Publishers (London) Ltd 178-202 Great Portland Street, London, W.1 An imprint of the Hutchinson Group London Melbourne Sydney Auckland Bombay Toronto Johannesburg New York First published 1961 This book has been set by Bembo type face. It has been printed in Great Britain by The Anchor Press, Ltd., in Tiptree, Essex, on Antique Garnett Evans & Co., Ltd., in Watford, Herts Category Biography Politics Language English
Summary Ten years of living in the Belgian Congo just prior to its independence gave Mrs. Dugauquier, British-born wife of a Belgian businessman, a first- class opportunity of observing the complex political trends which culminated in the recent turmoil. In her book Mrs. Dugauquier covers all strata of native and European economic and social patterns. She shows how the first gusts of the wind of change began to affect authority, which relaxed and deteriorated, and
how this led inevitably to the Leopoldville riots and was followed by growing political tension and unrest. She describes the stormy reception given to the Belgian Congo Minister, Monsieur Van Hemelryck, and the measures of reprisal which followed. In her closing chapters the author deals
with the events immediately preceding Independence and the confusion which ensued. The last chapter surveys the scene some months afterwards, and discusses what has been lost and what can be saved. Mrs. Dugauquier is a shrewd and intelligent observer with a sense of humour. She has not been soured by her experiences and is not unduly censorious. Her book will be of considerable value to those who wish to know the real truth about the Congo.
