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The Wonga Coup: A Tale of Guns, Germs and the Steely Determination to Create Mayhem in an Oil-Rich Corner of Africa Audiobook
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(3.12) - 194 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Equatorial Guinea is a tiny country roughly the size of the state of Maryland. Humid, jungle covered, and rife with unpleasant diseases, natives call it Devil Island. Its president in 2004, Obiang Nguema, had been accused of cannibalism, belief in witchcraft, mass murder, billion-dollar corruption, and general rule by terror. With so little to recommend it, why in March 2004 was Equatorial Guinea the target of a group of salty British, South African and Zimbabwean mercenaries, traveling on an American-registered ex-National Guard plane specially adapted for military purposes, that was originally flown to Africa by American pilots? The real motive lay deep below the ocean floor: oil.
In The Dogs of War, Frederick Forsyth effectively described an attempt by mercenaries to overthrow the government of Equatorial Guinea - in 1972. And the chain of events surrounding the night of March 7, 2004, is a rare case of life imitating art-or, at least, life imitating a 1970s thriller-in almost uncanny detail. With a cast of characters worthy of a remake of Wild Geese and a plot as mazy as it was unlikely, The Wonga Coup is a tale of venality, overarching vanity and greed whose example speaks to the problems of the entire African continent.
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"Crazy! Africa has some messed up stuff going on. This happened in 2004 and I don't even remember hearing anything about this in the news or anything. My company has actually done some work in Equatorial Guinea, where this took place, so it hits home a little bit. "
— Jake (5 out of 5 stars)
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“A remarkable piece of reporting told in lucid prose. As in so many African stories, no side emerges unsullied.”
— Entertainment Weekly -
“Draws a convincing picture of wholesale corruption and brutality on the part of the country’s ruling class.”
— New York Times -
“A real-life pulp thriller, sardonic, riveting.”
— Dallas Morning News -
“Roberts’s account dutifully traces the paper trail of this ‘rent-a-coup,’ which implicated associates including [Margaret Thatcher’s son]."
— New Yorker -
“The book gets inside the world of African mercenaries, arms suppliers, and intelligence traders.”
— Seattle Times -
“The most terrifying thing about this chronicle of a failed coup attempt in Equatorial Guinea is that it’s not a Graham Greene novel but a true story…[This] irresistibly lurid tale is peopled with bellicose profiteers, particularly of the neocolonialist sort from Europe and South Africa, with long histories of investment in oil, diamonds, and war-for-profit…He lifts the curtain to the backrooms of power in postcolonial Africa.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“The story is convoluted, but Roberts and narrator Simon Vance play it out slowly, so it’s fairly easy to follow. Vance is solid as narrator, varying his pace to fit the mood of events in the story. He modulates his voice effectively, adding just the right note of incredulity to some of the outrageous actions by the plotters.”
— AudioFile
The Wonga Coup Listener Reviews
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" Interesting book detailing the specifics of an attempted coup in Equatorial Guinea in 2004, in which Mark Thatcher was implicated. Offers a good view of modern-day mercenary activity. "
— Bill, 1/18/2014 -
" If you have ever read Dogs of War this should be on the list. A good read on the inside of events that hepled shape the book Dogs of War. "
— Tom, 12/24/2013 -
" A nicely chronological account of an obscure coup attempt. Thumbs up. "
— Thomas, 10/26/2013 -
" It is amazing what white men think they can still get away with in modern Africa. Only African heads of state can act with the sort of complete impunity that Simon Mann tried to get away with in his attempt to overthrow the government of Equatorial Guinea. "
— Meredith, 10/24/2013 -
" Really well-done account of an attempt by British and South African mercenaries to overthrow the despotic regime of oil-rich Equatorial Guinea. Margaret Thatcher's son even puts in an appearance. "
— Mark, 8/2/2013 -
" I thought this book did an excellent job of tying an exciting story of mercenaries and international intrigue together with the story of the resource curse many LDC's face today. Also it raises important issues about the privatization of military force. "
— Andrew, 8/1/2013 -
" A quick and exciting read about the world of mercenaries, coups, and the curse of oil in sub-Saharan Africa. "
— Rachel, 5/14/2013 -
" While I didnt think the book was particularly well written, the story is fascinating and Adam got some great access. "
— Reverenddave, 2/6/2013 -
" Interesting background on a strange plot but the author draws unconvincing conclusions about transitions, governance, the resource curse, and other major challenges in Africa. A fun read but less educational than it aims to be. "
— Davin, 1/22/2013 -
" brilliantly researched and compelling written tale of backwater geopolitics and mercenary behaviour "
— Kate, 10/7/2012 -
" Greaaaaaaaaaat read...can't put it down. I'll keep you posted "
— Dj, 9/6/2012 -
" fascinating. on an attempted coup in equatorial guinea. "
— Paul, 7/14/2012 -
" Interesting, mildly instructive and well written, but excessively Brit. Roberts is a bit too impressed with himself and worse his subjects. "
— Dirk, 4/17/2012 -
" Crazy! Africa has some messed up stuff going on. This happened in 2004 and I don't even remember hearing anything about this in the news or anything. My company has actually done some work in Equatorial Guinea, where this took place, so it hits home a little bit. "
— Jake, 10/22/2011 -
" I thought this book did an excellent job of tying an exciting story of mercenaries and international intrigue together with the story of the resource curse many LDC's face today. Also it raises important issues about the privatization of military force. "
— Andrew, 6/17/2011 -
" A quick and exciting read about the world of mercenaries, coups, and the curse of oil in sub-Saharan Africa. "
— Rachel, 10/16/2009 -
" brilliantly researched and compelling written tale of backwater geopolitics and mercenary behaviour "
— Kate, 8/27/2009 -
" A nicely chronological account of an obscure coup attempt. Thumbs up. "
— Thomas, 7/29/2009 -
" It is amazing what white men think they can still get away with in modern Africa. Only African heads of state can act with the sort of complete impunity that Simon Mann tried to get away with in his attempt to overthrow the government of Equatorial Guinea. "
— Meredith, 3/18/2009 -
" Greaaaaaaaaaat read...can't put it down. I'll keep you posted "
— Dj, 7/19/2008 -
" Interesting book detailing the specifics of an attempted coup in Equatorial Guinea in 2004, in which Mark Thatcher was implicated. Offers a good view of modern-day mercenary activity. "
— Bill, 12/31/2007 -
" fascinating. on an attempted coup in equatorial guinea. "
— Paul, 5/21/2007
About Adam Roberts
Adam Roberts is a staff correspondent for the Economist. For four years he was the publication’s Johannesburg bureau chief, reporting from Madagascar, Congo, South Africa, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, and—illegally—from Zimbabwe, as well as from many areas in between. He has also reported from Southeast Asia, the Balkans, Europe, and the United States. A former student of international politics at Oxford University and the London School of Economics, he is now based in London.
About Simon Vance
Simon Vance (a.k.a. Robert Whitfield) is an award-winning actor and narrator. He has earned more than fifty Earphones Awards and won the prestigious Audie Award for best narration thirteen times. He was named Booklist’s very first Voice of Choice in 2008 and has been named an AudioFile Golden Voice as well as an AudioFile Best Voice of 2009. He has narrated more than eight hundred audiobooks over almost thirty years, beginning when he was a radio newsreader for the BBC in London. He is also an actor who has appeared on both stage and television.