Beata's Reviews > King Leopold's Ghost

The book was written 20 years ago, and yet, it is so eye-opening! The theme has not been covered enough …. My idea of atrocities committed in the Congo in the second half of the 19th century were more than basic and narrowed to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, which I read (and now should re-read) but didn’t take too much interest in Conrad’s time in the Congo, which was a mistake … Author who undertakes a most difficult task to write about crimes against humanities (term used for the first time by one of the 19th century journalist with regard to the Congo) pays respect to all the victims of one’s madness, greed, cruelty, indifference or hatred. And I read this book, or rather listened to it, with precise the same intention. There are several characters central to the unravelling the crimes that must be mentioned: William Sheppard, George Williams, E.D. Morel and Roger Casement. They were the first to report openly on the cruelty towards the indigenous tribes and campaign against it. Ordinary people and yet extraordinary in those days to speak and write openly of what they witnessed. I can do nothing more than pay respect to the millions of victims who happened to live in the area rich in resources exploited to the full by white men. This book is both overwhelming and depressing, however, it is one that should be read along with all the others that cover any crime against human beings.
PS Writing these few sentences was not easy for me as I found this book too upsetting and painful to comment on ....
Thank you to my GR Friends who drew my attention to this book.