Comments by bob corbett march 2004 from the outset this is an unusual history. I heard adam hochschild s interview on cbc and ordered the book. As adam hochschilds disturbing new book on the belgian congo makes clear, however. The british empire had its own shocking headlines, concerning the opium trade in india, flogging in south africa, and excessive native deaths in nigeria and australia. An estimated ten million congolese died during that time. Jul, 2010 listen to king leopold s ghost audiobook by adam hochschild.
A story of greed, terror and heroism in colonial africa 1998 is a bestselling popular history book by adam hochschild that explores the. Adam hochschilds motivation in writing the book was to make people aware of what happened in the congo and what effects colonialism had on the african na. Isidore ndaywel e nziem, a congolese scholar whose histoire generale du congo was published the same year as king leopolds ghost, estimated the death toll in the free state era and its aftermath at roughly million which ndaywel e nziem has subsequently revised downward to 10 million, a number similar to hochschilds conclusion. It is a wild and unpleasant story of a man s capacity for evil and the peculiar manifestation of it. In king leopolds ghost, his classic expose of the ravages of colonialism in the belgian congo, adam hochschild responds to his own rhetorical question which asks how the soldiers could observe the. King leopold ii, who never set foot in his fiefdom, managed with the help of.
Discussion of themes and motifs in adam hochschilds king leopolds ghost. Please use this display as a guideline and modify as needed. It is a wild and unpleasant story of a mans capacity for evil and the peculiar manifestation of it. In the 1880s, as the european powers were carving up africa, king leopold ii of belgium seized for himself the. The new york times king leopolds ghost is a remarkable achievement, hugely satisfying on many levels. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. King leopolds ghost prologue, and chapters 1, 2, and 3. At that point belgium was a small country not much older than the king itself. Readers guide for king leopolds ghost published by houghton.
A story of greed, terror, and heroism in colonial africa. King leopold s ghost is about the workings of the belgian congo during the reign of king leopold ii, and the widescale deception used to mask it. It remains the most widely read and controversial indictment of leopolds african fiefdom. King leopolds ghost analysis essay 1573 words cram. A story of greed, terror, and heroism in colonial africa at. The assignment quite specifically stated that it was to be a book about african history before colonialisation, but, well my reasons are explained in the text. Journalistmemoirist hochschild finding the trapdoor, 1997, etc. Listen to king leopolds ghost by adam hochschild at. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools.
Sailing into the middle of the story was a young congo river steamboat officer named joseph conrad. With great power and compassion, king leopolds ghost will brand the tragedy of the congotoo long forgotten. I will give them my congo, the king is reported saying, but they have no right to know what i did there. During the period that the european powers were carving up africa, king leopold ii of belgium seized for himself the vast and mostly unexplored territory surrounding the congo river. King leopolds ghost was a finalist for the national book critics circle award, as was to end all wars. King leopolds ghost the book mainly chronicles the efforts of king leopold ii of belgium which is to make the congo into a colonial empire. The book also addresses the years leading up to leopolds acquisition of the congo and those. King leopolds ghost tells a story of the belgian king leopold ii and his misrule of an african colony, named at the time the congo free state. Although much of the material in king leopold s ghost is secondhand the author has drawn heavily from jules marchal s scholarly fourvolume history of turn of the century congo and from the scramble for africa, thomas pakenham s wideranging 1991 study of the european conquest of the continent hochschild has stitched it together into. This study guide consists of approximately 41 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of king leopolds ghost. Adam hochschilds king leopolds ghost is an account of a mans rise of power who was very cruel and did unimaginable things. Though much of the book is devoted to hochschilds historical account of leopolds life and the lives of the men who helped him create and administer the congoas well as the lives of the men who helped to wrest the congo from leopolds controlthe title phrase, king leopolds.
Sep 20, 1998 it remains the most widely read and controversial indictment of leopold s african fiefdom. Listen to king leopolds ghost audiobook by adam hochschild. King leopolds ghost finally, in 1960 the congo was granted independence. Sep 21, 1998 the story in king leopold s ghost is a powerful one colonization taken to its extreme but the book is rendered mediocre by the author s trite moralizing, lack of historical rigor, and tiresome reliance on depicting every actor with either a halo or horns. The story in king leopolds ghost is a powerful one colonization taken to its extreme but the book is rendered mediocre by the authors trite moralizing, lack of historical rigor, and tiresome reliance on depicting every actor with either a halo or horns. The book has given rise to several films most notably pippa scotts documentary king leopolds ghost, web sites on congolese history in english and french, a rap song, an avantgarde offbroadway play, and a remarkable sculpture by the california artist ron garrigues. King leopolds ghost summary from litcharts the creators of. King leopolds ghost major character analysis henry morton stanley the first chapter of the book is devoted to hochschilds exploration of the boy, john rowlands, who would eventually become the famous african explorer, henry morton stanley.
