THE TROUBLED HEART OF AFRICA: A History of the Congo
Robert B. Edgerton, . . St. Martin's, $25.95 (320pp) ISBN 978-0-312-30486-7
During the past few years, the Congo, long exploited for its natural resources and among the most corrupt countries in Africa, has been explored by a number of authors. Most of these books have been journalistic accounts, but Edgerton offers a historical narrative of a country ravaged by colonial exploitation and the corrupt rule of a native despot. His story is familiar, but it is told accurately and well, from the arrival of Portuguese explorers in the 16th century through the recent, brief rule of Laurent Kabila. The author doesn't neglect the detrimental role played by the West: the rule of Belgium's King Leopold symbolized the worst of colonial exploitation. But Edgerton (
Reviewed on: 12/23/2002
Genre: Nonfiction