Susan Williams is Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London. Her books on Africa include Who Killed Hammarskjold? (2011) and Colour Bar: The Triumph of Seretse Khama and His Nation (2006).
'To have found in the history of the Second World War a million
square miles of unfamiliar territory- the Congo- is an achievement
in itself. On top of that, her story is thrilling. Even the mundane
details are delightful.'
*The Sunday Telegraph*
'Ms Williams pieces together her history in forensic fashion. The
result is a gripping, if occasionally dense, work that uncovers a
world long cast in shadow ... tells a little-known story, but one
with a terribly familiar ring-and ultimately devastating
consequences.'
*The Economist*
'[Williams's] new, meticulously researched book has shades of
Graham Greene, a hint of Conrad, even echoes of Indiana Jones ...
truly a thriller, in which Williams paints clear and sympathetic
pictures of characters thrust into a totally unfamiliar
territory.'
*The Guardian*
'Williams lays out in fascinating detail how several score US spies
went about monitoring whether the Germans were gathering Congolese
uranium and preparing to scupper them if so. ... Her account is
nuanced but gripping and does a sterling job of delineating a
complicated plot while at the same time giving a clear sense of the
characters of the major players.'
*The Spectator*
'Spies in the Congo is an espionage classic. Scrupulously
researched, it illuminates a barely-known aspect of arguably the
most significant event of the 20th century, giving fresh
perspectives.'
*The Scotsman*
'The US was determined first to ensure that the Shinkolobwe mine in
particular wouldn't be able to supply Germany with uranium, and
then to take control of its whole production. This is the theme of
Spies in the Congo. It's a clever book, because it's based on
almost no explicit evidence ... [Williams] analyses what little
evidence there is, much of it only recently released, with great
skill.'
*London Review of Books*
'Williams has pieced together the details of a story so enormous it
seems incredible that most people will have heard nothing about it
before ... a thrilling tale ... sometimes comical, sometimes
tragic, but always riveting.'
*History of War Magazine*
'This is an extraordinary and fascinating story, revealed here with
all the detail and pace of a well crafted thriller.'
*Alexander McCall Smith*
'Using recently declassified material, Susan Williams reveals the
startling story of the small and colourful band of secret agents
who jealously guarded this ore in a game of cat and mouse that may
well have been the key to Allied victory.'
*Anjan Sundaram, author of Stringer: A Reporter's Journey in the
Congo*
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