Customer Reviews

The River Congo. The discovery, exploration and exploitation of the world's most dramatic river

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This book is one of the best history lessons of Africa I have ever had. It taught me more about Africa than I would have learned in any one semester course - from the early navigational schools of the Portugese and the inability of early sailing ships to tack and sail south, to Stanley and Livingston (whom I had always thought to be a missionary and not the explorer he is portayed as in this book) and on to Leopold's desire to carve his own little fiefdom, the Belgian Congo, which not even the Belgians wanted. For anyone wanting to educate themselves on the history of Africa this is a must read - educational, erudite, and well written.

I really enjoyed this book, which is a very well balanced compendium of history, geography and adventure. Mr. Forbath achieves a perfectly consistent presentation of a complex subject matter that conveys a lot more than just the tale of a river. Mr. Forbath wisely retraces the historical feats back to their very origin in a wider than local perspective which provides the curious reader with sound extra insights of the history of Africa after its 'discovery' by the europeans. Besides, the 'adventure & exploration' side of the book is simply compelling.

So, whether you're looking for a historical introduction to Central Africa (not just Congo), or an account of its exploration by the europeans, or both at once, do read this book.

Note: The edition in Spanish, which I read, was enhanced by an addendum updating Zaire's recent history since its independence to this day.

"The River Congo: The Discovery, Exploration and Exploitation of the World's Most Dramatic River" by Peter Forbath was intended to follow Alan Moorehead's two excellent books, "The White Nile" and the "Blue Nile." Indeed, Forbath has done an admirable job in this regard. The human association with this river, often witness to horrible blood baths (including those still in progress) is minutely documented here up to the mid 1960s, from the first exploration of the West African coast and the discovery of the mouth of the Congo by the Portuguese explorer Diogo Cao in 1482 to the immediate aftermath to independence- the Simba uprising.

In all, the Congo River (called the Zaire for a time and now renamed the Congo) witnessed some of the bloodiest wars and genocides in recent history. Brought on to a large degree by the early slave trade, later misrule and cruelty under King Leopold (think "Heart of Darkness"), and benign neglect from Belgium after Leopold, the Congo still suffers from man's inhumanity to man to the present day. Yet at the same time the Congo is one of the mightiest of rivers and its basin encompasses some of the most biodiverse regions on earth, aside from the Amazon.

Forbath, once a foreign correspondent, has written a classic and definitive history of a great tropical river, whose very name "Congo" evokes a dangerous and exotic imagery.

If anyone would like to understand why the Congo has such a dark reputation, this is the book to read.

This is the most entertaining and at the same time interesting book I read on the exploration/exploitation of Africa. In the beginning I thought I would read a book on the river Congo, but it turned out that it was much more than that: It gives you the background to the main events since early times. So it covers the geography and the historical setting. Recommended for any vacation.

"The River Congo" by Peter Forbath, English (also Spanish ed.), 404 pgs. Having actually read this book several times, I can report that the chapter topics include: The quest for Prester John; Kingdom of Kongo, the forest Othello; Slavers, Cannibals [details the Central African slave trade]; The Way to Timbuktoo; the Tuckey expedition; Dr. Livingstone and the Nile [regarding Livingstone's erroneous thoughts about the source of the Nile River]; The Sacred Oracles; {the following chapters pertain to newspaper reporter Stanley being hired to locate Dr. Livingston in western-central Africa}: Stanley and Livingston (their meeting); The Last Journey [Stanley's journey in finding the source of the Congo & Nile Rivers, and his floating down the Congo river to the Atlantic Ocean]; The extraordinary enterprise; Down the Lualaba [Congo/Zaire River] to the Sea; Europe and the Congo; Bula Matari; the personal kingdom of Leopold II {an account as to how Leopold hired Stanley to develop the future state of Congo into Leopold's personal business empire}; Epilogue [Congo 1960s]. The author even recounts the media criticisms that Stanley received when he recounted how he destroyed several villages to teach their inhabitants `a lesson' so as not to attack him again. The author noted that Stanley's expedition fought 35 skirmishes to repulse local inhabitants who were attempting to plunder his caravan. The author details very well the diseases that riddled the European explorers. A most enjoyable read; a very fast-paced, action-packed writing style; nary a moment of boredom; one simply wants to read it without stopping.

The story of the last unexplored place on earth makes for one great read. For hundreds of years, the Congo meant death for the Europeans who tried to explore it, and what's more entertaining than that? A book I have recommended countless times.

One of the most fascinating history books that I have ever read. I will re-read this.