(Congo) Recommended reading

[JayOBedlam]

I'm hoping to pick up CONGO on Monday and use that as a jumping off point for some Darkest Africa gaming. Are there any historical books people can recommend on the subject of exploration and adventure in the time period covered by CONGO (and beyond)?

[Ivan DBA]

I'm reading Henry Morton Stanley's "How I found Livingstone."  It's very readable so far, and there is a detailed account of how he organized his expedition.  The number of Askaris he had matched up very closely to how Column under the Congo rules too!

[wulfgar22]

I enjoyed Tim Jeal's Explorers of the Nile and Stanley. Also Pakenham's The Scramble for Africa.

[Rob_bresnen]

Conrad's 'The heart of Darkness' is unmissable. while it is a work of fiction Conrad did in fact travel to the Belgian Congo as a merchant sailor, so witnessed first hand some of the horrors of the Belgian colony.

[Chuckaroobob]

"The African Wars" by Chris Peers

And there's one by Bartle Bull called "Safari a History of Adventure" or something like that.

[londoncalling]

I have to second "the scramble for africa", scholarly detail and plenty of it, perhaps not the easiest of reading but the detail is all in there..

[JayOBedlam]

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I've found copies of 'How I Found Livingstone' and HM Stanley's other book 'Through the Dark Continent' online, they are perfect.

It turns out my stepfather has a massive collection of Africa history on his bookshelves, including a copy of 'The Scramble for Africa' absolutely stuffed with newspaper clippings and articles following up on points raised in the book!

[marcusluis]

All the Tarzan books by Edgar rice burroughs!!

[Geudens]

Conrad's 'The heart of Darkness' is unmissable. while it is a work of fiction Conrad did in fact travel to the Belgian Congo as a merchant sailor, so witnessed first hand some of the horrors of the Belgian colony.

"Belgian colony"?  Sorry, mate, it was Leopold II's private venture, no more, no less...

[Rob_bresnen]

Quite correct. It was never officially a colony.

[Ivan DBA]

Quite incorrect.  It was annexed by Belgium in 1908, so it absolutely was an official Belgian colony.

Leaving formalities aside, it was founded and ruled be the King of Belgium.  So sorry, it was Belgian.

[tom_aargau]

I second Scramble for Africa, also recommend King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild. Maybe even The White Nile and The Blue Nile by Alan Moorehead.

[chicklewis]

What Tom Aargau said, except he misspelled Moorhead - -

Be certain to purchase and devour used copies of

Alan Moorhead's Moorehead's two works

The Blue Nile

The White Nile

Both perfect for what you request.  The stories of the early explorers and their travails.  

You can purchase each for a penny plus shipping.

These books launched me on my 1975 solo vagabonding journey across North Africa and South up the Nile.  

[tom_aargau]

I hate to be right but the right spelling is Moorehead

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/198456.Alan_Moorehead

(Was actaully looking at the bookd on the shelf while typing)

[chicklewis]

Apologies, Tom, my bookfinder search helped me mis-remember.  

But we agree on the reading material, even though I muffed the spelling check.