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King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa Paperback – March 3, 2020

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The 25th Anniversary Edition, with a foreword by Barbara Kingsolver

 "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

A National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist * A New York Times Notable Book

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.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“An enthralling story, full of fascinating characters, intense drama, high adventure, deceitful manipulations, courageous truth-telling, and splendid moral fervor . . . 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.” —Neal Ascherson, Los Angeles Times “A vivid, novelistic narrative that makes the reader acutely aware of the magnitude of the horror perpetrated by King Leopold and his minions.”  —The New York TimesKing Leopold’s Ghost is a remarkable achievement, hugely satisfying on many levels. It overwhelmed me in the way Heart of Darkness did when I first read it—and for precisely the same reasons: as a revelation of the horror that had been hidden in the Congo.” —Paul Theroux “Carefully researched and vigorously told, King Leopold’s Ghost does what good history always does—expands the memory of the human race.” —The Houston Chronicle

About the Author

ADAM HOCHSCHILD is the author of eleven books. King Leopold’s Ghost was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, as was To End All Wars. His Bury the Chains was a finalist for the National Book Award and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and PEN USA Literary Award. He lives in Berkeley, California.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mariner Books Classics; Reprint edition (March 3, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0358212502
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0358212508
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 5,224 ratings

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Adam Hochschild
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Adam Hochschild (pronunciation: ''Hoch'' as in "spoke"; ''schild'' as in "build") published his first book, "Half the Way Home" in 1986. Michiko Kakutani of The New York Times called it "an extraordinarily moving portrait of the complexities and confusions of familial love . . . firmly grounded in the specifics of a particular time and place, conjuring them up with Proustian detail and affection." His "Bury the Chains" was a finalist for the 2005 National Book Award and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. Two of his books, “To End All Wars” and “King Leopold’s Ghost,” have been finalists for the National Book Critics Circle Award. The American Historical Association gave Hochschild its 2008 Theodore Roosevelt-Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service, a prize given each year to someone outside the academy who has made a significant contribution to the study of history. "Hochschild is a superb writer who makes light work of heavy subjects," wrote Jennifer Szalai in reviewing his “Rebel Cinderella” for The New York Times.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
5,224 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They describe the history as interesting and valuable. The writing style is described as descriptive and engaging. Readers appreciate the thorough research and information about the Empire/Colonial era in Africa. The characters are described as remarkable and colorful. Overall, the visual style is described as stunning, heart-wrenching, and artistic.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

233 customers mention "Readability"233 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and well-written. They describe it as an interesting read that holds their interest from beginning to end. Readers praise the writing style as creative non-fiction, describing it as a novel. The story is described as powerful and jaw-dropping, making for an exploration of every page.

"...weren’t necessary to tell this story but added great depth and will hold interest...." Read more

"...King Leopold's Ghost is very well written and reasonably readable...." Read more

"...The author is also a good writer of popular fiction and while somewhat academic at times, is able to make himself understood by not academics such..." Read more

"...If you have an interest in history, this book is a must read, if you have an interest in adventure, I would have to say the same...." Read more

207 customers mention "History"184 positive23 negative

Customers find the book's history interesting and valuable. They say it's an important part of history that still has repercussions in today's Congo. The narrative is thought-provoking and covers the different tragedies that occurred in the Congo. Readers appreciate the detailed account of Leopold II of Belgium's visit and work in Africa.

"...The book itself is well-written, interesting and fairly quick reading and includes a fair bit of general information of interest to any history..." Read more

"...He’s constructed the research into a compelling narrative that makes every effort to turn historical figures into literary characters...." Read more

"...I guess it does have an upper hand in being an amazing story that we're not all familiar with - we know about Nazis and founding fathers and the..." Read more

"...it to anybody looking for a fast paced story, context about the European scramble for Africa, or insight as to how Africa developed through the 20th..." Read more

177 customers mention "Writing quality"164 positive13 negative

Customers find the book well-written with an engaging and descriptive style. They appreciate the author's ability to provide context and delving deeply into the period. The book is described as one of the best non-fiction history books they have read.

"...The book itself is well-written, interesting and fairly quick reading and includes a fair bit of general information of interest to any history..." Read more

"Hochschild’s King Leopold’s Ghost is a masterful work of history that leaps off the pages...." Read more

"...The detail is excellent, and there's a good deal of biographical information about the major characters. The book has two shortcomings...." Read more

"...The author is also a good writer of popular fiction and while somewhat academic at times, is able to make himself understood by not academics such..." Read more

154 customers mention "Research quality"152 positive2 negative

Customers find the book well-researched and informative. They describe it as an enlightening account of King Leopold of Belgium. The author's voice is balanced and objective, providing details and historical facts about the crimes committed by the Belgian monarch.

