{"product_id":"king-leopolds-ghost-by-adam-hochschild-9780358212508","title":"King Leopold's Ghost","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe 25th Anniversary Edition, with a foreword by Barbara Kingsolver\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"An enthralling story . . . A work of history that reads like a novel.\" -- \u003cem\u003eChristian Science Monitor\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"As Hochschild's brilliant book demonstrates, the great Congo scandal prefigured our own times . . . This book must be read and reread.\" -- \u003cem\u003eLos Angeles Times Book Review\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist * A \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e Notable Book\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\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, \u003cem\u003eKing Leopold's Ghost\u003c\/em\u003e is the horrifying account of a megalomaniac of monstrous proportions—a dark chapter in African history.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIt 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, travellers, 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\n\n\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\n\n\u003cul\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eA Megalomaniacal King:\u003c\/strong\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\n    \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe Forgotten Holocaust:\u003c\/strong\u003e Uncover a horrifying, state-sponsored campaign of terror and forced labour that stands as one of the great mass killings of recent history.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eThe First Human Rights Movement:\u003c\/strong\u003e Meet the brave handful of missionaries, travellers, and African rebels who defied Leopold and gave birth to the twentieth century's first great international human rights campaign.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eGripping Narrative History:\u003c\/strong\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\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47642997981420,"sku":"9780358212508","price":53.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/e93037d12810087621ba85835fa61b1f.jpg?v=1779170719","url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/products\/king-leopolds-ghost-by-adam-hochschild-9780358212508","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}