First published 1984
A group of mercenaries and foreign expatriates gather in Uganda during Idi Amin's brutal reign. They have identified their target: a massive freight train stretching nearly a mile long, loaded with precious cargo worth six million dollars in Ugandan coffee beans. The mercenaries know the train's route and schedule. They understand the risks of operating in Amin's paranoid dictatorship, where violence erupts without warning and foreigners face constant suspicion. Yet the potential payoff drives them forward. The group must coordinate their assault on the moving train while navigating the dangerous political landscape of 1970s Uganda. They face not only the technical challenges of hijacking such an enormous locomotive but also the ever-present threat of Amin's security forces. The mercenaries find themselves caught between their desperate need for the coffee fortune and the deadly realities of a country ruled by one of history's most unpredictable tyrants.
Genres: historical-fiction, adventure, thriller, action
Vibes: fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: heist, high-stakes, political-intrigue
Setting: Uganda
Period: 1970s
512 pages · Paperback · Tom Doherty Assoc Llc
Content warnings: violence