"...-written, interesting and fairly quick reading and includes a fair bit of general information of interest to any history buff...." Read more

"...The research behind this book is abundantly clear, as Hochschild repeatedly uncovers interesting channels of discussion about the Congo that had..." Read more

"...The notes section is basically sourcing information. There is a small amount of additional information. The bibliography seems to be comprehensive...." Read more

"...has a wonderful grasp of history and is quite obviously a wonderful researcher. I am glad this book was published...." Read more

25 customers mention "Character development"25 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's character development. They find the characters remarkable and uplifting to read about. The portrayal of strong-willed men who opposed the king is also highlighted. Readers appreciate the vivid descriptions of key heroes in this otherwise grim setting. Overall, the story provides an inspiring, courageous, and instructive tale.

"...To reconcile how a genocide on this scale took place, these portrayals are vital and done with an even-handed delivery that should be commended..." Read more

"...We do find some interesting names throughout this work; names which will surprise...." Read more

"...amazing characters throughout, and he does a great job at building periodic characters in sub-sections, introducing others for later, and building..." Read more

"...Hochschild does a great job of developing characters and presents a mountain of irrefutable evidence to back up his main arguments, all of which is..." Read more

18 customers mention "Visual style"18 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's visual style engaging and accessible. They appreciate the vivid storytelling and well-crafted photographs that highlight key points. The book is described as colorful, thought-provoking, and a fascinating glimpse into a different past.

"...not a small yet deep one, it's about an inch deep itself, thick paper, nice, easy-to-read font...just a great value for $5 especially since I'd have..." Read more

"...is a real emotional journey into the evil and also the beautiful side of human nature." Read more

"...Well written, good backdrop, I learnt a lot. Very up to date with latest information." Read more

"Hochachild does an amazing job of painting a vivid picture. He's facts and figures are interwoven into humanizing tales of heroes and villains." Read more

101 customers mention "Horror content"40 positive61 negative

Customers have varying views on the book's horror content. Some find it an emotional journey into human suffering and evil, presenting a vast canvas of human suffering and heroic acts. Others describe it as a painful read and depressing description of the situation in the Congo at the turn of the century.

"...This book was a painful read. I could only read it in sections. It’s an unfortunate segment of history. But I think it is important that we remember...." Read more

"...era that you'd rarely learn or hear about as all of it is true and ruthless...." Read more

"...This was a truly depressing book...." Read more

"...Easy reading style, extremely well researched and tells a full story of the systematic abuse and exploitation of the Congo. For those of us..." Read more

22 customers mention "Content"8 positive14 negative

Customers have differing views on the book's content. Some find it engaging and well-written, not boring or pedantic. Others feel it's too detailed and exhausting, lacking a clear central thesis.

"...author is also a good writer of popular fiction and while somewhat academic at times, is able to make himself understood by not academics such as..." Read more

"...about colonialism in general, about how easy it is to suppress and forget horrific events of the past, about good and evil in general, and..." Read more

"...Nevertheless, despite all these relevations, the book fails to establish its central thesis...." Read more

"...While it is extremely long, extremely detailed and at times difficult to follow due to the sheer amount of information..." Read more

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2015
    Tempting, 60+ years after the end of colonization, to blame Africa's problems on the local elites, superstition, corruption and the aftermath of the Cold War, with massive stocks of obsolete AK47s and the like generally making life miserable for all.

    Sure, Europeans have to admit to the imposition of arbitrary borders to suit European geographers and deal-making rather than taking into account local ethnic groups.

    After all, how bad could it have been? To be clear, I generally subscribe to that view and am not usually disposed to worrying too much about European guilt.

    Well, according to this book, Heart of Darkness and Apocalypse Now are directly inspired from the reign of terror by one rather trivial and silly king, Leopold II of a fairly insignificant country, Belgium. The body count resulting from his policies are estimated by some to number in the millions (in Belgium's partial defense, Leopold's activities are presented here as being a somewhat off-the-books quasi-private venture).

    The book itself is well-written, interesting and fairly quick reading and includes a fair bit of general information of interest to any history buff.

    You don't have to come out of it tearing your hair out about white guilt. That's not the point, or at least it wasn't for me.

    But if your world view can tolerate a hit to its complacency, consider that Africa's nastiest ongoing civil war, in the Congo, corresponds exactly to where this bit of history was taking place. Is it too much of a stretch to suppose that the near collapse of an entire population would have affected the survivors for decades to come? (Rwanda is not covered but was also under Belgian administration and perpetuating Tutsi dominance was part of colonial policy).

    This certainly made me rethink my position about European colonialism being unjustified, yes, but also relatively benign in general. 6-8 million deaths calls for a lot of blame and I was astonished that I'd mostly never heard of it.

    Oddly convenient that we've generally forgotten about an extermination event roughly of the same magnitude as the Holocaust even though it made headline news until the early 20th century.

    Last but not least - can this be generalized to Africa's colonization as a whole? That's a stretch, from the material in this book. One can hope that the Belgian Congo was an outlier and aberration, but to what extent did lesser atrocities take place elsewhere, under other colonial nations? That's for other books to bring to light or rule out.

