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The Golden Thread: The Cold War Mystery Surrounding the Death of Dag Hammarskjöld
A true story of spies and intrigue surrounding one of the most enduring unsolved mysteries of the 20th century, investigative reporter Ravi Somaiya uncovers the story behind the death of renowned diplomat and UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld.
On Sept. 17, 1961, Dag Hammarskjöld boarded a Douglas DC6 propeller plane on the sweltering tarmac of the airport in Leopoldville, the capital of the Congo. Hours later, he would be found dead in an African jungle with an Ace of Spades tucked in his collar.
Hammarskjöld had been head of the United Nations for nine years. He was legendary for his dedication to peace on earth. But dark forces circled him: a powerful and connected group of people from an array of nations and organizations -- including the CIA, the KGB, underground militant groups, business tycoons, and others -- were determined to see Hammarskjöld fail.
A riveting work of investigative journalism based on never-before-seen evidence, recently revealed first-hand accounts, and groundbreaking new interviews, The Golden Thread reveals the truth behind one of the great murder mysteries of the Cold War.
On Sept. 17, 1961, Dag Hammarskjöld boarded a Douglas DC6 propeller plane on the sweltering tarmac of the airport in Leopoldville, the capital of the Congo. Hours later, he would be found dead in an African jungle with an Ace of Spades tucked in his collar.
Hammarskjöld had been head of the United Nations for nine years. He was legendary for his dedication to peace on earth. But dark forces circled him: a powerful and connected group of people from an array of nations and organizations -- including the CIA, the KGB, underground militant groups, business tycoons, and others -- were determined to see Hammarskjöld fail.
A riveting work of investigative journalism based on never-before-seen evidence, recently revealed first-hand accounts, and groundbreaking new interviews, The Golden Thread reveals the truth behind one of the great murder mysteries of the Cold War.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published July 7, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
September 8, 2020
Quick thoughts: The Golden Thread is an exciting and tense nonfiction true crime thriller. Ravi Somaiya is a journalist, and I loved the writing style used here. I definitely recommend if you enjoy true crime nonfiction AND fiction because much of this reads like fiction, and it’s even more compelling because it actually happened.
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
April 3, 2022
One of the early leaders of the United Nations died mysteriously in a plane crash. The Golden Thread tells the story of what happened and the dire consequences for anyone working in the Congo, then or now. The brutal history of colonization by the Belgians in the area left a desperate and demoralized population who have never recovered. Their leaders and foreigners who try to interfere or help have a target on their backs by outside forces who had much to gain from a Congo in disarray.
October 22, 2020
In 1961, the Congo was in crisis. Having regained independence from the hated Belgian occupiers, who caused decades of pain for the Congolese, the country was thrown into civil war as the mineral-rich region of Katanga attempted to secede - without the wealth of resources and income from Katanga, the Congo would not survive as a country. The battle-lines were drawn between the Western-backed Katangese rebels and the Congo forces, the latter of whom were appealing to the newly-formed United Nations to diffuse the situation. So the UN Secretary-General, Dag Hammarskjold, flew out to the region to help - and then his plane was shot down, killing himself and everyone else on board. Whodunit?
I quite liked how Ravi Somaiya’s Operation Morthor started out: providing context for the brutal way the Belgians treated the Congolese, why the region was so hotly disputed (it was immensely rich in resources, particularly uranium - hence the interest of both the US and the USSR; I wonder if this was the inspiration for Marvel’s Wakanda?), and the portrait of Dag Hammarskjold, who was an interesting and accomplished Swedish gentleman.
After the assassination though - eh, not so much. It becomes a hodge-podge of names all chasing down one dead-end lead after another for years and years - it’s a tad too convoluted. And after a certain point I began to wonder what the outcome of the mystery would mean; as in, if it was ever solved (which this book doesn’t) - what if the Russians killed Dag or the US or some rando French mercenaries or a coalition of them all? I don’t think it would mean anything to anyone. Closure to those involved? They’re all dead. I guess closure for historians who’re interested in this particular chapter in the Cold War? Hmm.
The setting is a juicy one: the troubled city of Leopoldville crawling with international spies (the unassuming British spy Daphne Park was another memorable character), mercenaries and a power struggle as the potential for the Congo to become another proxy theatre of war between the US and the USSR, like Vietnam, plays out. But instead the book focuses on the investigation into the Albertina plane crash with Somaiya sifting through the minutiae of the evidence and it wasn’t that interesting to read.
