Product reviewsKing Leopold's Ghost : A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa by Adam Hochschild (1999, Trade Paperback)

Belgium Atrocities

This is my second review on ebay of a book. Although I read this book a few months back I can still say a few things about it that I remember.

First of all, it is filled with a lot of unnecessary details, like a persons clothing, hair color, personal history blah, blah, blah.

Also there are quite a few characters involved, some are pertient to the story and others not pertinent....

With that being said - it could have been a lot more concise. Therefore, theoretically, at least 100 pages could have been ommitted and the reader would have still gotten the main points/story.

Also, it is based on historical fact -or so the author claims - of inhumane atrocities that the colonial European powers inflicted upon Africansin the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Regarding this subject, I believe that the author frequently went into way too much detail.

Thus, explicit details of mutilations, rapes, homosexual acts, killings, shootings, beatings and the like were often over the top and unnecessary

Sometimes, you can get the point across without giving too much information - ya know what I mean?

Nonetheless, the book gets a thumbs up from me. It really makes one think and provides incite into our world of 100 years ago. Finally, it reveals mankind's unfathomable characteristics of hipocracy and greed, and shows how those apsects of a man's heart can lead him to hurt others in ways we don't even want to imagine....

Nuff Said,

MCLRead full review...

One of history 's worst mass murderers.

Astounding tale of greed, cruelty and unbridled racism by a colonial tyrant who ruled Belgium and created the Belgian Congo as his own piggy bank. Phenomenallyrics well researched historical indictment of a bloodthirsty killer who easily joins the ranks of Hitler and Stalin. Only worse. An unputdownable history lesson, of human list for power and money, and the crimes committed under colonialism and the Scramble for Africa.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: jakegorton2014

great Book. well written on a forgotten subject.

Book itself in "new" condition. Subject matter well presented. Have been looking for a book on this subject for several years, Most informative!

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: second.sale

Compelling Tale of the Congo

This is a must read for any history buff. A tale of European hubris and brutality on a grand scale. King Leopolds's Congo was the source material for Conrad's "Heart of Darkness. Fiction could nor truly describe the horrors indigenous tribes endured under the brutal reign of Leopold's henchmen. Hitler doesn't have a thing on this Belgian king.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: thrift.books

Text book style

It was a good book but I was not in the mood to study history.

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: goodwillexpress

Leopold’s Ghost

Extremely interesting book!

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: goodwillrs

King's Ghost

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: second.sale

Great History

Very good coverage of this history

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: new | Sold by: citisportsgifts

Enlightening

Important historical perspective. Sad, the depravity of humankind.

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: plumcircle

Excellent reading.

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: mtwyouth