三民網路書店 / 搜尋結果

沒錯，這是一個鬼故事，充滿惡、冤魂、貪婪、殺戮與人間地獄。十九世紀，英法德等歐洲新帝國，為了爭奪原料與市場，激烈爭搶海外殖民地。這些大國都對非洲垂涎，但受限於當時的科技與地理知識，難以深入廣大內陸，尤其是剛果河流貫的非洲中部。最後卻由小國比利時意外出線，國王利奧波德二世用盡心機權謀，於該世紀末侵吞了現今剛果民主共和國的全境領土，收歸為自己私人所有。這塊殖民地約占非洲大陸的十三分之一，是比利時領土的七十六倍多。這位比利時國王以殘酷手段奴役當地黑人、搜刮象牙與橡膠，歛聚了大量財富。凌虐、濫殺成為剛果人的日常。當中最惡名昭彰的，莫過於強制繳納的橡膠配額制度，也就是規定村民每日必須採收到一定的橡膠量，若未能達標，村民本人或他的家人，就可能被砍去手腳。據估計，利奧波德二世統治下的剛果，當地恐有將近一半人口（約一千萬人）因各種迫害殞命。本書《利奧波德國王的鬼魂》所要說的，正是這段長期被淡忘的殖民浩劫。但是裡面也有善、英雄、犧牲、勇氣與人間正義。在黑人記者威廉斯、利物浦船運員工莫雷爾、英國領事凱斯門特的多年調查奔走、大聲疾呼下，剛果慘劇在二十世紀初引起國際輿論關注，連馬克．吐溫、柯南．道爾都挺身而出，加入譴責行列。一九〇八年，國王終於被迫將剛果自由邦移交給比利時政府。所以鬼故事結束了？很不幸沒有。利奧波德陰魂不散，殖民陰影持續籠罩著剛果，至今也仍是比利時的一根敏感神經。不止步於利奧波德時代，作者對剛果的關心延續到二十一世紀，除深刻反省過去，也努力思索未來，如同書中那些永不放棄追查真相的人。

19世紀80年代，隨著歐洲列強對非洲的瓜分，比利時國王利奧波德二世奪取了剛果河周圍的遼闊土地。他在剛果實行種族滅絕式的掠奪、壓榨。與此同時，他卻將自己塑造為一個偉大的人道主義者。霍赫希爾德寫作此書時使用了大量原始資料：探險家、蒸汽船船長和軍人的回憶錄，傳教士的記錄，政府的調查報告等。雖然書中出現的非洲人自己的聲音很少，但是正如作者所說，“他們的活動與聲音，儘管被其征服者的記錄所過濾，我們依然可以看到、聽到。”

In the 1880s, as the European powers were carving up Africa, King Leopold II of Belgium seized for himself the vast and mostly unexplored territory surrounding the Congo River. Carrying out a genocida

In the 1880s, as the European powers were carving up Africa, King Leopold II of Belgium seized for himself the vast and mostly unexplored territory surrounding the Congo River. Carrying out a genocida

This is the first emotional history of the British Empire. Joanna Lewis explores how David Livingstone's death tied together British imperialism and Victorian humanitarianism and inserted it into popular culture. Sacrifice and death; Superman like heroism; the devotion of Africans; the cruelty of Arab slavery; and the sufferings of the 'ordinary man', generated waves of sentimental feeling. These powerful myths, images and feelings incubated down the generations - through grand ceremonies, further exploration, humanitarianism, Christian teaching, narratives of masculine endeavour and heroic biography - inspiring colonial rule in Africa, white settler pioneers, missionaries and Africans. Empire of Sentiment demonstrates how this central African story shaped Britain's romantic perception of itself as a humane power overseas when the colonial reality fell far short. Through sentimental humanitarianism, Livingstone helped sustain a British Empire in Africa that remained profoundly Victoria

This is the first emotional history of the British Empire. Joanna Lewis explores how David Livingstone's death tied together British imperialism and Victorian humanitarianism and inserted it into popular culture. Sacrifice and death; Superman like heroism; the devotion of Africans; the cruelty of Arab slavery; and the sufferings of the 'ordinary man', generated waves of sentimental feeling. These powerful myths, images and feelings incubated down the generations - through grand ceremonies, further exploration, humanitarianism, Christian teaching, narratives of masculine endeavour and heroic biography - inspiring colonial rule in Africa, white settler pioneers, missionaries and Africans. Empire of Sentiment demonstrates how this central African story shaped Britain's romantic perception of itself as a humane power overseas when the colonial reality fell far short. Through sentimental humanitarianism, Livingstone helped sustain a British Empire in Africa that remained profoundly Victoria