I had hoped there’d be more to the mystery behind the assassination - and that’s what this likely was, even though we’ll probably never find out for sure - but there isn’t much and what there is here is unsatisfying and thin.
Operation Morthor (“morthor” is the Hindi word for “twist and break”; it was a descriptive of the UN’s plan - to put down the Katangese secession by force - but also reflective of the makeup of the initial wave of UN soldiers who were from India) starts well and provides a thorough overview of this matter but it’s ultimately a disappointingly dull and forgettable history book - I can see why this is a little-known episode of the Cold War.
I quite liked how Ravi Somaiya’s Operation Morthor started out: providing context for the brutal way the Belgians treated the Congolese, why the region was so hotly disputed (it was immensely rich in resources, particularly uranium - hence the interest of both the US and the USSR; I wonder if this was the inspiration for Marvel’s Wakanda?), and the portrait of Dag Hammarskjold, who was an interesting and accomplished Swedish gentleman.
After the assassination though - eh, not so much. It becomes a hodge-podge of names all chasing down one dead-end lead after another for years and years - it’s a tad too convoluted. And after a certain point I began to wonder what the outcome of the mystery would mean; as in, if it was ever solved (which this book doesn’t) - what if the Russians killed Dag or the US or some rando French mercenaries or a coalition of them all? I don’t think it would mean anything to anyone. Closure to those involved? They’re all dead. I guess closure for historians who’re interested in this particular chapter in the Cold War? Hmm.
The setting is a juicy one: the troubled city of Leopoldville crawling with international spies (the unassuming British spy Daphne Park was another memorable character), mercenaries and a power struggle as the potential for the Congo to become another proxy theatre of war between the US and the USSR, like Vietnam, plays out. But instead the book focuses on the investigation into the Albertina plane crash with Somaiya sifting through the minutiae of the evidence and it wasn’t that interesting to read.
I had hoped there’d be more to the mystery behind the assassination - and that’s what this likely was, even though we’ll probably never find out for sure - but there isn’t much and what there is here is unsatisfying and thin.
Operation Morthor (“morthor” is the Hindi word for “twist and break”; it was a descriptive of the UN’s plan - to put down the Katangese secession by force - but also reflective of the makeup of the initial wave of UN soldiers who were from India) starts well and provides a thorough overview of this matter but it’s ultimately a disappointingly dull and forgettable history book - I can see why this is a little-known episode of the Cold War.
May 12, 2020
There is plenty of intrigue to keep one following along in this book of spies and movers and shakers. I was never aware of all the dark power struggles that were going on so far back, and that there were all these foreign countries involved, playing games to rob them of their valuable resources. The movies later made us aware of blood diamonds, but that is just one part, it turns out, of what is being mined from Africa and making people rich. That all makes for big and sometimes violent power struggles.
When the UN tried to help, sometimes unwanted by a faction, they still tried to calm the situation. This book looks at what happened to Dag Hammarskjold when he tried to go to Ndola to negotiate peace in the area and was killed along with his aides and crew as they were about to land. It’s been a long-standing mystery as to what actually happened to his plane to cause the accident, even after the investigation was done. The author was able to find more information that was disregarded by the authorities from witnesses. Advanced electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Ravi Somaiya, and the publisher.
When the UN tried to help, sometimes unwanted by a faction, they still tried to calm the situation. This book looks at what happened to Dag Hammarskjold when he tried to go to Ndola to negotiate peace in the area and was killed along with his aides and crew as they were about to land. It’s been a long-standing mystery as to what actually happened to his plane to cause the accident, even after the investigation was done. The author was able to find more information that was disregarded by the authorities from witnesses. Advanced electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Ravi Somaiya, and the publisher.
September 26, 2020
I was unable to put this book down. Dag Hammarskjöld was the UN's Secretary-General in 1961. This book looks at what happened to Dag Hammarskjold when he tried to go to Ndola to negotiate peace in the area and was killed along with his aides and crew as they were about to land.
There is an amazing Golden Thread that pulls all the investigation, first-person accounts, transcripts, etc. over the years into what accounts as the tragic and disturbing murder of a very, very good man.
