In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz: Living on the Brink of Disaster in Mobutu's Congo

In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz: Living on the Brink of Disaster in Mobutu's Congo
Michela Wrong (Author)
(62)

New!: $14.99 $11.24 (as of 02/28/2013 04:31 PST)
83 Used! | New! from $0.01 (as of 02/28/2013 04:31 PST)

Democratic Republic of Congo

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.

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.

• Rank: #112776 in Books
• Published on: 2002-05-28
• Released on: 2002-05-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: .88" h x 5.30" w x 8.16" l, .69 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 368 pages

Description #1 by Biblio.com:

New York: Harpercollins. 2001. First Edition; First Printing. Hardcover. 0060188804 . Very Good in a Very Good dust jacket. Stated First US Edition. ; 1.4 x 9.5 x 6.5 Inches; 352 pages .

Description #2 by Biblio.com:

HarperCollins 2001-05-01. Hardcover. Like New. 8vo. Clean unmarked pages. Good binding and cover. Hardcover and dust jacket. Ships daily.

Description #3 by Biblio.com:

HarperCollins 2001 Like-new book. Appears unread. Stated First US Edition. NO remainder marks or price clippings. 338 pages. Illustrated. NO writing marks or tears inside book. He was known as "the Leopard" and for the thirty-two years of his reign Mobutu Sese Seko president of Zaire 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. Michela Wrong a correspondent who witnessed firsthand 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 her book assesses how Belgium's King Leopold the CIA and the World Bank all helped to bring about the disaster that is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. If in this poignant account the villains are the "Big Vegetables" les Grosses legumes -- the fat cats who benefited from Mobutu's largesse -- the heroes are the ordinary citizens trapped in a parody of a state. Living in the shadow of a disintegrating nuclear reactor where banknotes are not worth the paper they are printed on they have turned survival into an art form. For all its valuable insights into Africa's colonial heritage and the damage done by Western intervention In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz is ultimately a celebration of the irrepressible human spirit. Hard Cover. Fine/Fine. 8vo - over 7{3/4}" - 9{3/4}" tall.