What a book!
This book gives a great overview of so many aspects of European conquest of Africa. The main story is about mapping the Congo River--all of its unique features, its length, its source and end, its navigability and use by native populations, set in the background of 18th and 19th century exploration of the African continent. Woven around these details is a wider perspective on the pre-settlement civilizations, the horrors endured by the native peoples during the slave trade, the importance of the navigation of the river by Stanley and his subsequent contribution to the ultimate exploitation and destruction of the people and the social fabric of the area that has major ramifications today. The author, who has visited the area many times, has a spellbinding, vivid writing style. I felt I was there facing the great rapids, being shot at from the sides of the river by tribes with bow and arrows, or succombing to fever after a long trek through the jungle canopy. I could not put the book down. Those interested in the exploration of Africa, great rivers, the slave trade, the exploits of Stanley or just a great, true adventure tale should get this book.
