El fantasma del rey Leopoldo by Adam Hochschild

4.28 AVERAGE

carameliced's review against another edition

5.0
Essential, necessary reading. Should be taught in every school in every country. Brilliantly written.

shinymoggy's review against another edition

5.0
challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

mgalyon789's review against another edition

4.5
challenging dark informative sad medium-paced
This was one of the most enlightening, but also one of the most difficult, books I have ever read. I was woefully ignorant of the vast majority of the subject matter, having only covered Leopold in passing as I taught middle school world history. I wish I had come to this book sooner. Hochschild did a masterful job interweaving primary sources with his own commentary in order to paint as full a picture as possible of Leopold’s reign of terror over the Congo. I found the biographical information given on Leopold to be some of the book’s strongest parts, as I think understanding Leopold as a man and as a ruler is a necessary foundation for an understanding of why he sought to colonize the Congo. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in a history of colonization, Africa, Europe, or just general world history. 4.5 stars. 
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wordwound's review against another edition

4.25
challenging dark informative sad tense

avalongrace's review against another edition

4.5
challenging dark reflective medium-paced
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pastrieman's review against another edition

3.0
challenging dark emotional informative sad slow-paced
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samlovescookies's review against another edition

5.0
challenging dark informative reflective sad medium-paced
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eiwex's review against another edition

3.75
challenging dark informative reflective
Read for the world challenge— Belgium. 

I will say that this is an important history and the author conveyed information with precision and clarity. However, the author also falls flat at certain points and I think this is a fine place to start but should not be the only book that one reads about what Belgium did in the Congo.

achirhart's review against another edition

5.0
King Leopold's Ghost is a well-written book about colonial power and brutality in Africa. It's a model of good writing about appalling abuses of power, racism, and genocide. It's also a reminder of the ways genocide occurs and how, not simply in Belgium but in other nations including the United States.

stephanie6504's review against another edition

4.25
challenging dark emotional informative medium-paced