In the Forest of No Joy
Book description
The Congo-Ocean railroad stretches across the Republic of Congo from Brazzaville to the Atlantic port of Pointe-Noir. It was completed in 1934, when Equatorial Africa was a French colony, and it stands as one of the deadliest construction projects in history. Colonial workers were subjects of an ostensibly democratic nation…
Why read it?
1 author picked In the Forest of No Joy as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
JP Daughton tells the horrifying story of the Congo-Océan railroad, a massive, ill-conceived construction project (1921-34) whose French overseers doomed some 20,000 African workers to die. This story, revealing as it does France’s imperial hubris and callous disregard of human suffering, should have been told a long time ago. But it has been buried by bureaucrats, overlooked by historians, and made invisible to those who chose not to see. We owe Daughton a great debt for bringing it to light and for masterfully adding a new chapter to the tragic history of Central Africa under European colonial rule.
From Edward's list on the impact of European colonialism on Africa and Africans.
Want books like In the Forest of No Joy?
Our community of 10,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like In the Forest of No Joy.
Browse books like In the Forest of No Joy
5 book lists we think you will like!
Interested in trains and railways, abuse, and colonialism?
10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about trains and railways, abuse, and colonialism.