    One thing for sure, Africans, whether Congolese or not, who are aware of this episode will have their outlook of Europeans altered by it and one should take that into account before glibly dismissing their criticism of colonialism.
    25 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on November 4, 2014
    Hochschild’s King Leopold’s Ghost is a masterful work of history that leaps off the pages. Set in the Victorian ‘Great Game’ era of European colonization across Africa, Hochschild focuses on a particularly savage chapter that led to the creation of the Belgian colony, the Congo (what is today the Democratic Republic of the Congo).

    The central character is, in fact, a ghostly character named King Leopold, who developed the Congo as part money-making enterprise, part personal vanity project. As Hochschild describes Leopold - and many of the ancillary characters around him - you get a vivid sense of the times and attitudes that were prevalent amongst the Europeans. To reconcile how a genocide on this scale took place, these portrayals are vital and done with an even-handed delivery that should be commended considering how brutal the facts of the Congo’s founding were.

    Hochschild’s work isn’t just the history of a forgotten genocide. He’s constructed the research into a compelling narrative that makes every effort to turn historical figures into literary characters. Late 19th century cultural touchstones like Joseph Conrad, Henry Stanley and David Livingstone are used as a meaningful way to educate readers about this piece of history. It works to great effect throughout the entire book, at times lulling you into thinking this was historical fiction.

    The research behind this book is abundantly clear, as Hochschild repeatedly uncovers interesting channels of discussion about the Congo that had long been swept under the rug. Leopold’s disastrous family life, George Washington Williams foreshadowing crusade against racism and Stanley’s impotence weren’t necessary to tell this story but added great depth and will hold interest.

    King Leopold’s Ghost drives home how far we can twist our minds to reconcile genocidal inhumanity. The many reviewers shocked at behavior of the colonial Europeans only underscores just how great a job Hochschild did in delivering the zeitgeist of the late 19th century brand of racism toward native Africans. Everyone should read this book to understand not only this history but the ways in which the savagery from the time period has created a legacy of dysfunction across Africa the world deals with on a daily basis.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2024
    I knew very little about the horrors of the Belgian Congo before reading Adam Hochschild's book. I know a lot more, and I'm a bit embarrassed that the book was so enlightening.

    King Leopold's Ghost is very well written and reasonably readable. The detail is excellent, and there's a good deal of biographical information about the major characters.

    The book has two shortcomings. First, it's not quite as readable as I expect. Part of that could be attributable to my lack of familiarity with the subject matter. Second, the quality of some of photos is poor.

    The notes section is basically sourcing information. There is a small amount of additional information. The bibliography seems to be comprehensive. I also give the author credit for identifying the specific books that he relied upon the most.

Top reviews from other countries

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  • Cesar Volpe
    5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinário.
    Reviewed in Brazil on March 24, 2024
    Poucas vezes se encontra um trabalho documental tão profundo, sobre um momento histórico tão decisivo, de forma tão literária — história com gosto de romance, mistura perfeita de entretenimento e informação.
  • RobNraz
    5.0 out of 5 stars Mycket bra bok
    Reviewed in Sweden on October 9, 2023
    Mycket bra och hemsk bok. Helt klart läsvärd om du intresserar dig för historia
  • Fabio
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ottimo libro sulla colonizzazione belga in Congo
    Reviewed in Italy on October 18, 2020
    Splendido libro sulla storia della colonizzazione belga in Congo. Scritto molto bene, si legge agevolmente.
    Ben documentato, permette di pensare alla colonizzazione anche dal punto di vista dei colonizzati
  • Yvon Maurice
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!
    Reviewed in Canada on December 28, 2017
    This book is well written, very well researched and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. Not only did I learn a great deal about the atrocities that went on in the Congo during the second half of the 19th century, I also appreciated the author's well thought out discussion on the aftermath of King Leopold's reign of terror, what has changed and what has not, in the Congo/Zaire and elsewhere. This book changed my perspective on colonial Africa, a perspective that I acquired largely during my youth spent in neighboring Angola, a Portuguese colony at the time. I was there in June 1960 when independence was granted by Belgium to the Congolese people, I saw the raise and fall of a succession of leaders among them Joseph Kasavubu, Patrice Lumumba, and Mobuto Sese Seko. Although I was not aware of the extent of the brutality and terror that went on in the pre-independence Congo, until I read King Leopold's Ghost, I am convinced to this day that things were not nearly as bad in Angola as they were in the Congo at the time of King Leopold. However, I could be mistaken, and I would love to read a book as well researched as this one on 19th century Angola.
  • M Tanzil
    5.0 out of 5 stars Not just a book, it's history
    Reviewed in Australia on January 19, 2022
    This is one of the my most favorite book. If you love history and want to know part of African history/ congo, this is highly recommended. Writer brought history back to life , it's complex history but simply written.