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9780007562930

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'The English-speaking world has been impatiently awaiting this translation. 'Congo' is a remarkable piece of work. Van Reybrouck pulls off the tricky feat of keeping a panoramic history of a vast and complex nation accessible, intimate and particular. He does this by talking to the Congolese, who know their history better than anyone else.' Michela Wrong, author of In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz 'A monumental history ... more exciting than any novel' NRC Handelsblad '[Van Reybrouck] has a beautiful feel for language ... his 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' Michela Wrong, Spectator

'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

'550 pages of wide sweep and riveting detail ... Possesses the economy and deftness of the best short stories ... An epic tale of ravishment ... with the poetic agility of an Orson Welles. ... He throws a clear light on the horrific conflicts of the late 1990s and early 2000s ... The angel is in the detail strewn in great abundance throughout the narrative ... The research, the devotion, the inventiveness in Van Reybrouck's writing are a gift to everyone, not just fans of African history. This book not only deserves the description epic , in its true sense, but the term masterpiece as well.' Independent '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 'A piece of luck for English-speaking readers. 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 'A vivid panorama of one of the most tormented lands in the world ... Van Reybrouck covers all this in engrossing detail ... A valuable addition to the rich literature that Congo has inspired.' Washington Post 'The English-speaking world has been impatiently awaiting this translation. 'Congo' is a remarkable piece of work. Van Reybrouck pulls off the tricky feat of keeping a panoramic history of a vast and complex nation accessible, intimate and particular.' Michela Wrong, author of In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz 'A monumental history ... more exciting than any novel' NRC Handelsblad '[Van Reybrouck] has a beautiful feel for language ... His 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 Information

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.

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