The River Congo : The Discovery, Exploration & Exploitation of the World`s Most Dramatic River [IMPORT] (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers; 1st Printing edition (January 1, 1977)
• ISBN-10: 0061224901
• ISBN-13: 978-0061224904
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,061,952 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good, March 22, 2003

By	Fernando Fernández Aransay (Venturada, Madrid Spain) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The River Congo: The Discovery, Exploration, and Exploitation of the World's Most Dramatic River (Paperback)

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.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The History of a Very Troubled River, May 31, 2006

By	David B Richman (Mesilla Park, NM USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

"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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A provocative historical account, November 27, 2005

By	Luis A. Godoy (Puerto Rico/Argentina) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The River Congo: The Discovery, Exploration, and Exploitation of the World's Most Dramatic River (Paperback)

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.