In the 1880s; as the European powers were carving up Africa; King Leopold II of Belgium seized for himself the vast and mostly unexplored territory surrounding the Congo River. Carrying out a genocidal plundering of the Congo; he looted its rubber; brutalized its people; and ultimately slashed its population by ten million--all the while shrewdly cultivating his reputation as a great humanitarian. Heroic efforts to expose these crimes eventually led to the first great human rights movement of the twentieth century; in which everyone from Mark Twain to the Archbishop of Canterbury participated. King Leopold's Ghost is the haunting account of a megalomaniac of monstrous proportions; a man as cunning; charming; and cruel as any of the great Shakespearean villains. It is also the deeply moving portrait of those who fought Leopold: a brave handful of missionaries; travelers; and young idealists who went to Africa for work or adventure and unexpectedly found themselves witnesses to a holocaust. Adam Hochschild brings this largely untold story alive with the wit and skill of a Barbara Tuchman. Like her; he knows that history often provides a far richer cast of characters than any novelist could invent. Chief among them is Edmund Morel; a young British shipping agent who went on to lead the international crusade against Leopold. Another hero of this tale; the Irish patriot Roger Casement; ended his life on a London gallows. Two courageous black Americans; George Washington Williams and William Sheppard; risked much to bring evidence of the Congo atrocities to the outside world. Sailing into the middle of the story was a young Congo River steamboat officer named Joseph Conrad. And looming above them all; the duplicitous billionaire King Leopold II. With great power and compassion; King Leopold's Ghost will brand the tragedy of the Congo--too long forgotten--onto the conscience of the West.
#3475 in Books Robert A Caro 1975-07-12 1975-07-12Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.10 x 1.90 x 6.10l; 3.68 #File Name: 03947202451344 pagesThe Power Broker Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
Review
40 of 40 people found the following review helpful. Should be on everyone's bucket listBy AKThis is one of those books that sticks with you. I sing its praises all the time. I just want to offer a practical suggestion for reading it because there is no kindle version (WHY???) and it is a backbreaking brick to lug around.This was a tip from New York Magazine on "How to read 'The Power Broker'": Buy a cheap paperback version; tear it into thirds; read one third at a time. When you finish you will love this book so much that you will probably want to buy a hardcover version to have on your shelf.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Terrific biography of one of the most powerful Americans of the 20th CenturyBy John A. LefcourteI grew up in N.Y.C. and was vary aware of his works and their contributions to the livability of the City and surrounding areas. I was also in the same class as Robert Moses' grandson so had more of an awareness of Moses than most New Yorkers. The book details his life; his intellectual brilliance; and his careful crafting of his path to virtually unlimited power. His accomplishments are legendary but less well known is how his stubborn conceitedness ruined many of the aspects of City life and destroyed any and all who opposed him.His negative influence on the City is at least as important as his positive influence and; having lived through his major negative affect; the spreading of slums through the City; I found it harder and harder to read and never did finish the book.Caro is a fantastic Biographer and this book is every bit as good as his later multi-volumne biography of Lindon Johnson.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Classic look at urban history and political powerBy Lehigh History StudentThis book is a truly fascinating study for those interested in the urban history of New York; political power; or urban development. It clearly looks at the rise of Robert Moses who would go on to hold 12 different state; local and private positions including president of the World Fair. Through these interlocking positions Moses would command the resources to build almost all of the major roads; bridges and parkways in the five boroughs today. The story of how these roads came into being is fascinating and articulately and artfully told in this wonderful narrative. In a story so mind boggling it is almost hard to believe you see how "the civil servant that got things done" accomplishes bureaucratic wrangling to harness federal; state; local and private dollars into mammoth building projects. From Jones Beach to the Triborough Authority the master of legislative and monetary manipulation brought together the necessary engineering and political talent to achieve these projects in record time. Despite having enemies as powerful as the President of the United States Franklin Roosevelt or mayor of New York City La Guardia try to oust him he always held on. His ability to blend power from a variety of different sources and form "authorities" that were semi private with shareholders protected by legal rights he could keep his positions. The book covers so many different aspects that a review could go on for 30 pages but the bottom line is that this is a classic in political and urban history that should not be missed.Cl
