I finished reading David van Reybrouck’s “Congo, een Geschiedenis”. in English Congo, the title is the Epic History of a People. The book is a wonderful work even though it also became a very tough journey through a country we often forget about.

Children in Congo (Wikipedia)

Stylistically the book is a treasure trove. Van Reybrouck’s vocabulary is exquisite, his images powerful. I read the book in the Dutch original but according to several articles, the translations into French, English and German are excellent.

The story starts from prehistory, which in the case of Congo means up to the arrival of Europeans. That part is rather short but that is understandable as basically we still know very little about the country’s most distant past. Things start to become more detailed with Stanley’s arrival to the region. Van Reybrouck lets lots of people, mostly Congolese, do the talking. One of the things I got a better view of was the independence period. Another one was the evolution of Mobutu’s regime. Even though I have read here and there about the Chinese involvement in Congo, the details one finds in this book are also fascinating.

There was some discussion – or criticism – on the book’s historical rigurosity. You can read a bit of that in the Flemish Knack (Dutch). It is a pity I haven’t seen a clear stance from Reybrouck on this topic, perhaps even a desire to review certain parts. Still, the 680 pages were worth the time.