Heroes of Empire: Five Charismatic Men and the Conquest of Africa"This intriguing and beautifully written book offers a fresh analysis of Europe's age of empire, and a disquieting account of the role the mass media played in promoting colonial conquest."—Mary Dewhurst Lewis, author of The Boundaries of the Republic: Migrant Rights and the Limits of Universalism in France, 1918-1940 "There are no competing works. Specialists of both the French and English empires, and of imperialism in general, will welcome this book most enthusiastically. This is story telling at its very best."—Alice L. Conklin, author of A Mission to Civilize: The Republican Idea of Empire in France and West Africa, 1895-1930 "Edward Berenson's absorbing and fascinating book explores the culture of imperialism by examining the powerful emotional connections that the British and French forged with their heroes. Whether it was as the embodiments of Christian chivalry or as the standard bearers of the civilizing process, imperial heroes were seen as possessing superhuman courage, adventure and idealism. The work is all the more powerful because he examines this emotional chemistry without ever losing sight of the inescapable aggression and violence intrinsic to the imperial project."—Ruth Harris, author of Lourdes: Body and Spirit in the Secular Age "This virtuosic narrative interlaces deep historical research with innovative epistemological exploration. Portraying five charismatic men at the height of French and British Imperialism, Berenson shows how the colonial race for Africa unfolded in a complex counterpoint of nationalist agendas, popular culture, sexual politics, and hero worship, all funneled through the penny press. His finely honed prose and crystal clear reasoning turn these multifaceted and intertwined stories into a fascinating picture of the political and social powers of persuasion developed by mass journalism in the decades between 1870 and 1914."—Annegret Fauser, author of Musical Encounters at the 1889 Paris Worlds Fair "By following the lives—and legends—of five very different colonial figures, Edward Berenson has set a new standard for thinking about the roles played by the press, violence, masculinity, and civilization in the French and British empires. Beautifully crafted, perfectly paced, and written in an engaging style, Heroes of Empire is history writing at its finest."—J. P. Daughton, author of An Empire Divided: Religion, Republicanism, and the Making of French Colonialism, 1880-1914 |
Contents
12 | 5 |
figures | 19 |
Henry Morton Stanley and the New Journalism | 22 |
Congolese women bowing before Brazza | 67 |
Savorgnan de Brazza | 74 |
Brazza apostle of empire | 75 |
Brazza with two African boys | 76 |
Brazza with weapon at rest | 77 |
Stanleys wedding | 155 |
Marchand | 175 |
La Mission Marchand | 189 |
Parisian crowd welcomes Marchand | 194 |
Brazza and the Scandal of the Congo | 197 |
Brazza on his death bed | 221 |
Hubert Lyautey and the French Seizure of Morocco | 228 |
Assassination of Mauchamp | 244 |
Brazza on top of the world | 78 |
Wax figure of Brazza in the Musée Grévin | 80 |
Gordon caricature by Ape Pellegrini in Vanity Fair | 98 |
General Gordons Last Stand by George William Joy | 119 |
Stanley leading the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition | 142 |
H M Stanley | 143 |
The Return of Mr H M Stanley | 145 |
Stanley speaking in Royal Albert Hall | 147 |
Other editions - View all
Heroes of Empire: Five Charismatic Men and the Conquest of Africa Edward Berenson Limited preview - 2011 |
Heroes of Empire: Five Charismatic Men and the Conquest of Africa Edward Berenson Limited preview - 2010 |
Common terms and phrases
Africa appeared Arab army Barttelot became biographers Brazzaville Britain British celebrity Challaye charismatic civilization colonial heroes coloniale colonialists Congolese conquest country’s culture Daily Telegraph death defeat Dreyfus Affair economic editors Egypt elite Emin Pasha Emin Pasha Relief Empire Equatoria European explorer explorer’s Fashoda February force française France France’s French colonialism Gallieni Gladstone Gordon Henry Morton Stanley heroic heroism honor Ibid imperial Jeal Jean-Baptiste Marchand Journal journalists July Khartoum L’Illustration Lake large numbers leaders Leopold’s letters Livingstone London Lyautey Lyautey’s Mahdi Mahdist Makoko manly martyr Masculinity McLynn military minister Mission Marchand Moroccan Morocco nationalist newspaper October officials Pall Mall Gazette papers Paris Pasha Relief Expedition peaceful Petit Pierre political popular Quoted reports republican Savorgnan de Brazza scandal seemed Society soldiers Stanley’s story Sudan territory Third Republic tion Tippu Tip Toqué Ujiji University Press Victorian virility wanted women writers wrote Yambuya York Herald Zanzibar