Great Lakes Bundle: Holocaust & Conflagration

Exclusive Bundle Deal: 30% Off

This definitive two-volume set presents the most comprehensive account to date of the First and Second Congo Wars—collectively known as “Africa’s World Wars”—through the lens of frontline military operations, international involvement, and regional power struggles that engulfed Central Africa between 1996 and 2003.

Volume 1: Great Lakes Holocaust – The First Congo War (1996–1997)
Tracing the roots of the conflict to the political and military upheaval in Rwanda and Uganda during the 1980s and 1990s, this volume examines how regional instability spilled into Zaire—then under Mobutu Sese Seko. It explores the collapse of the Zairian military, the covert expansion of Rwandan operations under the pretext of an ethnic insurgency, and the rise of Laurent-Désiré Kabila, a rebel figure backed by Kigali and Kampala. With extensive analysis of the Rwandan and Ugandan war machines, the narrative shows how Kabila’s rise to power laid the groundwork for the next, even more devastating, war.

Volume 2: Great Lakes Conflagration – The Second Congo War (1998–2003)
Picking up where the first volume ends, this book chronicles the eruption of war following Kabila’s break from his former Rwandan and Ugandan allies. It details the rapid escalation of violence as multiple African powers—including Zimbabwe, Angola, Namibia, and others—entered the conflict, turning Congo into the stage of the largest interstate war in modern African history. Through vivid accounts of battles such as the Battle of Kinshasa, special forces raids, complex air-ground operations, and heavy armour clashes, the book paints a picture of a high-tech war fought with elite troops and international weaponry amid diplomatic paralysis.

Across both volumes, readers will find deeply researched narratives enriched with strategic analysis, combat detail, and geopolitical context. Illustrated with maps, photographs, and artwork, the set provides unmatched insight into the dynamics of the Congo Wars and the military capabilities of the regional actors involved.