This book by Adam Hochschild blew my mind. I am a little fickle when it comes to reading and to be perfectly frank just like to get my teeth into a good story and if I learn something then all the better. The lovely boy on the other hand has a library full of informative and educational material that he is constantly stuffing into his brain, and good luck to him say I as I reach for another Maeve Binchy or whatever other piece of trash I am wasting my time on! However this book is different.
It informs the reader in a very accessible and attention grabbing way of the history of the establishment and development of the Belgian colony in the Congo region of Africa. Prior to picking this book up I was aware the Congo was a Belgian colony, had briefly wondered how little Belgium could have been able to be a colonial power and then promptly forgot about it. Shame on me.
This book outlines the destruction of this territory, of its people and its natural resources by one man (who never set foot in Africa) hell bent on becoming very rich at whatever the cost. It is a tale of human tragedy and mass murder on a scale that made me at time gasp out loud. It is a shameful indictment of human nature and the depths of deprivity that people are capable of stooping to.
Overall I would whole heartedly recommend this book to anyone and would be very surprised if you didn't find it unputdownable.
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