Customer Reviews (123)

10 Million Dead - Hochschild documents the Congo holocaust
Researcher Adam Hochschild provides a lurid and surprisingly fascinating account of the brutal exploitation of the Congo under the rule of King Leopold II of Belgium and beyond. With the real-life stories of Henry Morton Stanley, William Sheppard, Leon Rom, Joseph Conrad, Roger Casement and others as foundation, Hochschild is able to outline the rise of Leopold, and to paint a vivid portrait of his development from an unlikable and oafish young heir of the Belgian throne to a cunning and vicious ruler responsible for the death of approximately 10 million African men, women and children. More than that, this book is also the story of E.D. Morel, an Englishman whose chance discovery of apparent misdeeds in so-called "trade" with the Congo gave rise to the most extensive and politically powerful anti-slavery and anti-colonization movements of the century.

I recommend this title for its readability (few historians ever make their subject matter as accessible to general readers), its underlying - and savvy - political analysis of the brutality of European colonization across Africa, and its detailed account of what it took to launch, extend and sustain a human rights movement.

I recommend pairing this work with Michela Wrong's "In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz," which details Congo's later struggles under dictator Mobutu Sese Seko.

Horrifying history of colonial cruelty!
Lets face it! Belgium is not a country that readily springs tomind when one thinks of perpetrators of mass murder &genocide. This makes the harrowing story of King Leopold's Ghost all the more harrowing. His single-minded, obsessive desire to carve out a piece of the "African cake", that most of his neighbouring European colleagues were busy doing in the late 19th. century, is fascinating enough. His cunning use of contempory international personalities, the manipulation of the media, the guise of an anti-slavery organisation to further his ends, might even allow one a grudging admiration for the man's abilities. However, his cavalier indifference to the suffering & death of millions of the Congo natives that he caused in the sordid pursuit of personal profit, is quite simply appalling. One is left with a feeling of admiration for the fierce & dauntless opponants of this tyranical regime, contempt for the lily-livered support they received from statesmen of so-called enlightened countries & loathing for the king that brought these deeds to pass. The book, I would mention, is well written, well researched & recommended.

The Unknown???
King Leopold-this is a story that deserved to be told but wasn't. It was one of the biggest and one of the cruelest colonial regimes in Africa. It is a story of manipulation, drama, brutal murders, corruption, and immorality. In my opinion, King Leopold of Belgium is one of history's most notorious characters. Due to Leopold being the heir to the throne, as a child he was drawn towards wealth and indulgence. Greed drove him. Even into his adulthood, greed and self-indulgence were the traits that surfaced when he realized through gaining colonies he could continue to accumulate his riches. He positioned himself as a concerned leader of the people who wanted to combat the Arab slave trade that pervaded Africa. In the public eye, he was seen as a humanitarian, but the real facts didn't support that popular opinion and contradicted his image. Leopold used unethical methods to acquire his land. He ordered his men to force the natives, the Congolese, into manual labor. His inhumane treatment of them was characterized by killings, whippings, destruction of crops and local villages, and taking, as hostages, the wives and children for those who resisted or didn't produce enough rubber or ivory for the day. According to the author, Adam Hochschild, there was an estimated ten million Congolese deaths during Leopold's colonization process. (That sounds familiar.) Sadly, King Leopold's name isn't mentioned with the Hitlers and the Stalins of world history in the classrooms, as it rightfully should be. As people during that time started to find out the truth, Leopold resorted to cover-ups, lawsuits and bribery. In my opinion, Hochschild has done a fantastic job telling a story that most haven't heard to enable them to understand the outcome and, more importantly, the motives behind it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1885-1908   2. 19th century   3. 20th century   4. Africa - General   5. Congo (Democratic Republic)   6. Forced labor   7. General   8. History   9. History - General History   10. History: World   11. Indigenous peoples   12. Political History   13. Politics and government   14. History / Africa   