There is an amazing Golden Thread that pulls all the investigation, first-person accounts, transcripts, etc. over the years into what accounts as the tragic and disturbing murder of a very, very good man.
February 17, 2022
Интересувате ли се от мистериозни смъртни случи? Ако да, то може би сте чували за генералния секретар на ООН Даг Хамаршелд, който загива през 1961 г. в миротворческа мисия при съмнителни обстоятелства. Той се опитва да предотврати война в рамките на Демократична република Конго, придобила независимост от Белгия през 1960 г. Южната област Катанга е богата на природни ресурси, което я прави особено желана от европейските колонизатори. Наемни войници започват действия за сецесия и автономност с цел контрол върху добива и търговията с полезни изкопаеми. Намесват се и тайните служби на редица държави - често срещан сценарий при военни конфликти в разгара на Студената война.
Даг Хамаршелд се качва на дипломатически самолет в Леополдвил (сега Киншаса), но не стига до крайната си дестинация. Самолетът се разбива близо до Ндола в днешна Замбия. Твърде бързо и удобно катастрофата е определена за инцидент и случаят е потулен. Но скоро наяве излизат смущаващи факти - свидетели са видели два самолета в небето преди катастрофата, спасители стигат до горящите останки чак на следващия ден, самолетът не разполага с черна кутия. Станал ли е жертва на атентант главният секретар на ООН? Имало ли е изтребител, който да е свалил дипломатическия самолет? Или пък терорист на борда? Или смъртта наистина е била резултат от нещастен случай? И до днес няма официално приета теория, а книгата разкрива убедително звучащи (поне за мен) доказателства в полза на атентат.
Даг Хамаршелд е един малкото хора, които посмъртно получават Нобелова награда за мир.
Даг Хамаршелд се качва на дипломатически самолет в Леополдвил (сега Киншаса), но не стига до крайната си дестинация. Самолетът се разбива близо до Ндола в днешна Замбия. Твърде бързо и удобно катастрофата е определена за инцидент и случаят е потулен. Но скоро наяве излизат смущаващи факти - свидетели са видели два самолета в небето преди катастрофата, спасители стигат до горящите останки чак на следващия ден, самолетът не разполага с черна кутия. Станал ли е жертва на атентант главният секретар на ООН? Имало ли е изтребител, който да е свалил дипломатическия самолет? Или пък терорист на борда? Или смъртта наистина е била резултат от нещастен случай? И до днес няма официално приета теория, а книгата разкрива убедително звучащи (поне за мен) доказателства в полза на атентат.
Даг Хамаршелд е един малкото хора, които посмъртно получават Нобелова награда за мир.
March 7, 2022
Eventhough I studied history in college there is still so much I don't know. I never even heard of this event that took place in Congo during the cold war.
This was a really fascinating read. I had trouble putting it down. Some of the comments were right. It really read like a spy novel.
Highly recommended
This was a really fascinating read. I had trouble putting it down. Some of the comments were right. It really read like a spy novel.
Highly recommended
March 17, 2021
Dag Hammarskjold, the second head of the United Nations seemed to be an honest man, determined to do his job. At the time of his death he was trying to keep factions in the Democratic Republic of Congo from exploding into civil war. Belgium had relinquished its brutal hold on the former colony. Patrice Lumumba, a passionate voice for Black power had been assassinated. A rump section of the country had broken away, determined to preserve White nationalism and corporate domination. And the entire country was rife with spies, mercenaries, and forces ready to claim power at any cost. They all hated the UN. Hammarskjold was on a mission of peace when his plane crashed under mysterious circumstances. Trying to figure out who or what caused the crash has frustrated many a journalist. The details are maddeningly complicated, obscure and disparate. This author gave it a nice try.
January 26, 2021
This is not an easy read. I commend the author for making a very, very convoluted and confusing situation readable. The biggest take away for me: how there are some people who are so dedicated to finding the truth and what is right will work their entire lives for, and still may get no results; how the 'democratic' governments of the world will do dirty deeds, and how public servants are more often than not rewarded for trying to do the best thing for all.
February 3, 2021
3.5 stars. Really interesting examination of colonialism and its fall out, including the probable assassination of UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld in 1961. Probably would have been 4 stars if I'd read in print. Audio made it tough to keep all the characters straight.
