The Dogs of War

I recently finished reading The Dogs of War, one of Frederick Forsyth's earlier novels. I'd actually wanted to read The Day of the Jackal, but that one was not at the library when I stopped by. The alternative was a good one nonetheless. It tells the story of a group of mercenaries, led by an Irishman named Cat Shannon, who storm the fictitious African country of Zangaro and overthrow the current government. The operation is the brainchild of a wealthy Brit named James Manson, who stumbled across the information that a vast platinum deposit lay in Zangaro's Crystal Mountain. Unfortunately, that country's dictator is friendly with the Russians, and Manson does not want to share the wealth with them. So he hires Shannon (using a middleman, so Shannon does not know who he is) to do his dirty work. The bulk of the novel details the preparations and expenditures of Shannon and his men, with the operation itself being relegated to the final few pages. Still, this was a fascinating read. Shannon and his men successfully topple the government, albeit with some casualties, but they then turn the tables on Manson by killing the new ruler he had chosen and installing their own. Manson didn't care at all about the welfare of the Zangaro residents, only caring about the riches he could acquire from the platinum deposits. Shannon, on the other hand, had a close relationship with the Africans and wanted them to have a voice in how their country was run. The novel ends with Shannon dismissing Manson's middleman and remaining in Africa.