Following immense pressure from the congo reform association s campaign, leopold sells control of congo to the belgian state. This is a nonfiction book about king leopold of belgium and his rule in the congo. Also in 2005, the american and british publishers of king leopold s ghost reissued the book with a new afterword by hochschild in which he talks about the reactions to the book, the death toll, and events in the congo since its publication. Hochschild has been praised by scholars and critics for his narrative.
King leopolds ghost summary from litcharts the creators. Until further notice, in response to covid19, ishare requesting and statewide library delivery are temporarily suspended, and ishare library materials will not be considered overdue. The book details the horror of leopold s forced labor regime. In the late 19th century, king leopold ii of belgium decided that he wanted to make belgium a major empire. With this book, hochschild, like other historians before him, ensures that king leopold has not gotten away with his efforts to erase the memory of his brutal acts. In a passage at the beginning of conrads heart of darkness, marlow looks out.
The sheer brutality of this gruesome process triggered. Adam hochschilds king leopolds ghost offers a substantial overview of the period from 1895 until 1908 when king leopold ii of belgium ruled the congoor at least the very large territory around the congo river basin that he claimed as his own. These citations may not conform precisely to your selected citation style. The king leopolds ghost community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. The book explores the atrocities committed by king leopold ii during that period. With great power and compassion, king leopold s ghost will brand the tragedy of the congotoo long forgottenonto the conscience of the west. King leopolds ghost is the book that reexposed the atrocities leopold committed against the congo between 1880 and 1910 atrocities that sank out of sight after they were finally stopped.
At the same time, leopold arranged for the government of the united states to formally recognize leopold s landholdings in the congo. Hochschilds superb, engrossing chronicle focuses on one of the great, horrifying and nearly forgotten crimes of the century. The book has one common theme that nearly every book. The book has one common theme that nearly every book has, greed and hunger for power. Leopold ii, king of the belgians, privately controlled and owned the congo free state from 1885 to 1908. The shocking truth behind belgiums colonisation of the congo. The story of belgian depredations in the congo under king leopold ii has been told before, but hochschild has assembled the most remarkable facts and dramatis personae, added a keen appreciation for sociopolitical nuances in turn of the century europe and america, and produced a splendid new popular history. It is a wild and unpleasant story of mans capacity for evil and the peculiar manifestations of it. Adam hochschild is the bestselling author of seven books. And looming above them all, the duplicitous billionaire king leopold ii.
King leopolds ghost king leopold s ghost tells a story of the belgian king leopold ii and his misrule of an african colony, named at the time the congo free state. As adam hochschilds disturbing new book on the belgian congo makes clear, however, kurtz was based on several historical figures, and the horror conrad described was all too real. King leopolds ghost major character analysis supersummary. Read this literature essay and over 89,000 other research documents. King leopolds men went over to the congo with weapons, steamboats and medical knowledge, which was important in a disease ridden land. Our teacher edition on king leopolds ghost can help.
King leopold ii developed his dream for colonization at an early age. Readers guide for king leopolds ghost published by. At the end of the nineteenth century, king leopold of belgium. A story of greed, terror, and heroism in colonial africa, which will appear in paperback this month, achieves a basic tenet of historical writing. His descriptions and the information he puts forth draws the readers in and highlights the travesty that king leopold let loose on this part of africa and its people. A story of greed, terror, and heroism in colonial africa by adam. But king leopolds ghost puts the novel squarely back in the context of european barbarity the. King leopolds ghost isnt just a book about the belgian occupation of the congo in the late 19th century. The book explains the exploitation of king leopold ii to the congo free state between 1885 and 1908. I heard adam hochschilds interview on cbc and ordered the book.
