Congo: Epic History Of A People, The (Finalist For The Cundill

Description: FINALIST FOR THE CUNDILL PRIZE FOR HISTORY 'Not only deserves the description "epic", in its true sense, but the term "masterpiece" as well' Independent This gripping epic tells the story of one of the world's most critical failed nation-states: the Democratic Republic of Congo. Interweaving his own family's history with the voices of a diverse range of individuals - charismatic dictators, feuding warlords, child soldiers, and many in the African diaspora of Europe and China - Van Reybrouck offers a deeply humane approach to political history, focusing squarely on the Congolese perspective and returning a nation's history to its people.

Review: 'Van Reybrouck brings this excessive history vividly to life ... He has not only read through the library he intends to replace, he has dug up new archival material and draws on living memories ... The result is a book as rich and resourceful as Congo itself.' Guardian 'This is a magnificent account, intimately researched, and relevant for anyone interested in how the recent past may inform our near future ... Extraordinary.' New York Times '[Van Reybrouck's] eye for the arresting human detail, combined with a wry appreciation for a peculiarly Congolese form of gumption, keeps you powering through this panoramic survey of 150 turbulent years ... Both intimate and immediate ... Fascinating.' Spectator


Author Biography: David Van Reybrouck is an award-winning author, acclaimed playwright, reporter, and poet who studied in Leuven and Cambridge and holds a doctorate from Leiden University. He has travelled extensively throughout Africa and has been actively involved in organizing literary workshops for Congolese playwrights in Kinshasa and Goma. He lives in Brussels.