The Mission Song

The Mission Song
First UK edition
AuthorJohn le Carré
Genrethriller/espionage
Published2006
Hodder & Stoughton, UK
Little, Brown, US
Media typePrint
Pages352
ISBN0316016748
Preceded byAbsolute Friends 
Followed byA Most Wanted Man 

The Mission Song is a thriller/espionage novel by British writer John le Carré, published in 2006. 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.