Mission Song.

LE CARRE, John.

Item Number: 131338

London: Viking, 2006.

First edition of this work by the author of The Spy Who Came In From the Cold. Octavo, original boards. Boldly signed by John le Carre on the title page. Fine in a fine dust jacket.

Set against the background of the chaotic East Congo, the story involves the planning of a Western-backed coup in the province of Kivu, told from the worm's-eye view of the hapless interpreter. Although the events are fictional, the book evokes a rich and detailed picture of the political and ethnic tensions of the region, highlighting the greed and amorality of local bureaucrats and Western interests, and calling attention to the apathy of the British press about the continuing humanitarian crisis of the Congo War.