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LONGLISTED FOR THE ALCS GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION

‘One of the mysteries I’ve long been fascinated by, and I am so grateful that Ravi Somaiya has cracked it open so brilliantly’ David Grann, author of Killers of the Flower Moon

A PLANE CRASH IN THE JUNGLE.
A LEGENDARY STATESMAN DEAD.
A TRAGIC ACCIDENT… OR THE ULTIMATE CONSPIRACY?

In 1961, a Douglas DC-6B aeroplane transporting the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Dag Hammarskjoeld, disappeared over the Congolese jungle at the height of the Cold War. Soon afterward, Hammarskjoeld was discovered in the smoking wreckage, an Ace of Spades playing card placed on his body. He had been heralded as the Congo’s best hope for peace and independence. Now he was dead.

The circumstances of that night have remained one of the Cold War’s most tightly guarded secrets for decades. Now, with exclusive evidence, investigative journalist Ravi Somaiya finally uncovers the truth, with dark implications for governments and corporations alike.

Publisher Review

'One of the mysteries I've long been fascinated by, and I am so grateful that Ravi Somaiya has cracked it open so brilliantly' -- David Grann, author of Killers of the Flower Moon 'Operation Morthor is as exciting as the best spy novels, with the enormous advantage of being completely true. Ravi Somaiya masterfully teases out the tangled strands of a Cold War mystery ... The result is a gripping book by a gifted writer and a dogged investigator' -- Mitchell Zuckoff, author of 13 Hours 'Operation Morthor is one of the most gripping nonfiction books I've read in a very long time. Somaiya does a masterful job sifting the evidence and building a case of murder. This is a fabulous page turner. I highly recommend it' -- Douglas Preston, author of The Monster of Florence 'Ravi Somaiya's brilliant unwrapping of the mystery surrounding Hammarskjold's death will convert the reader into an avid investigator the moment they pick up this book! Operation Morthor also raises key questions before governments who still act suspiciously: why? What are you hiding exactly?' -- Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, UN Human Rights Chief (2014-2018) 'What caused the 1961 plane crash that killed UN Secretary-General Hammarskjoeld, who was attempting at the time to end a war in the Congo? Investigative journalist Somaiya lays out the evidence suggesting foul play in his impressive debut. An eye-opening account' -- Publisher's Weekly, Starred Review