February 16, 2024
they definitely killed him that's the takeaway. rip dag, if you had lived, it wouldn't be cringe to lionize the UN
August 2, 2021
I must admit I know little of the former Belgian Congo and only knew one factoid about Dag Hammarskjold (Secretary General of the United Nations). But this intelligently-written, extensively (double down on the "extensive") researched true crime story of murder and mystery has provided a solid footing into the world of post WWII, and the post-colonial battlegrounds of the Cold War.
At the time of Hammarskjold's death in a plane crash, Harry S. Truman said "Mr Hammarskjold was on the point of getting something done when they killed him." And after reading this book, you realize that Truman knew what he was talking about. As the saying goes "I may be paranoid ... but that doesn't mean they're not out to get me."
And there's a lot to be paranoid about in reading this story of political intrigue and assassination. The CIA had sent an agent to attempt to poison Patrice Lumumba's toothpaste, for example, and there is a strong network of spies afoot here.
The author's strength is putting together all his research into a cohesive and understandable structure and giving us readers enough of a background to understand the implications of Hammarskjold's death. Exceptional book. 5 stars.
I received an ARC from the Publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my new blog "I Love True Crime Books"
At the time of Hammarskjold's death in a plane crash, Harry S. Truman said "Mr Hammarskjold was on the point of getting something done when they killed him." And after reading this book, you realize that Truman knew what he was talking about. As the saying goes "I may be paranoid ... but that doesn't mean they're not out to get me."
And there's a lot to be paranoid about in reading this story of political intrigue and assassination. The CIA had sent an agent to attempt to poison Patrice Lumumba's toothpaste, for example, and there is a strong network of spies afoot here.
The author's strength is putting together all his research into a cohesive and understandable structure and giving us readers enough of a background to understand the implications of Hammarskjold's death. Exceptional book. 5 stars.
I received an ARC from the Publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Visit my new blog "I Love True Crime Books"
November 11, 2020
Unbelievably, King Baudouin uttered these words (on June 30, 1960) as he "stood up in a white military uniform festooned with medals, and with the bitterness of a reluctant divorcee, declared the Congo free at last: The independence of Congo constitutes the completion of the work that arose from the genius of King Leopold ll, he said, "that was undertaken by him with undaunted courage and set forth by the determination of Belgium." He asked that the Congolese show that Belgium was right to have offered independence, and said he would offer counsel if asked." How racist! How patronizing! What arrogance! What denial of the blood-soaked history of the Congo during Leopold's rule! Patrice Lumumba, the first Prime Minister, responded with an unscheduled riposte: "The fate that befell us during eighty years of colonial rule, he said,"is not something we can eradicate from our memory, our wounds are still too fresh and painful. We have known grueling labor for wages that did not allow us eat decently,to clothe ourselves or have decent housing, not to raise our children as loved ones. We have known mockery and insult, blows that we underwent in the morning, in the afternoon and evening, because we were Negroes."
August 3, 2020
This was a well written story about the mystery surrounding the death of Dag Hammarskjold--the former UN General Secretary. The author makes a convincing case that there's more to the story than originally reported. Definitely worth picking up if you are interested in true crime or the Congo's fight to free itself from colonialism.
September 24, 2020
This is a fascinating true story of the mysterious events surrounding the plane crash that killed UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold in 1961. I learned so much history that I never knew, and this book really opened my eyes. What a compelling read this is!
February 15, 2021
Whilst in the thick of negotiating peace with warring factions and trying to reunite Congo, UN secretary general Dag Hammarskjöld's DC6 plane went down one early morning in September in 1961. With so many loose ends left untied in Hammarskjöld's death, discernible even to the plain eye after half a century of his death, it's obvious there had been a coverup. Somaiya embarks on a mission to put together the missing puzzle pieces and tie up the dizzyingly confusing narratives that had emerged since then to bring closure to the case. Was the plane crash a sabotage? Whose hand was involved? CIA? MI6? KGB? Mercenaries? Was there a second plane involved? Or is it simply a pilot error? Somaiya seeks to answers these questions in this brilliant piece of investigative work that spans more than fifty years. It's important to mention here that there is simply no earth shattering new evidence to be unearthed in the case, yet Somaiya's writing is gripping and his research meticulous, hence what emerges is the tale of an earnest official who only wanted peace but caught in the crosswire between capitalistic greed and colonial interests in one of the mineral rich regions of Africa. Brilliant read.
ps: received eARC with thanks from Netgalley / Twelve Books in exchange for an honest review.
ps: received eARC with thanks from Netgalley / Twelve Books in exchange for an honest review.
