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4.28 AVERAGE
4.28 AVERAGE
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Truly excellent account of atrocities perpetrated by greedy Europeans in the Congo. As much as King Leopold II of Belgium was a clear villain, I fully appreciated that his tale was counterbalanced by the narrative of all those who worked to expose and stop the crimes - Casement, Morel, George Washington Williams, Sheppard, and the many many Congolese of whom there are far too few records.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
What a book. It synthesises other works on the Congo Free State as well as countless primary sources in an intensely readable fashion. It's an excellent introduction to the topic. For me, it's a launchpad to read much more widely on the topic. But that does not mean this book is without problems.
First, the book rightfully notes the contradictions inherent in 19th/early-20th-century humanitarianism, with its arbitrary line-drawing of certain colonial practices as inhumane, but its persistent belief that colonialism is necessary and justified (i.e., see Conrad's depiction). However, the book then gently assumes a natural teleology from the humanitarian movement to modern-day human rights organisations. Is this really the case, given the outwardly colonialist aims of those humanitarian movements? Although, perhaps the comparison is appropriate, but not for the reasons the author would like. That is because, as the development literature teaches us, many modern development programmes are just as guilty of the colonialist mission of seeking to 'uplift' and 'civilise' local peoples as much as both outwardly and implicitly colonial humanitarian movements did.
The Eurocentric comparison of the Congo Free State to the Holocaust and Stalinist Russia is also questionable. Hannah Arendt did the same thing in The Origins of Totalitarianism. The invocation of 20th-century European tragedy is everywhere: from Hochschild's Weber-esque discussion of the Congo Free State functionaries who claimed only to be following the State's orders, which is compared to the Nuremberg defence, to the invocation of Stalin through Leopold II's suppression and distortion of the truth. While perhaps this comparative methodology is useful in helping Western readers comprehend the awfulness of the Congo Free State, Hochschild should trust more in his readers' ability to understand the atrocities of the Congo Free State without making them 'like' something European, which is unquestionably Eurocentric and risks undermining the historical particularities of the era.
First, the book rightfully notes the contradictions inherent in 19th/early-20th-century humanitarianism, with its arbitrary line-drawing of certain colonial practices as inhumane, but its persistent belief that colonialism is necessary and justified (i.e., see Conrad's depiction). However, the book then gently assumes a natural teleology from the humanitarian movement to modern-day human rights organisations. Is this really the case, given the outwardly colonialist aims of those humanitarian movements? Although, perhaps the comparison is appropriate, but not for the reasons the author would like. That is because, as the development literature teaches us, many modern development programmes are just as guilty of the colonialist mission of seeking to 'uplift' and 'civilise' local peoples as much as both outwardly and implicitly colonial humanitarian movements did.
The Eurocentric comparison of the Congo Free State to the Holocaust and Stalinist Russia is also questionable. Hannah Arendt did the same thing in The Origins of Totalitarianism. The invocation of 20th-century European tragedy is everywhere: from Hochschild's Weber-esque discussion of the Congo Free State functionaries who claimed only to be following the State's orders, which is compared to the Nuremberg defence, to the invocation of Stalin through Leopold II's suppression and distortion of the truth. While perhaps this comparative methodology is useful in helping Western readers comprehend the awfulness of the Congo Free State, Hochschild should trust more in his readers' ability to understand the atrocities of the Congo Free State without making them 'like' something European, which is unquestionably Eurocentric and risks undermining the historical particularities of the era.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
slow-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
This book is so important and a necessary read in my opinion. “Belgians in the Congo” is so much more than a line in the Billy Joel song We Didn’t Start the Fire. As a history buff I have known about the atrocities but this book presents the history in such a way that I was enlightened on the extent of modern perceptions due to colonialism.
Highly recommend for those who want a broader understanding of the world and how our past has impacted our present.
Highly recommend for those who want a broader understanding of the world and how our past has impacted our present.
adventurous
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Fantastic examination of colonialism in The Congo with insights that apply to other countries colonized by Europeans. Great writing!
challenging
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
dark
informative