The King Incorporated

The King Incorporated was the first history book published by award-winning Scottish journalist and historian Neal Ascherson exploring the course of the Congo Free State from its foundation to annexation, as well as the role of King Leopold II.

The King Incorporated was first published in 1963 (three years after the Congo's independence from Belgium) and has been reprinted in 8 editions.

Reception
The work was described by The Guardian as "a fascinating account of Leopold II of Belgium and his extraordinary attempt to integrate the rapacious exploitation of a personal colony with a version of 19th-century European kingship."

The celebrated British historian A.J.P. Taylor praised the work, stating that "Anyone who still believes in the white man's burden should read this story of the Congo. It is a story of unmitigated evil."

Title
The 1999 edition (published by Granta books) changed the title of the book slightly to The King Incorporated:Leopold the Second and the Congo", omitting the reference to trusts.