Subjects:  1. Africa - General   2. African   3. Anthropology - General   4. Gender Studies   5. History   6. Kinship   7. Man-woman relationships   8. Owan (African people)   9. Sex Roles (Sociological Aspects)   10. Social Science   11. Social life and customs   12. Sociobiology   13. Sociology   14. Sociology - General   15. African history   16. Indigenous peoples   17. Literature: History & Criticism   18. Nigeria   19. Social history   20. c 1000 CE to c 1500   21. c 1500 to c 1600   22. c 1600 to c 1700   23. c 1700 to c 1800   24. c 1800 to c 1900   

Subjects:  1. 1852-1927   2. Art & Art Instruction   3. Art, Senegalese   4. Bamba, Ahmadu,   5. Islam - Sufism   6. Islam and art   7. Muridiyah   8. MurÃ¥idÃ¥iyah   9. Religion   10. Subjects & Themes - Religious   11. Africa   12. Art of indigenous peoples   13. Bamba, Ahmadu   14. West Africa   

Subjects:  1. ASIA   2. Africa   3. Art of indigenous peoples   4. Jewellery & jewellery-making   5. Oceania   

Subjects:  1. General   2. Nature   3. Nature/Ecology   4. Sociology   5. Wildlife   6. Cultural studies   7. Indigenous peoples   8. Land rights   9. Management of land & natural resources   10. Tanzania   

Subjects:  1. Africa - General   2. Anthropology - General   3. Commerce   4. Customs & Traditions   5. Economic conditions   6. Food   7. Haya (African people)   8. History - General History   9. Philosophy, Haya   10. Social Science   11. Sociology   12. Anthropology   13. Indigenous peoples   14. Tanzania   

Subjects:  1. Africa   2. History   3. Indigenous peoples   4. Nationalism and communism   

Subjects:  1. Africa   2. Africa - General   3. Anthropology - Cultural   4. Indigenous peoples   5. International Relations - General   6. Political Anthropology   7. Politics/International Relations   8. Sociology   9. Tribal government   

Subjects:  1. Africa - General   2. History   3. History - General History   4. History: World   5. African history   6. Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire)   7. History / Africa   8. Indigenous peoples   9. Kanyok (African people)--Folklore   10. Kanyok (African people)--History--Sources   11. Kanyok (African people)--Social life and customs   12. Legends--Congo (Democratic Republic)   13. World history   

Customer Reviews (2)

Amazing book. A must have.
This book is packed with beautiful pictures and info. I loved it. especially the Ochun crown, fan, and ide, made by James Norman. All of the artist in this book should be praised for this amazing art.The exhibit was amazing too. We need more books and exhibits like this. My words can't begin to describe the beautiful orisha beadwork in this book, you really have to see it yourself.

A Great Book from an Interesting Exhibit
I bought this book after going to the museum exhibit which it documents. The book is full of useful information about Santeria/Orisha theology and philosophy. The pictures are beautiful. It is worth buying if you have an interest in Regla de Ocha or Yoruba religion and art. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural   2. Art   3. Beadwork, Yoruba   4. Crafts / Hobbies   5. Exhibitions   6. Folk & Outsider Art   7. Textile Arts - General   8. Africa   9. Anthropology   10. Art of indigenous peoples   11. Decorative arts & crafts   

Customer Reviews (1)

Good book for anthropology students/ if interested in Africa
This book is a very interesting read if you are interested in the culture of East Africa, are studying anthropology or are thinking of travelling in the region. Pat Caplan writes the book in easy to understand language making it accessible to all and the life history of her key subject, Mohammed, who lives on Mafia Island off the Tanzanian mainland is fascinating. Because she has studied and visited the island on several occassions she has developed a close relationship with him, and so s is able to really get to grips with life on the island. It was her changing relationship with him and other members of his family that most interested me and her book is definately one of the most interesting in depth writings on East Africa. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa - General   2. Anthropology - Cultural   3. Kinship   4. Minazini (Tanzania)   5. Reference   6. Religion   7. Social conditions   8. Sociology   9. Swahili-speaking peoples   10. Africa   11. Anthropology   12. Biography: general   13. Indigenous peoples   14. Literary theory   

