| Novel by Frederick Forsyth, first published in 1975. The main character is Cat Shannon, an Irish mercenary who is contracted out to overthrow the tyrannical government of Zangaro. It just so happens that this poor busted-arse West African country was discovered to be awash in platinum, and Shannon's principal, an avaricious British mining magnate called Sir James Mason, wants the lion's share :
Knocking off a bank or an armored truck is merely crude. Knocking off an entire republic has, I feel, a certain style
The novel was adapted into a film in 1981 with Christopher Walken playing the role of Shannon. | 
