Book: The Lumumba Plot: Secret History of the CIA and a Cold War Assassination

A spellbinding work of history that reads like a Cold War spy thriller about the U.S.-sanctioned plot to assassinate the democratically elected leader of the newly independent Congo.

It was supposed to be a moment of great optimism. The Congo was at last being set free from Belgium, one of 17 countries gaining independence in 1960 from ruling European powers. Just as Patrice Lumumba became the prime minister of Congo, the new army mutinied. Despite intervention by Belgian forces and UN peacekeepers, chaos was spreading. Frustrated, Lumumba turned to the Soviets for help, setting off fears in the CIA of Communism spreading in Africa. Lumumba had to go.

A Best Book of the Year: The New Yorker, The Economist, Financial Times
“This is one of the best books I have read in years . . gripping, full of colorful characters, and strange plot twists.” - Fareed Zakaria
The New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice

The Lumumba Plot: The Secret History of the CIA and a Cold War Assassination by Stuart A. Reid is available in all formats at public libraries and bookstores