{"product_id":"king-leopold-s-ghost-book-adam-hochschild-9780358212508","title":"King Leopold's Ghost","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe 25th Anniversary Edition, with a foreword by Barbara Kingsolver\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e \"An enthralling story . . . A work of history that reads like a novel.\" -- \u003ci\u003eChristian Science Monitor\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"As Hochschild's brilliant book demonstrates, the great Congo scandal prefigured our own times . . . This book must be read and reread.\" -- \u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist * A \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e Notable Book\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn the late nineteenth century, as the European powers were carving up Africa, King Leopold II of Belgium carried out a brutal plundering of the territory surrounding the Congo River. In a horrifying episode of colonial exploitation, he ultimately slashed the area's population by ten million yet still managed to shrewdly cultivate his reputation as a great humanitarian. A tale far richer than any novelist could invent, \u003ci\u003eKing Leopold's Ghost\u003c\/i\u003e is the horrifying account of a megalomaniac of monstrous proportions--a dark chapter in African history. It is also the deeply moving portrait of those who defied Leopold: African rebel leaders who fought against hopeless odds and a brave handful of missionaries, travelers, and young idealists who went to Africa for work or adventure but unexpectedly found themselves witnesses to a holocaust and participants in the twentieth century's first great human rights movement.\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eHow did one man orchestrate a holocaust while cultivating a reputation as a great humanitarian, and who were the heroes that dared to fight back?\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA Megalomaniacal King:\u003c\/b\u003e Discover the story of King Leopold II of Belgium, a ruler of monstrous greed who plundered the Congo, slashing its population by millions while living a life of luxury.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe Forgotten Holocaust:\u003c\/b\u003e Uncover a horrifying, state-sponsored campaign of terror and forced labor that stands as one of the great mass killings of recent history.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe First Human Rights Movement:\u003c\/b\u003e Meet the brave handful of missionaries, travelers, and African rebels who defied Leopold and gave birth to the twentieth century's first great international human rights campaign.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eGripping Narrative History:\u003c\/b\u003e Praised as a work of history that reads like a novel, this meticulously researched account brings a dark, forgotten chapter of the past to vivid, unforgettable life.\u003c\/li\u003e \u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49506649145617,"sku":"CIN0358212502G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49856065110289,"sku":"GOR013517543","price":11.6,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50098934677777,"sku":"CIN0358212502VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":50983646560529,"sku":"NIN9780358212508","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0358212502.jpg?v=1751291888","url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/en-gb\/products\/king-leopold-s-ghost-book-adam-hochschild-9780358212508","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}