In the Shadows

In the Shadows: True Stories of High-Stakes Negotiations to Free Americans Captured Abroad.
Mickey Bergman & Ellis Henican. 
Hachette Book Group. 2024.
ISBN: 9781546004752
 
In the Shadows is a non-fiction account by negotiator Mickey Bergman (with Ellis Henican) about the hidden world of efforts to free Americans detained or held hostage abroad. The book traces several major cases, including those of Brittney Griner, Danny Fenster, Otto Warmbier, Trevor Reed, and Paul Whelan, showing how unofficial back-channel negotiators work with authoritarian leaders, warlords, and hostile governments to secure prisoners’ release when standard diplomacy stalls.  Bergman describes his mentorship under Bill Richardson, reveals the psychological and strategic tools used in talks, and highlights the moral ambiguity and emotional toll of dealing with ruthless regimes while bearing responsibility for desperate families and captive Americans whose lives hang in the balance.
 
Mickey Bergman is a conflict-resolution specialist and hostage negotiator who has worked extensively on securing the release of Americans detained or held hostage overseas. He has been closely associated with the late former New Mexico governor and U.S. ambassador Bill Richardson.

Ellis Henican is an American journalist, author, and commentator. He has written columns and reported for major U.S. news outlets, and he frequently collaborates as a co-author or ghostwriter on nonfiction books, including political memoirs and works on public policy and national security.