The Golden Thread
The Cold War and the Mysterious Death of Dag Hammarskjöld
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3.8 • 10 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
LONGLISTED FOR THE ALCS "GOLD DAGGER" AWARD FOR NON-FICTION CRIME WRITING
Uncover the story behind the death of renowned diplomat and UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld in this true story of spies and intrigue surrounding one of the most enduring unsolved mysteries of the twentieth century.
On September 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 playing card placed on his body. Hammarskjöld had been the head of the United Nations for nine years. He was legendary for his dedication to peace on earth. But dark forces circled him: Powerful and connected groups 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 firsthand accounts, and groundbreaking new interviews, The Golden Thread reveals the truth behind one of the great murder mysteries of the Cold War.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
What caused the 1961 plane crash that killed UN Secretary-General Hammarskj ld, who was attempting at the time to end a war in the Congo? Though the official accounts identified either pilot error or accident as having been responsible, investigative journalist Somaiya, a former New York Times correspondent, lays out the evidence suggesting foul play in his impressive debut. Somaiya disarms conspiracy skeptics at the outset, quoting Harry Truman, who stated two days after the crash that the Swedish diplomat "was on the point of getting something done when they killed him." Hammarskj ld had devoted himself to peacefully resolving a conflict that began in 1960 after the resource-rich province of Katanga seceded from the Congo, leading Congolese President Patrice Lumumba to request the UN's military assistance to reunite his country. The secretary-general was flying to attend a peace summit when his aircraft crashed. Somaiya amasses evidence indicating that the plane was shot down, including witnesses who saw and heard two planes close together, and assesses the potential culpability of a wide range of possible suspects, including Katangese mercenary forces and transnational white supremacists. Though Somaiya doesn't claim to have solved the mystery, open-minded readers are likely to conclude that he raises questions that merit further inquiry. This is an eye-opening account that could lead to renewed public interest in this tragedy.
Customer Reviews
Not what it purports to be
This is a weakly written rant against colonialism and all things white (especially white men) that masquerades as a book about Dag Hammarskjöld. Whites are tiresomely denounced chapter after chapter and repeatedly associated with their snobbish soirees, fine wines, and manicured lawns. The author goes out of his way to describe a group of Belgian government ministers cowering in their offices to escape some bees. Harold MacMillan is written off as "a friend of the queen who sported a gray walrus mustache and pin-striped three-piece suits" (why would a prime minister not wear three-piece suits?), while Daphne Park is lauded for her "palpable intelligence," with multiple paragraphs devoted to her struggles and suffering as a poor child and her remarkable achievements as a student and public servant. The Belgian king Leopold II is described as a "gangling and overweening princeling with a long, gray beard that made him look like an authoritarian Santa." Would Ravi Somaiya perhaps declare a similar description of himself to be racist? And something extremely important to note is the author's loose references, or complete lack of references. Many accounts of the history described are backed up only by "contemporary reports," "interviews," "other accounts," and people's "own words, online”; however, the reports, interviewees, and accounts are not specifically named. We read that a Belgian had spent three years in jail, but no reason is given; it is apparently sufficient just to call him a criminal. Somaiya's writing is weak, unintelligent, and puerile, and his racial bias couldn't be more obvious. If I had ever submitted a similarly written paper in college or graduate school, especially one with such weak references, I'm sure it would have been handed back to me. Don't waste your time with this book, especially if you're looking to read about the death of Dag Hammarskjöld.