Edmund Trueman ; foreword by Didier Gondola

"The Democratic Republic of Congo, the second-largest country in Africa by area, has had a fractured and bloody history, variously undone by decades of colonialism, civil war, corruption, and totalitarian rule. In this comprehensive graphic history, author and illustrator Edmund Trueman explores the fractious story of Congo. The country has played a crucial role in the economic growth of the Global North, but has suffered immensely in doing so. From rubber, to copper, to uranium, to coltan, so many seminal advances in technology have only been made possible through the extraction of materials from Congo. In each of these cases, the Congolese people paid a great price, and until now that price has been paid silently - their story has rarely been told outside of their own country. Colonial exploitation began in in 1885, when Belgium's King Leopold II declared the region his private property, naming it the Congo Free State. Under his brutal rule, millions died between 1885 and 1908. Congo finally achieved independence in 1960, but this led to more suffering under dictator Mobutu Sese Seko, who ruled what became Zaire between 1965 and 1997. Mobutu was overthrown in a period of civil war which lasted between 1997 and 2003, during which an estimated 5 million people lost their lives. Through Trueman's deft illustrations and storytelling, Congo's history - not widely known to Western readers - comes vividly alive. We see how Congolese musicians have spread their language across Africa by creating some of the most popular music on the continent, and how Congolese women have spent decades side-stepping sexist legislation to become leaders in local business. From the resistance against colonialism, to the fight for independence, and to the self-determination to make a life in an almost stateless state for decades, Postcards from Congo demonstrates how the Congolese people have resisted and survived in order to take control of their lives and the life of the country they call home. Includes a foreword by historian Didier Gondola, Professor of African History and Africana Studies at Indiana University - Purdue University, Indianapolis."--