The Lumumba Plot: The Secret History of the CIA and a Cold War Assassination
Congo's first prime minister lasted ten weeks, and Washington had already decided he should go.
Stuart A. Reid reconstructs the months between Congolese independence in 1960 and Patrice Lumumba’s murder in early 1961, using declassified material to trace what the CIA and the Eisenhower administration authorised, what the Belgians did, and how the two fitted together. Detailed, well sourced, and among the better books on a country that has attracted several.
Recommended by 1 Person
Tyler Cowen
Stuart A. Reid, The Lumumba Plot: The Secret History of the CIA and a Cold War Assassination. For whatever reason, there are more good books about the Congo than most other parts of Africa. This is one of them. From 2023, but good enough to make a “best of non-fiction” list for a typical year. Very cleanly written as well.
Source · February 2025
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