June 6, 2021
Fascinating and very well written account of a forgotten crime and decades of investigations that followed it.
I first heard about this stranger-than-fiction true story while watching the wonderful documentary film ‘Cold Case Hammarskjöld’ by Danish director Mads Brügger and ‘The Golden Thread’ is a perfect companion book. The author provides a detailed portrait of a very specific time and place: Kongo in the early 1960s, which was a hub for international spies and a deadly playground for all major foreign powers. In these circumstances it is hardly surprising that UN secretary general Dag Hammarskjöld, who tried to fix the situation and defend the weak ones, was seen as an obstacle to get rid of.
The author’s style is clear, witty and engaging - he weaves the tread of this complicated story skillfully and effortlessly. Recommended for everyone interested in geopolitics, recent history or just a good true crime.
Thanks to the publisher, Twelve Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
I first heard about this stranger-than-fiction true story while watching the wonderful documentary film ‘Cold Case Hammarskjöld’ by Danish director Mads Brügger and ‘The Golden Thread’ is a perfect companion book. The author provides a detailed portrait of a very specific time and place: Kongo in the early 1960s, which was a hub for international spies and a deadly playground for all major foreign powers. In these circumstances it is hardly surprising that UN secretary general Dag Hammarskjöld, who tried to fix the situation and defend the weak ones, was seen as an obstacle to get rid of.
The author’s style is clear, witty and engaging - he weaves the tread of this complicated story skillfully and effortlessly. Recommended for everyone interested in geopolitics, recent history or just a good true crime.
Thanks to the publisher, Twelve Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
March 19, 2021
Overall, I enjoyed this audiobook. The author (who is also the narrator) sounds exactly like Colin Firth. A very soothing voice. :) I usually love investigative journalism and there is some good stuff in this book. I learned a lot about the Democratic Republic of the Congo and I found the whole mystery behind Dag Hammerskjold's death quite interesting. I do have to admit that my mind wandered at times throughout the book. There is so much information that I found fascinating that it makes the book with a read (or a listen). And I still love investigative journalism. I don't know why my mind wandered but I did find some parts kind of boring.
February 5, 2021
The devils enter uninvited when the house stands empty. For other kinds of guests, you have first to open the door. —Dag Hammarskjöld
Hard to keep track of all the players but an interesting read.
Hard to keep track of all the players but an interesting read.
December 23, 2023
I don’t really know what to think of this one. It was really 75% set up for the crash and then 25% about the crash.
I had a hard time keeping all the people straight, but this might be because I listened to it on audio.
I had a hard time keeping all the people straight, but this might be because I listened to it on audio.
July 27, 2020
This non-fictional narrative reads like a spy thriller.
September 4, 2020
A riveting book at the intersection of true crime, espionage and colonialism. I can’t stop thinking about this unsolved mystery!
April 28, 2024
Well researched and riveting, though as others have noted sadly inconclusive given the reality of the situation. I learnt a lot and enjoyed the experience though! Look forward to seeing what history reveals about this case.
October 26, 2024
Great explanation of all the actors and situations that played a role into Dag’s death but at some points, it felt like information overload.
September 21, 2020
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https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
The Golden Thread: The Cold War and the Mysterious Death of Dag Hammarskjold, Ravi Somaiya takes the reader back to the mid-20th century, a time when European colonization of Africa and Asia was being terminated in favor of self rule. I read many histories. But this is the first I have read about this era.
In 1960, when Belgium departed from the Congo (now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo) the southernmost, and richest, province declared its independence as the State of Katanga. At the request of Congo’s Prime Minister, Patrice Lumumba, the United Nations sent armed forces to try to reunite Katanga with the Congo. From that point on the armed conflict was between UN forces and Katanga forces.
In the hopes of negotiating a peace settlement, on September 17, 1961, Secretary General of the UN, Dag Hammarskjold, embarked on a secret flight to an airport in Rhodesia to meet with Moise Tshombe, the head of Katanga. However, on its approach to the airport Hammarskjold’s plane crashed and he was killed.
