In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz
Living on the Brink of Disaster in Mobutu's Congo
HarperCollins · Print & ebook · May 28, 2002
In the Footsteps of Mr.
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- Who it’s for
- A vivid, unsettling account of Mobutu’s Congo, where brutality and charm share the stage.
- Themes
- Authoritarian rule, Political corruption and plunder, Mobutu's rise and fall
- Genres
- Central African History, Political Lives, African Politics
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Start with this bookAbout this book
Known as "the Leopard," the president of Zaire for thirty-two years, Mobutu Sese Seko, showed all the cunning of his namesake -- seducing Western powers, buying up the opposition, and dominating his people with a devastating combination of brutality and charm. While the population was pauperized, he plundered the country's copper and diamond resources, downing pink champagne in his jungle palace like some modern-day reincarnation of Joseph Conrad's crazed station manager.
Continue reading
Michela Wrong, a correspondent who witnessed Mobutu's last days, traces the rise and fall of the idealistic young journalist who became the stereotype of an African despot. Engrossing, highly readable, and as funny as it is tragic, In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz assesses the acts of the villains and the heroes in this fascinating story of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Power’s Double Edge
A vivid, unsettling account of Mobutu’s Congo, where brutality and charm share the stage.
Come here for
- Political history with a darkly comic edge
- The rise and fall of a ruler who charmed Western powers
Expect
- A tragic, readable portrait of power and plunder
- A close look at villains and heroes in Congo’s story
Where it sits
| Political Lives | 69% |
|---|---|
| Central African History | 59% |
| African Politics | 44% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Political Lives
- African History
- World Politics
- Authors
- Michela Wrong
- Publisher
- HarperCollins
- Published
- May 28, 2002
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- Authoritarian rule · Political corruption and plunder · Mobutu's rise and fall
- Reading lane
- Political Lives