The Contractor: How I Landed in a Pakistani Prison and Ignited a Diplomatic Crisis

On January 27, 2011, on the streets of Lahore, Pakistan, US Government Security contractor Raymond Davis found himself staring down the barrel of a gun. Defending himself, he shot and killed two men who were—depending upon who you ask—illiterate robbers or Pakistani intelligence agents.

The violent confrontation quickly escalated into a diplomatic crisis, making front-page headlines all over the world and threatening to destroy American relationships with one of the world’s most volatile nations. For 49 days, Davis was in Pakistani custody—interrogated, threatened, fearing for his future—as rumors flew and the State Department worked tirelessly to get him back.

In this page-turning thriller, Davis reveals for the very first time what happened behind the scenes during his time in the Pakistani legal system. Davis’s riveting first-person narrative is interspersed with never-before-revealed details of the secret political maneuvering and unlikely chain of events that led to his release.