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Chief of Station, Congo: Fighting the Cold War in a Hot Zone

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Chief of Station, Congo: Fighting the Cold War in a Hot Zone

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By: Larry Devlin

(31 customer reviews)

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EDITORIAL REVIEW

A master spy's memoir of playing the game in the most strategically influential country in 1960s Africa.

Larry Devlin arrived as the new chief of station for the CIA in the Congo five days after the country had declared its independence, the army had mutinied, and governmental authority had collapsed. As he crossed the Congo River in an almost empty ferry boat, all he could see were lines of people trying to travel the other way--out of the Congo. Within his first two weeks he found himself on the wrong end of a revolver as militiamen played Russian-roulette, Congo style, with him.

During his first year, the charismatic and reckless political leader, Patrice Lumumba, was murdered and Devlin was widely thought to have been entrusted with (he was) and to have carried out (he didn't) the assassination. Then he saved the life of Joseph Desire Mobutu, who carried out the military coup that presaged his own rise to political power. Devlin found himself at the heart of Africa, fighting for the future of perhaps the most strategically influential country on the continent, its borders shared with eight other nations. He met every significant political figure, from presidents to mercenaries, as he took the Cold War to one of the world's hottest zones. This is a classic political memoir from a master spy who lived in wildly dramatic times.

PRODUCT DETAILS

Publisher: PublicAffairs
Pub. Date: 12th March 2007
Catalog: Book
Media: Hardcover
Format: Bargain Price
Number Of Pages: 312

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USER REVIEWS

A good review of how the Congo became a basket case
~ Written on Nov 19, 2009. out of users found this review helpful.

Anyone who has spent as much time in Africa as Devlin did, especially in the early 60's as the colonial powers departed has a lot to talk about. Devlin does a good job going back nearly a half century to give us a much better feeling about how the richest continent on Earth in mineral wealth is also the world's basket case economically. Devlin does a great job of explaining that the Congo, which can also apply to the rest of Africa, is controlled and limited by its tribalism and not its nationalism.
Full of dozens of hair-raising situations as the Belgians fled, to be replaced by UN forces that were limited by the cold war realities of, Devlin lets us see how it really was.
This book will never be made into a movie since it doesn't attack the CIA or the US, so if you want to learn about this transition, this book is a good as it gets.

Fascinating First Hand Narrative of Post Colonial Congo
~ Written on Nov 16, 2009. out of users found this review helpful.

Although it may no longer be obvious today, the Congo's importance during the Cold War cannot be overstated. As one of Sub-Saharan Africa's most bountiful and powerful nations, it had significant influence over its neighbors and the US recognized the need to prevent it from falling under the sway of communism. The author served a pivotal role in ensuring this didn't happen. The book contains thoughtful insights about the conflict and its ramifications as well as thrilling tales of life and death in the unpredictable country. The result is a highly enjoyable and informational read.

Congo memoir
~ Written on Aug 12, 2009. out of users found this review helpful.

I knew Larry Devlin during the late 70's when I lived in Kinshasa. He has captured the people and the environment of Zaire/Congo perfectly. I was acquainted with the successful business man, unaware of his CIA intrigues. I've read books for which the authors interviewed Devlin and wondered why he didn't write his own story. And now he has! He easily chronicles the complex Congo of the the early 60's. Conveying the timeline of elections, coups, appointments; and sorting out the Congolese gov't/diplomatic/UN personalities is daunting for most writers. But Devlin proceeds with an easy flow. His direct dealings with Lumumba, Mobutu, Kasavubu, Tshombe, and the rest are fascinating.

Larry Devlin died in Dec., of 2008. My sympathies to his family.

Fighting a hot war in the Cold War.
~ Written on Jul 10, 2009. out of users found this review helpful.

Larry Devlin shows how a resourceful CIA agent can cause a difference in the Cold War. He reluctantly received the chief of station of the Congo Republic in 1960. He was advised he needed two proper suits and his golf clubs, he went into Brazzaville expecting no problems. Upon discovering the hoarde of whites fleeing across the Congo River, he prepared himself for the worst.
I really enjoyed this story. The former Belgian Congo is such a large country, and the rivalries were so complex, it is difficult to understand. Devlin reveals all the rivals for power, and his assessment of them. Even though I doubt Mobutu was all that good, maybe the rest of the lot was worse than him. His book makes sense of the warring factions competing in Zaire. Other books did not always give that view. Lumumba was viewed in a very negative light.
This is a great book for those trying to understand what a CIA agent does in a foreign country. It also shows an activist agent determining policy, since Washington was unable to lead the way. A very interesting read.

One of the best CIA memoirs
~ Written on Dec 31, 2008. 1 out of 1 users found this review helpful.

Having read a handful or more of memoirs by former CIA operative or employees, I've learned that many of them can be quite dull or else poorly written. But Devlin's book is far and away the best CIA memoir I've read. It focuses primarily on his tenure in the Congo, a tumultuous time. But the book is very eye opening to the role of a CIA man in an unstable country. The near-death experiences and the hair-raising stories are incredible. This is a great read, even for those who may not otherwise read this genre.

Chief of Station, Congo: Fighting the Cold War in a Hot Zone

EDITORIAL REVIEW

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