The Congo: A European Invention

by John Gerlach, Kate Van Cleve (Illustrations), Joe Biel (Editor)

The story of the Congo is one of Imperialism and foreign governments imposing their customs, politics and language onto ancient tribal and ethnic divisions. The Congo has been led by a series of corrupt foerign and domestic leaders and its resources have been stolen by outsiders. Prejudice, racism and unfounded fears have tainted the perspective of those who shaped the Congo's history, leading to a failed state that has never seen peace, democracy or stability. Once thought of as "The Dark Continent", Sub-Saharan Africa has had a long and dreary road that never seems to lead to peace and prosperity. This is the tale of how the war-ravaged Congo never stood a chance in establishing its own democracy or gaining control of the wealth of resources within its boundaries. The Simple History series is an ongoing set of stories presented in a way not often taught in school.

Genres: History

50 pages, Pamphlet

First published June 1, 2011

Reviews

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book one mainly because it touches on a country in a digestible way. of course there are many non fiction books, hundreds of pages long but if you want a quick intro or brush up or read these books are it! small, short, easily digestible and only $4. then the content is grade A in my opinion, linear, well explained, with visuals. we can't know everything and everything deeply but this books gives a great overview of the history of the congo and why its in the state it is in. I would have to check when this was published to see if it's up to date but still great.
and of course we need and love fiction but good god history/nonfiction is a freaking ride in itself! what do you mean leopold never set foot in the congo, whaaattt??!! im definitely buying more of these for sure!