About the Author

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).

Reviews

'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*