In March 2004 a group led by Nick Du Toit and former SAS member Simon Mann tried to overthrow the tyrannical Obiang Nguema, president of Equatorial Guinea. They were working for investors, allegedly including Mark Thatcher and "J.H. Archer", who wanted to seize control of Africa's third largest oil producer. Roberts tells how the coup was set up and abandoned at the last minute, and how the plotters were seized and subsequently tortured. The new material includes an account of Mann's illegal abduction from prison in 2008; his dramatic trial, in which he accuses named individuals, including Thatcher, of being deeply involved in the plot; Thatcher's fears of "extraordinary rendition" to Equatorial Guinea; and Eli Calil's revelatory admission that he supported forced regime change in Equatorial Guinea.
The Wonga Coup
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"'Riveting and superbly researched... a brilliant, mordant, blackly comic read.' Sunday Times 'Adam Roberts shows, with merciless precision, how the dogs of war panicked where they should have been cool, and screwed up where they should have been clinically efficient.' Observer 'Well-researched and wonderfully gripping.' Financial Times 'An irresistibly lurid tale... he lifts the curtain to the backrooms of power in postcolonial Africa' Publishers Weekly 'Impressively researched and briskly narrated.' The Daily Mail"
Book Description
In July 2008 Eton-educated British mercenary Simon Mann was sentenced to 34 years in prison for attempting to overthrow the government of Equatorial Guinea. This revised edition of Adam Roberts' gripping account of the coup contains sensational new material (including reporting from Zimbabwe) on all of the latest developments.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By Teebs
Format:Paperback
A very well written account of an astonishing story: this is what happens when bored ex-soldiers drink too much and start believing their own fantasies. The sheer amaturishness and bungling of these characters is breath-taking. Roberts writes well and the book is also well organised - neither too long nor too short. The one caveat is that there are no pictures and, despite the best descriptive efforts by Roberts, I cannot understand why pictures of the real people and real places he talks about are not included. I hope this is not an example of the publishers being too cheap.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a relatively good account of the "toffs 'n' mercenaries" in Africa story of a few years ago. It's also a pretty much a straight telling of the characters, history, lead up and aftermath of the events with a tiny splodge of socio-economic facts and figures and a brief insight into the general corruption that exists in Africa (more often than not as a direct result of Big Business).
Although some of the writing occasionally feels strangled in its attempts to connect the various disparate elements and in trying to create an "exciting" feel with regards to the details of the coup (Roberts is certainly no thriller writer....he works for The Economist)...this is a fascinating insight into a world in which you would have thought no longer existed.
Although some of the writing occasionally feels strangled in its attempts to connect the various disparate elements and in trying to create an "exciting" feel with regards to the details of the coup (Roberts is certainly no thriller writer....he works for The Economist)...this is a fascinating insight into a world in which you would have thought no longer existed.
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Adam Roberts has commited a thrilling account of the exploits of soldiers of misfortune in Africa. The book includes some amazing revalations about people who you'd might not think of as coup-plotters. I found the book to be a a real page turner, just the kind of book you'd wanna pick up at the airport to pass a four hour flight or so.
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4.7 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyable even if, like the coup, it fizzles out
Enjoyable book that sheds light on some shady characters. However I did feel the book fizzled out a bit - the narrative gets a bit ragged and the author doesn't really draw any... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Mr. R. M. Tyson
4.0 out of 5 stars
overview
A very good and interesting start. I found I had worked for some of the assocaite companies without knowing who the people in background were! Read more
Published 23 months ago by limni
2.0 out of 5 stars
Mark Thatcher's buddy
I was disappointed with this book. The story of Simon Mann is very interesting, but I have learnt just as much from newspapers as from this
Published on 31 Aug 2010 by dc
3.0 out of 5 stars
Am I the only one with a sneaking regard for the plotters??
First off, this is a pacey little yarn; runs through all the events and makes a nice history of it and a decent account of the individuals involved. Read more
Published on 19 Nov 2009 by Richard A. Gibbs
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Wonga Coup
This book throws light on the mysteries of the plot to sieze billion worth of oil assets in a remote country in Africa. Read more
Published on 30 Oct 2009 by A. Dani
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mad Dogs and Englishmen
It seems like something from another generation: a small group of mercenaries plot to overthrow an African state, install a puppet regime and then milk the country's oil reserves. Read more
Published on 25 July 2006 by S. A. Robinson
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