Winner of the Jhalak & Plutarch Award | Book of the Year 2023 by New York Times, New Yorker, Washington Post, Newsweek, TIME
The astonishing, unprecedented story of how a cunning Ghanaian con artist pulled off one of the most prolonged and daring scams of the 20th century.
When Ghana declared its independence from Britain in 1957, it immediately became a target for opportunists seeking to exploit whatever assets were left from colonization. The military junta overthrew the country's first president, Kwame Nkrumah, falsely accusing him of stealing the nation's gold.
In this setting appeared one of history's most charismatic con men, John Akah Blay-Miezah – a swindler who could rival the trickster god Anansi. Born into poverty, Blay-Miezah claimed to be the custodian of an alleged Nkrumah fund worth billions. If you helped "save" it with a small investment, you too could claim a piece. During the 1970s and '80s, he elevated his scam to epic proportions, amassing hundreds of millions of pounds from thousands of victims worldwide.
He unsettled Henry Kissinger, scandalized Shirley Temple-Black, and had Nixon's former Attorney General on his side. Many tried to stop him, but Blay-Miezah continued to live in luxury, protected by former SAS soldiers, while conning lawyers, businessmen, and investigators around the globe.
In the book "Anansi’s Gold," Yepoka Yeebo follows Blay-Miezah’s increasingly crazy path – unraveling a gripping narrative about Cold War obligations and Africa’s dreams – unveiling the untold story of the swindler who beat the West at its own game of theft.
Nominated for the Legacy Award 2024 by the Hurston/Wright Foundation
Pages: 400, Year of Publication: 2023, Dimensions: 12.9x12.9cm
