Waubonsee Community College

Postcards from Congo, a graphic history, Edmund Trueman ; foreword by Didier Gondola

eng

Includes bibliographical references

mapsillustrations

no index present

non fiction

Postcards from Congo

comics graphic novelsbibliography

1294920237

Edmund Trueman ; foreword by Didier Gondola

a graphic history

"The Democratic Republic of Congo, the second-largest country in Africa by area, has had a fractured and bloody history, variously undone by decades of colonialism, civil war, corruption, and totalitarian rule. In this comprehensive graphic history, author and illustrator Edmund Trueman explores the fractious story of Congo. The country has played a crucial role in the economic growth of the Global North, but has suffered immensely in doing so. From rubber, to copper, to uranium, to coltan, so many seminal advances in technology have only been made possible through the extraction of materials from Congo. In each of these cases, the Congolese people paid a great price, and until now that price has been paid silently - their story has rarely been told outside of their own country. Colonial exploitation began in in 1885, when Belgium's King Leopold II declared the region his private property, naming it the Congo Free State. Under his brutal rule, millions died between 1885 and 1908. Congo finally achieved independence in 1960, but this led to more suffering under dictator Mobutu Sese Seko, who ruled what became Zaire between 1965 and 1997. Mobutu was overthrown in a period of civil war which lasted between 1997 and 2003, during which an estimated 5 million people lost their lives. Through Trueman's deft illustrations and storytelling, Congo's history - not widely known to Western readers - comes vividly alive. We see how Congolese musicians have spread their language across Africa by creating some of the most popular music on the continent, and how Congolese women have spent decades side-stepping sexist legislation to become leaders in local business. From the resistance against colonialism, to the fight for independence, and to the self-determination to make a life in an almost stateless state for decades, Postcards from Congo demonstrates how the Congolese people have resisted and survived in order to take control of their lives and the life of the country they call home. Includes a foreword by historian Didier Gondola, Professor of African History and Africana Studies at Indiana University - Purdue University, Indianapolis."--, Provided by publisher

Foreword -- Preface -- Introduction -- Early history: Pre-1874 -- Congo Free State and its formation: 1874-1908 -- Early years of Belgian Congo: 1908-1930 -- Working for Belgium, fighting for Belgium: 1930-1945 -- Independence and chaos: 1960-1961 -- A struggle for power: The Congo crisis: 1961-1965 -- The first decade of Mobutu's Zaire: 1965-1975 -- Economic decline and infrastructural decay in Zaire: 1975-1993 -- Trouble brewing in the East: First Congo War: 1994-1997 -- A conflict of interest: Second Congo War: 1997-2003 -- Another absent leadership: 2003-2018 -- The first peaceful transition: 2019-2021