Colonel Carlos Alberto de Lima describes the period of crisis in which the city experienced perpetual arson attacks by traffickers, details how partnerships were formed between military strategists and religious leaders, and describes the aggressively explosive reaction to the visit of Prince Harry of Britain.

His astute and rigorous work demonstrates that while the residents of Alemão were largely passive and collaborative, those in Penha were more resistant, at times harboring admiration for the traffickers and outlaws.

The minutiae of the strategic process are presented in this extraordinary work - how lookouts' hand gestures and flickering street lights were used to warn traffickers of military presence and how troop motivation was rallied through the inclusion of a bodybuilding unit at the base, the provision of religious and spiritual support and extra financial compensation.