer blockbuster.... Otis, a journalist who has worked in Latin America for more than 20 years, skillfully weaves this incredible tale of attempted—and eventually successful—rescue by Colombian soldiers....Fascinating.” (Very Short List )

“Compelling...Wild.” (New York Post )

“Law of the Jungle is a well-reported, highly informative account of the chase, which was undertaken largely by the Colombian army....[A] thriller-opera of a story....Otis’s story rises beyond ordinary reporting: He manages to condense recent Colombian history into a clear, digestible narrative.” (Washington Post )

“Gripping and funny...[Otis] tells an amazing story in his first book....Marc Gonsalves, Thomas Howes and Keith Stansell were finally freed during the summer of 2008, and Otis tells their story in the sort of rich detail you’d expect of an experienced print journalist.” (Minneapolis Star Tribune )

“With its Conradian atmosphere of jungle-induced madness and an immediacy stemmingfrom interviews with many of the participants, this will engage all...” (Booklist )

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow; 1 edition (February 23, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061671800
• ISBN-13: 978-0061671807
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.2 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #963,060 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #96 in Books > History > Americas > South America > Colombia

More About the Author

Born in Minnesota, John Otis has worked as a reporter in Central and South America for more than two decades, and served for eight years as South America Bureau Chief for the Houston Chronicle. His 2001 investigation of Colombia's FARC guerrillas was honored by the Overseas Press Club as the best reporting out of Latin America. He now reports from Colombia for Time, GlobalPost and PRI's The World radio program. He lives in Bogota. Law of the Jungle is his first book.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Spellbinding Tale, March 24, 2010

By 

Theodore B. Yasi "Ted" (New Jersey) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Law of the Jungle: The Hunt for Colombian Guerrillas, American Hostages, and Buried Treasure (Hardcover)

Law of the Jungle is a great read- it really lays out the complex web of narco-politics in Colombia through the story of three "gringos" shot down over the jungle interwoven with the strange adventure of the Colombian Special forces team who were sent to find the Americans. The story would be difficult to believe if it were not true- and that is the common thread through out the novel.

I have often wondered the back story of the whole war on drugs- especially as it has played out in Colombia, Law of the Jungle brought me up to speed in a thoughtful and entertaining way.

The author's in depth knowledge of latin america, both culturally as well as politically show through in the narrative, Mr. Otis should continue writing on this subject, I can't wait for his next book!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A complex tale full of untold stories, May 14, 2010

By 

R Lawrence "R Lawrence" (Albion, Maine, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Law of the Jungle: The Hunt for Colombian Guerrillas, American Hostages, and Buried Treasure (Hardcover)

John Otis wrestles successfully with a complicated subject that remains largely ignored by most of the world - outside Colombia. Complex stories require reader patience, and this one was hard to crack - which I think caused another reviewer to down-rate the book. I learned a great deal about the FARC, Colombian politics and government since the 1970s. The tales of three American contractors, and of Ingrid Betancourt, bookend sad stories of the hundreds and thousands who have suffered at the hands of Colombia's right, left, and center. Otis's book explores and enlightens, approaching a crescendo in the last ten chapters that kept me up reading late until I finished.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A real page-turner, November 11, 2010

By 

Eric Kayne - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Law of the Jungle: The Hunt for Colombian Guerrillas, American Hostages, and Buried Treasure (Hardcover)

Two friends of mine who worked closely with John Otis in South America in the past told me about this book and I had also heard about it on a radio interview here in Houston.

Otis brilliantly weaves the lives of three Americans held hostage in the jungles of Columbia against a backdrop of global politics, buried treasure and a harrowing rescue. The book narratively clarifies the conflict between the government of Columbia and the FARC. A real page-turner, this is a good book for a long plane ride or a bedside book good for pre-sleep adventures.