Dancing in the Glory of Monsters Audiobook By Jason Stearns cover art

Dancing in the Glory of Monsters

The Collapse of the Congo and the Great War of Africa

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Dancing in the Glory of Monsters

By: Jason Stearns
Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
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At the heart of Africa is Congo, a country the size of Western Europe, bordering nine other nations, that since 1996 has been wracked by a brutal and unstaunchable war in which millions have died. And yet, despite its epic proportions, it has received little sustained media attention.

In this deeply reported book, Jason K. Stearns vividly tells the story of this misunderstood conflict through the experiences of those who engineered and perpetrated it. He depicts village pastors who survived massacres, the child soldier assassin of President Kabila, a female Hutu activist who relives the hunting and methodical extermination of fellow refugees, and key architects of the war that became as great a disaster as - and was a direct consequence of - the genocide in neighboring Rwanda.

Through their stories, he tries to understand why such mass violence made sense, and why stability has been so elusive. Through their voices, and an astonishing wealth of knowledge and research, Stearns chronicles the political, social, and moral decay of the Congolese State.

©2011 Jason K. Stearns (P)2017 Tantor Africa Genocide & War Crimes Military Politics & Government Social Sciences Violence in Society War & Crisis Wars & Conflicts World War Middle East Imperialism Refugee Congo War
Comprehensive History • Well-researched Content • Excellent Narration • Engaging Storytelling • Informative Context
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To me this was a good summary of the Congo Wars as one who came in knowing very little about them. It would be nice if it were updated to include the last decade of Congo history, it stops in October 2010. The story tries to capture the nuances of the wars and therefore is not super linear but I was still able to keep track of most things.

A good summary of the Congo Wars

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I'd read this book some years ago and was happy to have chance to listen to it via audio format. It is at once a highly informative and well researched book bringing to light a horrendous series of wars that swept the Congo and most of its neighbours in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide.

It's an incredibly dense book in some ways and it can be overwhelming at times. Particularly when the examples of the waves sadistic and senseless violence are continually piled up to the extent that you begin to wonder just how do human beings become so savage towards their fellow man....

For those who are new to the history of the Congo this is a decent place to start. Although a better first read/listen would be King Leopold's' Ghost which outlines the history of the Congo under the rule of the Belgian king and helps set the stage (somewhat) for the Congo of today.

The narration is ok but not great. Mike Chamberlain has a terse and somewhat monotone style that gives the feel of a military officer delivering an after-action report to headquarters. Fine for a 20 minute presentation. Not so good for a 15 hour book. That made the book a bit of a slog for me - and as mentioned I've already read the book before as well as some others about the Congo...

In either audiobook or print format I would listen to or read the last chapter first. It gives a very nice summary and will help frame the entire book for you.

A tragic history largely ignored...

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Riveting story-telling. The author captures the complexity of life in the Congo and explains why Western news outlets don’t give it much attention.

This book lets the people who were actually there tell us what they personally experienced

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This is a book on a subject -Congo over the past 20+ years and the history leading to that era-that is hard to cover and hard to find honest information about. The book covers the Congo without trying to tell everything. It isn't a history book that distills a thousand narratives. it presents narratives from different sides, comes to some of its own conclusions, and let's the reader come to some. I find it valuable because it attempts to explain what happened with the Congo without making it about the West. The story is miraculously about the Congo and the Congolese and it's neighbors and for that it deserves credit.

valuable and informative

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I’ve been interested in the situation in Congo for quite some time. This story covers all the bases and does a great job of explaining this complex and delicate subject. I highly recommend to anyone.

Great analysis of events

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This book is great, excellent narration, recommend listening with a map of the Congo to guide you. The subject can become a bit overwhelming, due to the nature of the abuses, cruelty and the internationals communities willingness to turn a blind eye.

An excellent, challenging book

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Stearns does not shy away from complexity, but provides context and linkages to aid us to better understanding of the Congo. For those who have little knowledge of the recent bloody history of this region, this is an excellent and comprehensive work. Dismantles the quick and easy explanations for the chaos.

Brilliantly and compassionately breaks down complexity

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More people should be informed about the history of the Congo. As the author states, it is complicated. Narrator did a great job with pronunciation.

Fantastic book

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This is a very clear account of a complex situation. No hyperbole, just plain facts. Narrator is excellent!

Excellent

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Fantastic book. I like the approach of not trying to oversimplify the conflict. I will follow this with Jason Stearns 2021 book on the Congo.

Great overview of a complicated topic

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