Death Row in Paradise
Death Row in Paradise is a story of human interest that highlights one man’s journey through a military operation that went wrong and the imprisonment that was to follow. The book is a true story of the mercenary invasion of Seychelles from 1981 to 1983 where the objective was to replace President Albert Rene’s Socialist Government with a more Pro-western Government. This is a story of an attempted coup d’tat about forty years ago on Seychelles an idyllic, but obscure group of islands in the Indian Ocean. At the time, the attempt made headlines across the world, partly because it involved names still famous or notorious from the mercenary involvement in the Congo in the 1960s. In part, it involved the highjacking of an Air India jetliner where South Africa, the international pariah, was entangled and the incident was perceived as another small skirmish in the Cold War. It is a story about the author’s involvement from the very beginning of the plot, during the contact, his capture, the trial, and the death sentence, the mutiny, captivity, and finally his return to his family. However, this is more than a behind-the-scenes account of those faded headlines. It is the story of one individual’s personal growth. Aubrey was wounded and captured in Seychelles. He was severely beaten on a daily basis, had nine months of solitary confinement, stood trial, and was sentenced to death. He lived through a mutiny at their barracks and he eventually served two and a half years in captivity, a time which he valued with hindsight. He realized it was then that he discovered hidden depths among his comrades and himself. He discovered humanity in his jailers and in the president of Seychelles, whom his group had set out to depose. Cut off from his wife and family, Aubrey treasured their support from a distance, and today he does not for an instance take for granted the strength and joy of a loving family. It also deepened his faith, which today lights his path and he owes a lot to that escapade in Seychelles. Aubrey realized how shallow and crass the racial attitudes were in this world we live in. He experienced the unbelievable magnanimity and greatness of President Albert René, the man to whom Aubrey owes his life. He also experienced support from a distance from Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a person he had been conditioned to expect nothing from except hostility. It was an illuminating and humbling experience. What he has been through and how he emerged victorious against all of it are detailed in this book.
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Project Type:Screenplay
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Genres:Non-Fiction
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Number of Pages:120
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Country of Origin:United Kingdom
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Language:English
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First-time Screenwriter:No
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Student Project:No
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Manx Radio's AwardsIsle of Man | Douglas | UK
December 1, 2021
2021 Final Hidden Hero
Aubrey Brooks is a motivational speaker and a life skill coach with a difference.
Many people have known him over the years as many things – modern-day adventurer, petrolhead, and adrenaline junkie to name but a few. Between working for a living and running his own successful business, he has raced cars, motorcycles, powerboats, and raced ocean yachts. Among his many adventures, he enjoyed parachuting, bungee jumping, car rallying, climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge to name a few. He served in the Rhodesian/Zimbabwean Army for 18 years. He obtained a pilot license, sky-dived, and spent time in the military, including the Grey Scouts Mounted Infantry and the elite Selous Scouts Special Forces Unit. When Aubrey went to Seychelles with Colonel Mike Hoare’s Mercenaries in 1981, he was captured and sentenced to death for high treason. He was involved in an attempted coup d’tat that took place forty years ago on the Seychelles islands. He was wounded, captured, severely beaten on a daily basis, stood trial, and was sentenced to death, he lived through a mutiny in his barracks. After serving a number of years in prison, including 18 months on death row of which 9 months were solitary confinement, he was given a full presidential pardon and released. His search to understand the meaning of life has led him on an incredible journey, a journey that has taken him to many interesting and unusual places. It has also opened up many wonderful opportunities for him, which include meeting with many outstanding people, looking into religious and spiritual beliefs, visiting monasteries and retreats. He has been on many courses, like Mind Power and The Secret, and has attended a number of courses on meditation and self-betterment.