The late nineteenth century saw practically the entire continent of Africa carved up and partitioned between a handful of European colonial powers. British and Belgian companies greedily eyed the mineral riches of the Katanga region of central Africa. In 1891 a group of mercenaries led by a British army officer; William Stairs; marched nearly 1;000 miles; through once-fertile lands devastated by Arab and African slave traders; to confront Msiri; the most powerful ruler in Katanga; and annex his kingdom. This is the story of the Stairs Expedition; related by the group's medical officer; Joseph Moloney. First published in 1893; Moloney's fascinating narrative will transport you to a world of cannibals; missionaries and slave traders; of a provocative military invasion and its bloody climax; and of the mercenaries' nightmarish return march - wracked by starvation and fever - back to the coast of East Africa. Containing a lively and detailed first-hand account of the "scramble for Africa"; this book is essential reading for anyone curious about the motivation and processes of European conquest in Africa.
#1692812 in Books 2005-10-31 2005-10-31Original language:HawaiianPDF # 1 .43 x 6.02 x 8.50l; #File Name: 0945048165116 pages
Review