While stanley worked at developing land in the congo on behalf of leopold, leopold continued to offer awards and host benefits for philanthropic causes, ensuring that european elites thought of him favorably. Though much of the book is devoted to hochschilds historical account of leopolds life and the lives of the men who helped him create and administer the congoas well as the lives of the men who helped to wrest the congo from leopolds controlthe title phrase, king leopolds ghost, is apt, as it is the legacy of european. When i began reading, i wasnt sure where the novel was going, but i soon caught on to what hochschild was revealing. King leopolds ghost king leopolds ghost tells a story of the belgian king leopold ii and his misrule of an african colony, named at the time the congo free state.
Hochschild begins the story of king leopolds greed for the congo by sketching the earliest colonial history of africa. King leopolds ghost is about the workings of the belgian congo during the reign of king leopold ii, and the widescale deception used to mask it. Get all the key plot points of adam hochschilds king leopolds ghost on one page. The book has given rise to several films most notably pippa scott s documentary king leopold s ghost, web sites on congolese history in english and french, a rap song, an avantgarde offbroadway play, and a remarkable sculpture by the california artist ron garrigues. Study 18 terms king leopolds ghost flashcards quizlet. The story of belgian depredations in the congo under king leopold ii has been told before, but hochschild has assembled the most remarkable facts and dramatis personae, added a keen appreciation for sociopolitical nuances in turnofthecentury europe and america, and produced a.
Hochschild ties the death of patrice lumumba in the twentieth century to a history of often violent western intervention abroad that stretches back centuries. Adam hochschilds motivation in writing the book was to make people aware of what happened in the congo and what effects colonialism had on the african nation. In fact, hochschild suggests, heart of darkness stands as a remarkably precise and detailed portrait of king leopolds congo in 1890, just as one of historys. Read this american history essay and over 89,000 other research documents. A story of greed, terror and heroism in central africa. Typically historical accounts are causal and the dominant causes are large forces economic trends, necessities of empires and so on. King leopolds ghost tells the story of king leopold ii of belgium and his misrule of a colony that he essentially owned, known variously as the congo, the belgian congo, and zaire. Although much of the material in king leopolds ghost is.
King leopolds ghost the following is an assignment i had for a survey of african history until 1800 class i am currently taking. Leopold then sent an aide to british africa to document british abuses there, to show that he was not unique in his colonial methods. Life before africa king leopold ii was the king of belgium from 18651908. Also in 2005, the american and british publishers of king leopolds ghost reissued the book with a new afterword by hochschild in which he talks about the reactions to the book, the death toll, and events in the congo since its publication. Wealthy american diplomat, businessman, and aristocrat from connecticut who served as united states ambassador to belgium from 1861 to 1869. King leopolds ghost was a finalist for the national book critics circle award, as was his recent to end all wars. King leopolds ghost response paper with an estimated death toll of ten million people, king leopolds conquest of the congo is recognized as one of the bloodiest holocausts in human history. Europeans were driven since the fifteenth century to explore, trade, conquer, and colonize the exotic lands they considered empty and up for grabs by westerners. Dec 08, 2009 read this american history essay and over 89,000 other research documents. King leopold ghost king leopolds ghost is a history book written by adam hochschild. Also known for successfully lobbying the united states into recognizing king leopold ii s claim to the congo region in central africa, the area that would become leopold s privately controlled congo free state.
Morel, george washington williams, william henry sheppard and others, who worked tirelessly to bring about its end. It s a highly readable account of king leopold s brutal reign in the congo and the human rights advocates, roger casement, e. Adam hochschild has taken most of the material for his new book from published. The reign of king leopold and the extravagant story of his acquisition of the congo is explored in adam hochschilds book entitled, king leopolds ghost. King leopolds ghost is an immaculately written, highly accessible history that offers a richly informative and insightful analysis of europes relations with congo and africa in a previously neglected yet hugely important period. King leopolds ghost tells of how the congo was exploited heavily by king leopold ii and recounts the atrocities that the belgians committed between 1885 and 1908, making king leopold ii, imperialism, and racism the antagonists of the novel. With great power and compassion,king leopolds ghost will brand the tragedy of the congotoo long forgottenonto the conscience of the west. This study guide consists of approximately 41 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of king leopold s ghost. For development educators it represents an important case study that should be part of our practice with learners. Its a highly readable account of king leopolds brutal reign in the congo and the human rights advocates, roger casement, e. Also known for successfully lobbying the united states into recognizing king leopold iis claim to the congo region in central africa, the area that would become leopolds privately controlled congo free state. The book chronicles the lives of numerous explorers and activists, as well as king leopold himself. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone.
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