The coup

The Coup is a novel by John Updike that tells the story of Hakim Felix Ellellou, the ex-dictator of Kush, a fictional Islamic state in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Narrated from his exile in France, the novel explores his rule over a drought-ridden country on the brink of humanitarian crisis, his hatred of the United States, and the political intrigue involving American food aid and oil rights.

The story is a darkly comedic examination of power, ideology, and international relations.