Congo

The Epic History of a People

David Van Reybrouck

• Publisher: Ecco
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN:
  9780062200129
• eBook ISBN:
  9780062200136
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: African History
• Index: History

"A magnificent, epic look at the history of the region. . . . A monumental contribution to the annals of Congo scholarship" ( Christian Science Monitor).
The International Bestseller
From the beginnings of the slave trade through colonization, the struggle for independence, Mobutu's brutal three decades of rule, and the civil war that has raged from 1996 to the present day, Congo: The Epic History of a People traces the history of one of the most devastated nations in the world. Esteemed scholar David Van Reybrouck balances hundreds of interviews with a diverse range of Congolese with meticulous historical research to construct a multidimensional portrait of a nation and its people.
Epic in scope yet eminently readable, both penetrating and deeply moving, Congo—a finalist for the Cundill Prize—takes a deeply humane approach to political history, focusing squarely on the Congolese perspective, and returns a nation's history to its people.
"A compelling mixture of literary and oral history that delivers an authentic story of how European colonialism, African resistance, and the endless exploitation of natural resources affected the lives of the Congolese." — Booklist
"A vivid panorama of one of the most tormented lands in the world." — Washington Post

Table of contents

• Dedication
• Epigraph
• Contents
• List of Illustrations
• Maps
• Introduction
• 1. New Spirits: Central Africa Draws the Attention of East and West | 1870–1885
• 2. “Diabolical Filth”: Congo Under Leopold II | 1885–1908
• 3. The Belgians Set us Free: The Early Years of the Colonial Regime | 1908–1921
• 4. In the Stranglehold of Fear: Growing Unrest and Mutual Suspicion in Peacetime | 1921–1940
• 5. The Red Hour of the Kickoff: The War and the Deceptive Calm That Followed | 1940–1955
• 6. Soon to be Ours: A Belated Decolonization, a Sudden Independence | 1955–1960
• 7. A Thursday in June
• 8. The Struggle for the Throne: The Turbulent Years of the First Republic | 1960–1965
• 9. The Electric Years: Mobutu Gets Down to Business | 1965–1975
• 10. Toujours Servir: A Marshal’s Madness | 1975–1990
• 11. The Death Throes: Democratic Opposition and Military Confrontation | 1990–1997
• 12. Compassion, What is That?: The Great War of Africa | 1997–2002
• 13. La Bière Et La Prière (Suds and Sanctity): New Players in a Wasted Land | 2002–2006
• 14. The Recess: Hope and Despair in a Newborn Democracy | 2006–2010
• 15. WWW.COM
• Acknowledgments
• Sources
• Notes
• References
• Index
• About the Author
• Also by David Van Reybrouck
• Credits
• Copyright
• About the Publisher