The Golden Thread: The Cold War and the Mysterious Death of Dag Hammarskjöld, by Ravi Somaiya.

The next Book Group meeting will be in person and by Zoom on Wednesday, May18, from 6:30 to 8:30 PM. Back again in our rotation is a “Non-Fiction” pick; this time it’s The Golden Thread: The Cold War and the Mysterious Death of Dag Hammarskjöld, by Ravi Somaiya.

From its publisher, Grand Central Publishing: Uncover the story behind the death of renowned diplomat and UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld in this true story of spies and intrigue surrounding one of the most enduring unsolved mysteries of the twentieth century.

On September 17, 1961, Dag Hammarskjöld boarded a Douglas DC6 propeller plane on the sweltering tarmac of the airport in Leopoldville, the capital of the Congo. Hours later, he would be found dead in an African jungle with an ace of spades playing card placed on his body.

Hammarskjöld had been the head of the United Nations for nine years. He was legendary for his dedication to peace on earth. But dark forces circled him: Powerful and connected groups from an array of nations and organizations—including the CIA, the KGB, underground militant groups, business tycoons, and others—were determined to see Hammarskjöld fail.

A riveting work of investigative journalism based on never-before-seen evidence, recently revealed firsthand accounts, and groundbreaking new interviews, The Golden Thread reveals the truth behind one of the great murder mysteries of the Cold War.

From Wikipedia: The day after the crash, former U.S. President Harry Truman commented that Hammarskjöld “was on the point of getting something done when they killed him. Notice that I said “when they killed him”.

If you are interested in attending, RSVP to John Campbell to receive the address for the meeting and Zoom link, which will be published about a week ahead of the meeting.

Source: Bellevue Rotary Club