"The Golden Thread" (or Operation Morthor) by Ravi Somaiya is a gripping and deeply researched investigation into the mysterious death of United Nations Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld in 1961. Somaiya's writing is engaging and informative, drawing on extensive archival research and interviews with key figures to provide a comprehensive account of the events leading up to Hammarskjöld's plane crash in southern Africa. The book also offers a broader exploration of the geopolitical context of the Cold War and the role of the UN in global politics. However, some readers may find the book's speculative conclusions about Hammarskjöld's death to be somewhat unsatisfying. Overall, "The Golden Thread" is an excellent work of investigative journalism and a fascinating read. A strong four-star review.

In 1961, the Congo was in crisis. Having regained independence from the hated Belgian occupiers, who caused decades of pain for the Congolese, the country was thrown into civil war as the mineral-rich region of Katanga attempted to secede - without the wealth of resources and income from Katanga, the Congo would not survive as a country. The battle-lines were drawn between the Western-backed Katangese rebels and the Congo forces, the latter of whom were appealing to the newly-formed United Nations to diffuse the situation. So the UN Secretary-General, Dag Hammarskjold, flew out to the region to help - and then his plane was shot down, killing himself and everyone else on board. Whodunit?

I quite liked how Ravi Somaiya’s Operation Morthor started out: providing context for the brutal way the Belgians treated the Congolese, why the region was so hotly disputed (it was immensely rich in resources, particularly uranium - hence the interest of both the US and the USSR; I wonder if this was the inspiration for Marvel’s Wakanda?), and the portrait of Dag Hammarskjold, who was an interesting and accomplished Swedish gentleman.

After the assassination though - eh, not so much. It becomes a hodge-podge of names all chasing down one dead-end lead after another for years and years - it’s a tad too convoluted. And after a certain point I began to wonder what the outcome of the mystery would mean; as in, if it was ever solved (which this book doesn’t) - what if the Russians killed Dag or the US or some rando French mercenaries or a coalition of them all? I don’t think it would mean anything to anyone. Closure to those involved? They’re all dead. I guess closure for historians who’re interested in this particular chapter in the Cold War? Hmm.

The setting is a juicy one: the troubled city of Leopoldville crawling with international spies (the unassuming British spy Daphne Park was another memorable character), mercenaries and a power struggle as the potential for the Congo to become another proxy theatre of war between the US and the USSR, like Vietnam, plays out. But instead the book focuses on the investigation into the Albertina plane crash with Somaiya sifting through the minutiae of the evidence and it wasn’t that interesting to read.

I had hoped there’d be more to the mystery behind the assassination - and that’s what this likely was, even though we’ll probably never find out for sure - but there isn’t much and what there is here is unsatisfying and thin.

Operation Morthor (“morthor” is the Hindi word for “twist and break”; it was a descriptive of the UN’s plan - to put down the Katangese secession by force - but also reflective of the makeup of the initial wave of UN soldiers who were from India) starts well and provides a thorough overview of this matter but it’s ultimately a disappointingly dull and forgettable history book - I can see why this is a little-known episode of the Cold War.

This was a well written story about the mystery surrounding the death of Dag Hammarskjold-the former UN General Secretary. The author makes a convincing case that there's more to the story than originally reported. Definitely worth picking up if you are interested in true crime or the Congo's fight to free itself from colonialism.
Quite fascinating - this book may be nonfiction, but it reads like a thriller.

Operation Morther by Ravi Somaiya is an engrossing book about the mysterious disappearance of the plane carrying United Nations Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold in 1961. Hammarskjold , was en route from the Republic of the Congo (Now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) to Ndola in Northern Rhodesia,now Zambia, to negotiate a ceasefire between United Nation troops and the Katangan faction who had broken away from Congo leading to war.
The Republic of the Congo had not long been given independence by Belgium and as with many countries in the cold war period that made them a target of dirty tricks,plots and interference from Russia and the West vying for influence and ,along with Big Business, having no scruples about trying to get the most amenable ,to them.person in power.

Ravi Somaiya paints a vivid picture of the country newly freed from the colonial yoke being being ripped apart by disgruntled former Colonial powers for having the audacity to vote for the wrong person ,backing his opponent while their spooks plotted and schemed to maintain the status quo with a subservient leadership and Western-owned Big Business still calling the shots.
In his UN role Hammarskjold was a humanitarian and determined not to see the fledgling democracy fail within months . His interference angered those content to stir things up hoping for their choice of leader and to continue the plunder of the country's lucrative national resources.
As soon as Hammarskjold's plane was found the disagreements began , the official version was of a simple accident,eye-witnesses spoke of seeing 2 planes,flashes and explosions and the conspiracy theories started started. Hammarskjold had made himself some very powerful enemies purely by doing his job and who killed him has spurred as many theories ,and for longer,than the Kennedy Assassination.
Ravi Somaiya tells of the various investigations,claims and theories and what leaps out is that for an event that most Western Intelligence services still claim was an accident their documents and records of what happened have a habit of getting lost or are locked down under the strictest protocols.

An excellent read that throws a light on the murky world of Spooks and "alternative " foreign policies that those who supposedly represent us carry on with behind our backs. While they play their power games ,innocent people die,and so those inconvenient who'd like the world to be a more equal place.

Thanks to Ravi Somaiya, Penguin UK and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.