THE LUMUMBA PLOT, the secret history of the CIA and a Cold War assassination

618pp., illus., map, hardback, d.w., Reprint, Vintage Books, New York, 2023

ISBN: 9781984899149

Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, was deposed in a coup in September 1960 and executed in January 1961.

“This is the book we’ve needed for years: a thorough, judicious, eloquent account of one of the twentieth century’s pivotal moments. Patrice Lumumba’s murder was a tragedy not just for his young and troubled country but also for the way it stimulated Washington’s illusion that America could rearrange the world to its liking. Stuart Reid captures this ominous turning point with the clear-eyed wisdom it deserves.” Adam Hochschild, author of King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa

“Gripping, brilliantly written, and sobering. In Reid’s deft hands, the tragic Lumumba story reads like a le Carré thriller. Full of narrative details interwoven into a compelling analysis, The Lumumba Plot renders the past urgent for understanding the world in which we live today.” Caroline Elkins, Professor of history and African and African American studies, Harvard University

Stuart A. Reid is an executive editor of Foreign Affairs. He has written for The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Bloomberg Businessweek, Politico Magazine, Slate, and other publications. He lives in New Jersey.