Official inquiries conducted immediately after the crash, held by both Rhodesian and UN authorities, concluded that it was caused by pilot error. However, several people, primarily friends of Hammarskjold, did not trust the conclusions of these tribunals and commenced their own investigations. Throughout the years others have continued these investigations.
Somaiya masterfully describes these efforts to determine the exact events surrounding this plane crash. He explains why there were good reasons to disbelieve the conclusions of the original inquiries. The investigating tribunals, consisting of only white officials, summarily disregarded the testimony of multiple African witnesses who saw a second plane following Hammarskjold’s plane and possible flashes from that second plane before Hammarskjold’s plane went down. And these tribunals inexplicably failed to investigate the possible motives of others who might have wanted to prevent a peace agreement under which Congo’s new government ruled over a reunited Katanga.
Somaiya shrewdly reveals that there were plenty of entities with such motives. The European white nationalist mercenaries who were hired to fight for Katanga might have wanted the war to continue to protect their paychecks. The European mining company that was continuing to operate in Katanga might have feared the rule of Congo’s new government. And the United States and Britain might have been concerned that Congo’s new government was subject to Soviet influence.
As in any well-told mystery, Somaiya divulges new witnesses and additional pieces of relevant evidence that turn up every time someone new attempts to reopen the inquiry. And he increases the mystery and raises additional suspicions by pointing to numerous governmental agencies that continue to refuse to provide access to evidence that may be locked away in their archives.
While I always enjoy good history books, they usually take some time to read. This is a rare history book that I could not put down. In addition to being a great mystery it was also an excellent reminder of the tragic harm caused by European colonization of the African continent. I give this book 5 stars and recommend it for anyone interested in a good true-life mystery, international diplomacy and/or 20th century history.
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
The Golden Thread: The Cold War and the Mysterious Death of Dag Hammarskjold, Ravi Somaiya takes the reader back to the mid-20th century, a time when European colonization of Africa and Asia was being terminated in favor of self rule. I read many histories. But this is the first I have read about this era.
In 1960, when Belgium departed from the Congo (now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo) the southernmost, and richest, province declared its independence as the State of Katanga. At the request of Congo’s Prime Minister, Patrice Lumumba, the United Nations sent armed forces to try to reunite Katanga with the Congo. From that point on the armed conflict was between UN forces and Katanga forces.
In the hopes of negotiating a peace settlement, on September 17, 1961, Secretary General of the UN, Dag Hammarskjold, embarked on a secret flight to an airport in Rhodesia to meet with Moise Tshombe, the head of Katanga. However, on its approach to the airport Hammarskjold’s plane crashed and he was killed.
Official inquiries conducted immediately after the crash, held by both Rhodesian and UN authorities, concluded that it was caused by pilot error. However, several people, primarily friends of Hammarskjold, did not trust the conclusions of these tribunals and commenced their own investigations. Throughout the years others have continued these investigations.
Somaiya masterfully describes these efforts to determine the exact events surrounding this plane crash. He explains why there were good reasons to disbelieve the conclusions of the original inquiries. The investigating tribunals, consisting of only white officials, summarily disregarded the testimony of multiple African witnesses who saw a second plane following Hammarskjold’s plane and possible flashes from that second plane before Hammarskjold’s plane went down. And these tribunals inexplicably failed to investigate the possible motives of others who might have wanted to prevent a peace agreement under which Congo’s new government ruled over a reunited Katanga.
Somaiya shrewdly reveals that there were plenty of entities with such motives. The European white nationalist mercenaries who were hired to fight for Katanga might have wanted the war to continue to protect their paychecks. The European mining company that was continuing to operate in Katanga might have feared the rule of Congo’s new government. And the United States and Britain might have been concerned that Congo’s new government was subject to Soviet influence.
As in any well-told mystery, Somaiya divulges new witnesses and additional pieces of relevant evidence that turn up every time someone new attempts to reopen the inquiry. And he increases the mystery and raises additional suspicions by pointing to numerous governmental agencies that continue to refuse to provide access to evidence that may be locked away in their archives.
