King Leopold's Ghost A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa

Adam Hochschild — 1999

"An enthralling story . . . A work of history that reads like a novel." — Christian Science Monitor “As Hochschild’s brilliant book demonstrates, the great Congo scandal prefigured our own times . . . This book must be read and reread.” — Los Angeles Times Book Review In the late nineteenth century, as the European powers were carving up Africa, King Leopold II of Belgium carried out a brutal plundering of the territory surrounding the Congo River. Ultimately slashing the area’s population by ten million, he still managed to shrewdly cultivate his reputation as a great humanitarian. A tale far richer than any novelist could invent, King Leopold’s Ghost is the horrifying account of a megalomaniac of monstrous proportions. It is also the deeply moving portrait of those who defied Leopold: African rebel leaders who fought against hopeless odds and a brave handful of missionaries, travelers, and young idealists who went to Africa for work or adventure but unexpectedly found themselves witnesses to a holocaust and participants in the twentieth century’s first great human rights movement. A National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist A New York Times Notable Book

Reviews

E J Doble@ejdoble

May 23, 2023

A book to absorb, understand and look in horror at, Hochschild has created an uncomfortable, raw and beautiful book that describes the workings of King Leopold of Belgium as well as the many dogmatic figures who built and buried the Congo Free State in its 18 year reign.

Jimmy Cerone@jrcii

Feb 4, 2023

Tragic and fascinating and infuriating and inspiring all in one. It will make you question history as you’ve been taught it.

Jeni Enjaian@jenienjaian

Oct 30, 2021

A review from my old blog... I added this book to my want to read list after taking a course on African history during my last semester of college. I have always had a fascination with history and developed an increased fascination about African history after taking this class and learning just how little I actually knew about Africa. Hochschield deftly weaves together a story about a harsh but very real story. The title is somewhat misleading though. I thought that Hochschield would be telling the story of the Congo after the passing of the infamous King Leopold. In fact, Hochschield did not tell of Leopold's death until the last third of the book, close to the end. This story is not for the faint of heart but it is an excellent tale of caution. I could see modern day applications or I should say ramifications as I read. I definitely recommend the book.