Subjects:  1. 19th century   2. 20th century   3. Africa - General   4. Africa, Sub-Saharan   5. Beauty & Grooming - General   6. Clothing and dress   7. History   8. History - General History   9. Psychological aspects   10. Sociology   11. Africa   12. Anthropology   13. Indigenous peoples   

Subjects:  1. Africa - Central - Nigeria   2. Africa - General   3. Anthropology - Cultural   4. History   5. History - General History   6. Intellectual life   7. Intellectuals   8. Philosophy, Yoruba   9. Social Science   10. Sociology   11. Yoruba (African people)   

Customer Reviews (3)

Inspiration for Aspiring Community Development Reseachers
From the first page of his introduction, Jim Igoe's assertiveness in presenting his work on why and how community-based conservation is failing in parts of Tanzania as well as in the United States hits readers hard, sparking their interest in these issues. Over the last decade the term conservation has reached a fluid state in which it presents the world with a new obstacle of maintaining a balance between humans and the environment, which will ideally promote reciprocal productivity in a sustainable measure. Igoe's account of the state of conservation surrounding National Parks in both the United States and Northern Tanzania is unique. Not only was he able to portray his experiences in a manner in which a western reader can relate to, but he was also able to maintain an outside perspective while becoming immersed in a new culture. In affect, Igoe was able to make correlations between two indigenous cultures who are experiencing similar struggles as they have been pushed off their land in the interest of national conservation. Additionally, he critically assesses the current approaches, which are being used to address the issue of conflict between indigenous people, political leaders and environmental conservationists.
I found two dominant strengths in this literature, the first of which is his use of diverse cultural examples. As an undergraduate student with a strong interest in this topic as well as some previous knowledge concerning the issues presented, I found Igoe's narrative style refreshing as well as engaging. Readers are able to get a direct insight into the Maasai culture and a clear historical account of the implications of colonialism and religion. Additionally, Igoe presents the progression of the development of national parks and what resulted in western fortress conservation in Tanzania. Together this information provides a solid background allowing readers who are both educated and new to these topics to gain a better understanding of how the current state of conservation arose. Secondly, his combination of information creates a piece of literature that addresses critical global issues, which can be applied to a wide variety of disciplines. Alone this speaks highly for the books adaptability in various classrooms as well as a reference for professionals in various fields. Furthermore, it supports the fact that in order for new forms of conservation to be successful it is necessary to bring together experts in various social, political, and scientific disciplines.

Conservation Through the Eyes of a Native
The social consequences that conservation brings to indigenous people has often been ignored by those trying to protect natural resources and wildlife. Jim Igoe explains and displays what happens and has happened to the people who live outside the famous national parks many of us know and cherish around the world. He presents case studies of how people who live outside the parks have suffered all over the globe. He describes this situation with passion and personal examples, as he lived with many of the people he describes. His work has given him a unique perspective, as he did not travel or live like the typical tourist who wants to view the native flora and fauna that has been protected.

The book's primary focus is East Africa, but Jim includes a substantial amount of material from other regions and cultures. His strength, in this text, is his ability to look at conservation through a global lens, but with a native's perspective. His knack for engaging people at all levels shows in this book. Jim's writing is easy to follow, crystal clear, and relates his first hand experiences and examples in a way that quickly give his work broad appeal. He brings to life the reality of indigenous people struggling to adapt to globalization and the pressure on natural resource base they have relied on for centuries.

This book has appeal at many levels. For high school and undergraduate students it offers an interesting examples of how important anthropology is to understanding the human issues of many global problems. His personal examples and ideas offer discussion points, which once read will not be forgotten. For graduate students Jim offers many ideas on how his own work with NGO's (Non government organizations) got started, progressed, and changed his life. The importance of understanding land tenure, community control, the role of NGO's and different types of parks, as well as the capacity of the local people are all shown to clearly impact both conservation and local people. For conservationists, researchers, and the general public this book offers a unique perspective and voice of the people who have been displaced, lost their livelihoods, and in a few cases successfully adapted to this change.

Globalization has affected us all, and in many cases has had negative consequences for indigenous people. Jim clearly shows that there are much larger forces at work than simply protecting interests of the wildlife and wild areas. Exploring policies of the National Park Service in the United States, as well as policies of other countries, he weaves together the similarities and clearly points out the different ways in which natural resources are managed. In addition to offering an important critique of failed policies, Jim Igoe offers alternative solutions necessary for both the environment and social justice, while providing lessons in history, land tenure and policy making from all over the globe. I recommend this book to all of my students traveling abroad to work with indigenous people.

A clear and challenging account
Good authorship requires two things - a story to tell and good way of communicating it. Jim Igoe has both in buckets. Conservation and Globalisation is a clear and challenging story of how conservation practices can disrupt local lives and how apparently straightforward solutions to the problems resulting are riven with complexity and difficulty.

The book is based primarily on fieldwork in East Africa and Prof Igoe's enlivens his account of the problems of understanding the worlds he encountered there with a down to earth uncomplicated style that takes the reader right out to the towns and plains where the work was conducted. This is a must-read for any student contemplating ethnographic or anthropological fieldwork. But its scope is far more than merely East Africa. Prof Igoe's pen takes us to England before the Industrial Revolution and to the latest developments in National Parks in the US, Australia, Nepal, Brazil and Panama. He quite clearly shows how the problems of conservation and civil society are global in their origins and nature and have to be understood through a multitude of sites.

One of the book's greatest strengths is its analysis of civil society, local movements and non-governmental organisations. At a time when much hope and expectation is vested in democratisation and local empowerment this work is a sanguine wake-up call to the problems that these notions bring with them. It quite clearly demonstrates how these ideas are manipulated by local actors, often with very different agendas from global organisations, and transformed by the perpetuated dysfunction typical of the institutions implementing of global development and conservation ideals.

I would, therefore, recommend this book to students, conservationists and development workers in all situations. Its language and style are accessible to all. Its questions and challenges will inform expert practitioners, university teachers and PhD students. This is an excellent book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ecology   2. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General   3. Indigenous peoples   4. National parks and reserves   5. Nature / Field Guide Books   6. Nature conservation   7. Social Science   8. Social aspects   9. Sociology   10. Sociology - General   11. Social Science / Anthropology / General   

Subjects:  1. Africa - General   2. Africa, West   3. Children: Grades 3-4   4. Ethnic Studies - General   5. Ethnology   6. History - General History   7. Indigenous peoples   8. Juvenile Nonfiction   9. Juvenile literature   10. Social Studies - Sociology   11. Social life and customs   

Customer Reviews (1)

Very educational!!!
I really appreciate that Mr. Ayittey wrote this book. It's very specific and interesting. He sets the record straight on ancient/pre-colonial African history. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa   2. Chiefdoms   3. Cultural And Social Anthropology   4. Customary law   5. History   6. History: World   7. Indigenous peoples   8. Political History   9. Politics and government   

Subjects:  1. Africa - General   2. African   3. Art   4. Art & Art Instruction   5. Art, African   6. Black Art   7. International Architecture - African   8. Vernacular Architecture   9. Africa   10. Architecture   11. Art of indigenous peoples   

Fergal Keane, an Irish journalist, formerly BBC correspondent in South Africa, was sent in 1994 to cover the war in Rwanda that had left one million Tutsis dead, most of them gruesomely hacked to death by their Hutu neighbors. The power of this account lies in Keane's profound emotional shock at barely imaginable cruelty, and in the personal testimony of the survivors he interviewed. Keane also searches for meaning. Like many familiar with Africa, he rejects the too easy explanation of "tribal hatred," with its assumption that the problem is intractable and internal. He emphasizes instead the economic and class disparities driving a political bloodlust, reminiscent perhaps of revolutionary France. Even though understanding such atrocity seems out of reach, Keane bears eloquent witness to evil. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

Powerful, evocative work
The Rwandan massacres seemed to barely make the news cycle in the United States, and while our government shamefully refused to take any action to prevent the massacres, many international news organizations placed reporters in jeopardy to uncover the events of that harrowing month. Feargal Keane's book is a very personal and immediate account of what happened in his time reporting on the attempted genocide. While I do agree with other reviewers that his account does not attempt to place the regional tensions into a broader context (like Gourevitch's excellent "We regret to inform you..."), it does more to involve the reader in the stinging reality of what was happening at the very moment of the crisis. His fear is palpable, and as he drives up to each roadblock, his writing conveys the uncertainly of that situation, of the drunk soldiers, of those in the bush trying to avoid them, etc. It is this immediacy that makes the book so valuable in my mind, that it puts you so close to the nightmare as it was happening makes this an unforgettable and immensely distressing read. It is these kinds of images, written or drawn, that might move our leaders to act.

Excellent Journalism
It is truly a shame that the Western media did not provide greater coverage of the genocide and civil war that nearly destroyed Rwanda in the early 1990's. It seems that the ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia etc. completely eclipsed the African tragedy so well captured by Fergal Keane. I like to think that armed with more information, Western Powers would have intervened in order to halt the tribal savagery organized by both the Hutus and Tutsis. In reality, however, Western powers continue to see Africa as a backwards and barbarous continent, more fit for colonization than development.

Keane did a remarkable job of bringing the Rwandan tragedy to light. As a renowned BBC correspondent, Keane has witnessed reprehensible tragedies, disasters, and acts of inhumane conduct that most of us will never (hopefully) ever bear witness to. And although Keane has seen the worst of mankind, in a variety of instances, it seems that what he saw in Rwanda left lasting and troubling memories.

The book is relatively short, only 200 pages, but it certainly leaves its mark on the reader. The graphic descriptions are intense, but Keane's insight into not only the Rwandan situation, but into the minds of those who participated in the horror is startling as well. We certainly need more authors like Keane, who delve into the loathsomeness of man and bring forth the lessons that we all should heed.

fails on many fronts
As one of the earlier books written on the tragic subject of the genocide Keane's book might seem acceptable. His depiction of the suffering and death is powerful and forceful and leaves little to the imagination. The book, in my opinion, is well-intentioned but ends up being narcissistic. It seems to be more about the author's story of himself. I found certain passages and comments to be indicative of white privilage, ethnocentrism, demeaning and condescending. As far as understanding the genocide I would suggest other books, especially Human Rights Watch's "Leave None to tell the Story". If you are interested in first person experiences I would recommend Gourevitch's "We Regret to inform you"...an excellent book and L General Romeo Dallaire's book "Shake Hands with the Devil"...an incredible book by an exceptional human being. There are many good books on the subject. If you are interested in Rwanda and plan to read more than one book I would suggest passing on Keane's book. I would go with Gourevitch for a similar but much more profound and humane approach. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century   2. Atrocities   3. Civil War, 1994   4. Contemporary Politics - Africa   5. Crimes against   6. General   7. Genocide   8. History   9. History: World   10. Individual Artist   11. Political Discontent And Violence   12. Politics - Current Events   13. Rwanda   14. Tutsi (African people)   15. African history: postwar, from c 1945 -   16. Indigenous peoples   17. Journeys   18. Keane, Fergal   19. The Holocaust   

Subjects:  1. Colonies And Colonization   2. General   3. History - General History   4. Political Process - Leadership   5. Religion   6. Religion And Politics   7. African history: c 1500 to c 1900   8. Christianity   9. Colonization & independence   10. Indigenous peoples   11. Multicultural studies   12. Republic of South Africa   13. Southern Africa   14. c 1800 to c 1900   

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - General   2. Ethnology   3. Social Science   4. Sociology   5. Africa   6. Indigenous peoples   7. Social & cultural anthropology