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Title: A River That Is Congo

Subtitle: Of Rulers and Ruled

Author: Paul J. Stam

Narrator: Rhett Samuel Price

Format: Unabridged

Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-27-13

Publisher: All Things That Matter Press, Inc.

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Pierre d'Entremont was the pampered youngest son of a successful French banking family. With an older brother to carry on the family tradition, Pierre is enrolled in the E'cole Militaire with the thought of a political career to follow his military service. But when the chief cashier embezzles all the bank's money and escapes to the Americas, Pierre suddenly has to earn a living.

He has heard that a fortune can be made in King Leopold's Congo Free State. Although he has heard stories, mostly told by the British and Americans, of atrocities perpetrated on the natives by King Leopold's agents, stories the King denies, Pierre concludes that, given his military training, his best option is to enter King Leopold's Congo military service.

Pierre arrives in the Congo in 1902. Within the first month, he becomes sick and nearly dies; makes an enemy of Harou, Leopold's most powerful man in the Congo; and, on the way to his posting, must always keep his gun within reach. Of Rulers and Ruled is an historical novel of one man's heroic struggle against the greed, cruelty, and terror of a corrupt government in colonial Africa. Pierre d'Entremont went to Africa to seek his fortune, and stayed to fight an evil regime.

Members Reviews:

Story of a Brutal System

Paul Stam's detailed study of the Belgian Congo under King Leopold's reign provides the realistic background of colonialism under despotic rule. For the Congo area, for nearly a century under white Belgian military rule, the people of the area were forbidden education and training for their eventual independence. Pierre d'Entremont finds his life there as a military officer to be permanently engaged with the land and the people he grew to love and admire. He witnessed the brutality toward the native people and bravely reacted, paying the price for such interventions as he made. The book brings this country into the reader's heart with greater understanding of what was taken from the locals. Stam spent his childhood in the Congo area, and embellishes this story with his research, carrying us as readers into the heart of that country. A strong story that covers d'Entremont's life in intervals to keep the plot moving, keeps the reader's attention throughout. The one weak link to the story is his description of a love story near the beginning, but Stam recovers well from that and proves his skill as a historian and writer. This is an excellent read. Published by All Things That Matter Press.

Jean Rodenbough, author

A Gripping Historical Journey

Stam's historical novel provides the reader with information and insights into a distant time and place,

the African Congo, under the rule of Belgium's King Leopold. The author successfully conveys the

larger drama of conflict between the natives and their brutal rulers, along with interractions

and relationships among individual characters. Though the leaps through decade after decade at

times startled this reader, the challenge of managing the broad time frame - pacing the action, developing

characterizations, sustaining interest - was skillfully done overall. The storyline captured me

from start to finish; the conclusion, a shocking confrontation of rulers and ruled, took my breath away.

Stam's book is a good read for lovers of historical fiction.

Epic story

The author is an excellent writer.