Dancing in the Glory of Monsters
| Company type | Book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 2011 |
| Founder | Jason Stearns |
| Products | Non-fiction book |
| Parent | PublicAffairs |
Dancing in the Glory of Monsters: The Collapse of the Congo and the Great War of Africa is a factual work authored by American writer Jason Stearns and released by PublicAffairs in 2011. The book explores the First and Second Congo Wars, with particular attention to the involvement of the Rwandan government in the internal strife of the Democratic Republic of the Congo throughout the 1990s and early 2000s.
Reception
Critical response to the book was largely favorable. In a review for The New York Times, Adam Hochschild described it as "more lucid and accessible than its nearest competitor," while noting that Stearns maintained a critical yet relatively moderate stance toward the Rwandan government. Zach Warner, writing for African Affairs, considered the book’s scope somewhat "limited" but praised its clarity and approachability for readers without specialized knowledge. Robert Guest, reviewing for the Washington Post, called it a "tour de force," emphasizing an eye-opening interview with a Congolese officer linked to a death squad implicated in atrocities against women and children.
Awards
The book was honored with the silver medal in the 2012 Arthur Ross Book Awards.