While I always enjoy good history books, they usually take some time to read. This is a rare history book that I could not put down. In addition to being a great mystery it was also an excellent reminder of the tragic harm caused by European colonization of the African continent. I give this book 5 stars and recommend it for anyone interested in a good true-life mystery, international diplomacy and/or 20th century history.
April 20, 2020
I got this book from NetGalley for a honest review
This book followes the death of Dag Hammarskjöld. He died in a plane crash, and the reason of the crash is still disputed. In this book there are new evidence about the case, according to the blurb. I am very into true crime, and I have never heard of this case before, so I wanted to know more about this book and the case. My issue with the book was the huge infodump at the beginning. It was 100 pages of information and history before we got to the actual crash. I don’t think that it was nesesairy to have this amount of information. We even got a history of the Congo, which I don’t think contributed to the story. The first 100 pages also reads like a fiction book. It was like a biography of Dag Hammarskjöld. If this would be condensed into a chapter of 2, it would be better into my opinion. Give me some backstory on this guy, but not his entire life story. I was waiting for the crash to happen and for the investigation to start for quite a while. In the second half of the book, it got really interesting, as then the investigation stars. I really liked the investigation into his death, and the crash. I also learned a lot about Congo, even though I don’t think the info is nesseasary.
This book followes the death of Dag Hammarskjöld. He died in a plane crash, and the reason of the crash is still disputed. In this book there are new evidence about the case, according to the blurb. I am very into true crime, and I have never heard of this case before, so I wanted to know more about this book and the case. My issue with the book was the huge infodump at the beginning. It was 100 pages of information and history before we got to the actual crash. I don’t think that it was nesesairy to have this amount of information. We even got a history of the Congo, which I don’t think contributed to the story. The first 100 pages also reads like a fiction book. It was like a biography of Dag Hammarskjöld. If this would be condensed into a chapter of 2, it would be better into my opinion. Give me some backstory on this guy, but not his entire life story. I was waiting for the crash to happen and for the investigation to start for quite a while. In the second half of the book, it got really interesting, as then the investigation stars. I really liked the investigation into his death, and the crash. I also learned a lot about Congo, even though I don’t think the info is nesseasary.
July 17, 2020
Thank you Twelve Books and Netgalley for sharing this true crime investigation story. I put off reading this for quite a long time after receiving it because I had seen media coverage of a documentary released last year called Cold Case Hammarskjold. The reviews of that documentary made it sound like a not very credible tale of a crackpot conspiracy theorist (which it may or may not be, I never did watch it). But after a comment in this book, I understand the documentary and the book are not the same. This book investigates (as best as possible) multiple possibilities for what made Dag Hammarskjold’s plane crash in 1961. While there is no satisfactory conclusion at the end, it’s still an informative and rather gripping tale, as much about the state of the Congo at that time as about the mystery itself. I enjoyed it and learned a lot about geopolitics and the UN at that time.
October 1, 2020
I liked it and I'm glad I listened to it. Dag Hammarskjold was the UN General Secretary who died in a plane crash. The first official investigation stated that it was pilot error and the entire world went: Bullsh*t.
Somaiya's book covers the many investigations and theories about what happened. There is a good amount of basic background on the Congo/DRC/Zaire, the multinationals that mined there, intelligent agencies staffed there, white Africans trying to keep power and I'll admit my knowledge of the area is that King Leopold was evil and the country is currently suffering from a measles outbreak. There is good write ups of personal investigations, interviews, and documents all relating to what happened. The part that really stuck with me was that everyone made sure the evidence was destroyed because no one wanted the case solved, it was enough that Hammarskjold was dead.
Somaiya's book covers the many investigations and theories about what happened. There is a good amount of basic background on the Congo/DRC/Zaire, the multinationals that mined there, intelligent agencies staffed there, white Africans trying to keep power and I'll admit my knowledge of the area is that King Leopold was evil and the country is currently suffering from a measles outbreak. There is good write ups of personal investigations, interviews, and documents all relating to what happened. The part that really stuck with me was that everyone made sure the evidence was destroyed because no one wanted the case solved, it was enough that Hammarskjold was dead.
September 28, 2020
Quite fascinating - this book may be nonfiction, but it reads like a thriller. I went into this knowing little to nothing about Dag Hammaskjöld other than that he was a UN Secretary General who died in a plane crash, so I found this detailed examination of the still unsolved mystery surrounding his death in 1961 a riveting read.
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