Description
In the late 19th century, King Leopold II of Belgium seized control of the Congo Free State under the banner of humanitarian reform—only to unleash a brutal system of forced labor and terror that devastated millions. This meticulously researched narrative follows the rise of Leopold’s empire and the growing efforts of outsiders to expose the atrocities, tracing how propaganda, bureaucracy, and international politics helped conceal the truth. With vivid historical detail and relentless moral clarity, the book illuminates themes of imperial greed, the machinery of exploitation, and the power—and limits—of global conscience. Hochschild’s investigative, story-driven style turns archival history into a gripping account of how atrocities can be engineered at scale and how resistance can still matter.
Available Editions
paperback
Mariner Books
Published Jan 1, 1999
400 pages
ISBN: 9780618001903
paperback
Macmillan
Published Jan 1, 1998
400 pages
paperback
Unknown
Published Jan 1, 1998
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Details
First Published
1998
Language
eng
Content Warnings
Content and trigger warnings for King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild.