Currently reading "King Leopold's Ghost" ...

[Bullwinkle925]

finding myself sort of struggling through it - anyone here read it? comments?

[enlightenment]

1. Struggling in what way?

I've read it a couple of times and used it in a class once. The students didn't like the length, but were alternately fascinated and repelled by the story. As far as history books go, it's pretty readable -- one of the benefits of not being written by an historian!

[SheilaT]

2. I started it, but it wound

up being put aside. I do that all too often. I did find it fascinating. When you read about what the Belgians did in the Congo, you're horrified, and realize that, sadly, much of what's going on today is nothing new. Man's inhumanity to man goes back to the very beginning of our species, I fear.

[enlightenment]

3. Too true.

We're a damned bloody species.

As to the book, you might want to try it in smaller bites, which works I think because the author is a journalist, so the narrative is pretty much self-contained in each chapter.

If you haven't read it, a wonderful fictional accounting of imperialism in Africa - wonderful in the writing and the power of the story, not the imperialist part -- is Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. I like to re-read that one on a regular basis.

[Bullwinkle925]

5. I just finished "The Devil in the White City" and found myself looking

forward to picking it up each day. With this current selection I must admit to not looking forward to reading it on a nightly basis. Perhaps the prose is not the style I enjoy - but I will continue with it as it is the 2nd selection for my book club this month. I'm beginning chapter 3 this evening - hopefully it will pick up for me. I agree with your observation on "Things Fall Apart" - that is one of my favorite books. I haven't followed up(yet)with any of Achebe's other books - have you?

[SheilaT]

7. I've read both

"The Devil in the White City" and "Things Fall Apart" -- the latter several times -- and love them both.
The author of "The Devil" also wrote "Isaac's Storm" about the 1900 Galveston Hurricane and it's also fascinating. You learn a lot about weather weirdnesses and the state of weather forecasting at that point in our history. And if weather in general is interesting to you, also read "The Children's Blizzard" by David Laskin.

[enlightenment]

8. Unfortunately not -- most of my spare reading time is spent

catching up on the new material in my field (history), which are, unfortunately, rarely as well-written as a fine piece of fiction. If you're interested in history, consider (if you haven't already read it, of course) "Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness" by Joshua Wolf Shenk. Another well done piece, although I was disappointed with his conclusion.
A slightly older (2001) but very readable history book is "Affairs of Honor: National Politics in the New Republic" by Joanne Freeman. Some very interesting ideas, well supported and often amusingly accounted.

my two cents, anyway!

[Bullwinkle925]

9. Thank you for the tips - I will add them to my list ...

Do you specialize in American History - specific time period?

[enlightenment]

10. Oddly, yes. I started out studying 18th century

British history (cultural) -- but reality (keeping a roof over my head) has a funny way of changing things . . .

I do early American, up to the turn of the 20th century - although I have a fondness for the political and cultural history of the 1950s for some odd reason. Because the transmission of ideas takes time, I tend to focus on the late 18th to mid-19th century in American history as that period is somewhat similar to the early 18th century in Britain (not really, but I fool myself with that argument).

Actually, I like American history. I particularly like teaching survey to folks who slept through it in high school and want to sleep through it again in college. The challenge of keeping them awake and making it relevant keeps me mentally engaged -- and it's an absolute delight to see that tiny spark of interest flare up occasionally; then the room really gets hopping!

[Bullwinkle925]

11. I can understand your fondness for the 1950's. A lot of information to

impart beginning with the rise of the 'McCarthy' era and ending with the changing of the guard in the early 60's and the JFK administration. Not to mention the post-war worldstage being set!

[cobalt1999]

4. I've read it and enjoyed it.

I went through it in 2-3 days. I didn't find it a struggle because I knew nothing about that chapter in history, so each page was something new to me.

Usually when I do struggle with a book, I find I need to slow down a little.

[Bullwinkle925]

6. You could be right. My life has been a bit frantic lately. I could be

not focusing as well as I should.

[Pithy Cherub]

12. It's a great book & understanding dawns that it's missing history

that people are not even aware of exists. The abject cruelty that has been perpetuated for so long and by some of the twentieth centurys' "heroes" is illustrated in dramatic fashion. The theme of how a person with absolutely no reason to care about the genocide being perpetrated by King Leopold and how he made it a cause celebre/political movement is fascinating. The story of the man who wrote Amazing Grace is an interesting side note as well. People's consciences and consciousness being raised is an underlying theme that holds merit for the needed awakening of our current political participants.

Adam Hochschild also wrote Bury the Chains: Prophets and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire's Slaves which won the 2006 LA Times Book Prize.

[Bullwinkle925]

13. I'm reversing my opinion.

I'm half-way through and have been absorbed by this book. I suppose it was a bit tough for me to get into, but I'm thoroughly enjoying it now. I appreciate being introduced to historical figures such as Stanley and Joesph Conrad as well as introductions into characters I had not been aware of. I'm looking forward to reading "Heart of Darkness" now.
How sad it is that the hearts of some men are oblivious to the angst of others. One quote really struck me - "Monsters exist, but they are too few in number to be truly dangerous. More dangerous are the functionaries ready to believe to act without asking questions." How appropriate for today.

[devilgrrl]

14. I had to put it down a 1/4 of the way in...

it made me that ill. :puke:

[gulfcoastliberal]

15. Almost makes Iraq look like Disneyland,eh?

Those Belgians really fucked over the Congolese. Imagine building that railway. Wheen I saw "Madagascar" on HBO the other day, the line where Cedric the Entertainer exclaims They're here to take our precos metals!" reminded me of this book. Believe it ornot I read it while vacationing a Kona. Must've been the the heaviest beach book I ever read.

[scholarsOrAcademics]

16. required reading

There are some books that I would have on a must-read for students in Public Schools. This is one of them.

[raindrop]

17. Completely absorbing

I don't read much nonfiction, but I picked this up based on the recommendation of someone whose taste in books I like, and was completely swept up in it. Very difficult material to read, especially when you realize that the horrific conditions under Leopold improved only a little bit under the rule of the Belgian government and Mobutu. Equally horrifying are the accounts of similar brutality that was occurring all over Africa at the same time, at the hands of the French, the Germans, the British, but just wasn't happening on the same scale, and didn't have someone like E.D. Morel to raise a stink about it. (Someone needs to write a biography of this guy.)

[matt819]

18. Try the recorded version

I found it riveting. Give it a try. It's worth every minute.

[RBBernstein]

19. KING LEOPOLD'S GHOST

I have read it -- I found it no struggle at all, but it is horrifying and heartbreaking. You should also read his new book on the British antislavery movement, BURY THE CHAINS.