This book by Adam Hochschild explores the period from 1885 to 1908 when King Leopold II of Belgium exploited the Congo Free State, committing large-scale atrocities. The narrative includes the lives of key figures such as Henry Morton Stanley, George Washington Williams, William Sheppard, and Edmund Morel, who played crucial roles in exposing and challenging Leopold’s regime. The book also delves into the broader context of European colonialism and its lasting impacts, as well as the early media campaigns against humanitarian crises. Hochschild’s work provides a nuanced view of colonial dynamics and the struggles of African voices during this era.
Heart of Darkness, written by Joseph Conrad, is a novella that examines the horrors of Western colonialism. The story is narrated by Marlow, who recounts his journey as a riverboat captain for a Belgian trading company in the Congo. Marlow's journey takes him deep into the African jungle, where he encounters the enigmatic and brutal ivory trader Kurtz. The novella delves into themes of power dynamics, morality, and the psychological impact of colonialism on both the colonizers and the colonized. It is a landmark of modern fiction, known for its narrative and symbolic power, as well as its acute psychological penetration[2][3][5].
In 'Only the Dead: The Persistence of War in the Modern Age,' Bear F. Braumoeller argues against the conventional wisdom that war is becoming less common. Using comprehensive data collection and modern statistical analysis, he demonstrates that interstate wars are as likely to break out and escalate as they have been in the past. Braumoeller emphasizes that the key to understanding trends in warfare lies in the formation of international orders, which can reduce conflict within their borders but also clash violently with other orders. The book provides a realistic assessment of humanity's efforts to abolish warfare, highlighting the successes and limitations of international institutions in preventing war.
Jim Hawes, a Navy SEAL and CIA paramilitary officer, whose covert maritime missions in the 1960s helped shape the early fight against communism in Vietnam and Africa.
In 1964, Jim became the first SEAL Team 2 officer permanently assigned to MACV-SOG in Vietnam, where he led maritime operations into North Vietnam - operations initially run by the CIA and unknown to most outside a tight circle of operatives. From a remote base outside Da Nang, Jim conducted coastal raids and intelligence-gathering missions behind enemy lines.
These formative missions, including involvement in what was to become known as the Gulf of Tonkin incident, laid the groundwork for the Navy’s involvement in the larger SOG effort.
Following Vietnam, Jim brought his maritime expertise to Africa, joining the CIA’s paramilitary ranks during the height of the Cold War. On Lake Tanganyika, he helped run one of the most successful clandestine operations in Agency history - intercepting weapons, disrupting communist movements, and tracking Che Guevara’s insurgency in the Congo.
Jim is the author of Cold War Navy SEAL: My Story of Che Guevara, War in the Congo, and the Communist Threat in Africa. Today, six decades after BUD/S, he lives in Africa - now telling the stories that shaped a generation.
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