What do you think?
Rate this book
Chaos in Kinshasa
From beloved Congolese comics creator Barly Baruti and Belgian comics critic Thierry Bellefroid, t ranslated from the original French by Batchelder Award-winning translator Ivanka Hahnenberger A Harlem gangster’s trip to Central Africa to attend the legendary 1974 Ali-Foreman "Rumble in the Jungle" boxing match becomes a one-way ticket to the seedy underground of Zaire—complete with espionage, murder, and a communist plot to overthrow Zaire's infamous President Mobutu. When Ernest, a low-level gangster from Harlem, wins tickets to travel to Zaire to attend the "Rumble in the Jungle," the now-legendary bout between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, he’s eager to reconnect with his African roots and escape the ruthless gang leaders he's indebted to back home. But in Zaire, Ernest becomes entangled in an Angolan coup against the country's embattled president Mobutu Sese Seko—inspired by Che Guevara himself—and soon realizes that Zaire may hold even more dangers for him than Harlem ever could. A Cold-War-era thriller set against the backdrop of a landmark moment in sports history, Chaos in Kinshasafeatures Barly Baruti’s characteristic art and Thierry Bellefroid's punchy dialogue woven in with the elements of a great gangster story—sex, spies, bribes, and murder. A thrill ride through a pivotal moment in Cold War, African, and sports history.
114 pages, Paperback
Published September 17, 2024
38 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 22, 2025
3.5 stars.
Chaos In Kinshasa is a fascinating and fun piece of historical fiction set in Kinshasa in the lead up to the Rumble in the Jungle, a real match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, with political/spy thriller elements within 1970s Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), and an American crime story for good measure. It's exciting and entertaining and even a bit educational (with some great notes at the end to help out readers likely unfamiliar with these histories). I will say that it's honestly too short for everything it has going on, clocking in at about a hundred pages. I feel like for this story to have room to breathe and reach its full potential it really needed to be a minimum of 20-30 pages longer. The art from Barly Baruti is gorgeous though, and really pops off the pages. Even though it didn't reach its full potential for me, I'd still recommend checking it out for sure!
Chaos In Kinshasa is a fascinating and fun piece of historical fiction set in Kinshasa in the lead up to the Rumble in the Jungle, a real match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman, with political/spy thriller elements within 1970s Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), and an American crime story for good measure. It's exciting and entertaining and even a bit educational (with some great notes at the end to help out readers likely unfamiliar with these histories). I will say that it's honestly too short for everything it has going on, clocking in at about a hundred pages. I feel like for this story to have room to breathe and reach its full potential it really needed to be a minimum of 20-30 pages longer. The art from Barly Baruti is gorgeous though, and really pops off the pages. Even though it didn't reach its full potential for me, I'd still recommend checking it out for sure!
June 10, 2024
Reviewed from an ARC provided by the publisher. It is noted that several pages in the ARC had not yet been translated from French to English; it is assumed that this will all be in English when the book goes to print.
This fictionalized thriller of the violent action spinning in the background behind the Rumble in the Jungle heavyweight title fight between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali begins its rapid pace from the outset of the story and never lets up. Mostly set in Kinshasa, Zaire (formerly the Belgian Congo), it weaves together the lives of President Mobutu Sese Seko, the two heavyweight fighters, Ernest (a gangster from Harlem who owes money to several gangs), Edmund (a Belgian diplomat), Blanche (a hooker trying to get her brother out of jail where he is being beaten), Faustno (Blanche's brother), Lolango (a local taxi driver with loyalties to Belgium), CIA spies, the local police force, and the elusive Godfather. Mobutu intends to use the fight as a big publicity event to raise money, the visibility of Zaire, and inflate his importance to the world.
There are no real heroes in this story, as everyone has a selfish hidden agenda. Instead, there is plenty of treachery, lying, murder, and excitement that keep the reader engaged as it jumps back and forth between storylines. (Personally, I found myself taking notes on the action!) Baruti's full color artwork is detailed and appropriately dark. Mobutu, Ali, Foreman, and Don King are all easily identifiable characters. The art works well with Thierry Bellefroid's dark story. Bellefroid captures the bravado and showmanship of Ali well. Together, they have succeeded in making the Rumble into something larger and more diabolically political.
First published in French in Belgium in 2016, it has been translated by the award-winning translator Ivanka Hahneberger. Hahnenberger capably keeps the suspense about the story as it smoothly transitions from one scene to another.
Highly Recommended for adult readers who enjoy stories about political espionage.
This fictionalized thriller of the violent action spinning in the background behind the Rumble in the Jungle heavyweight title fight between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali begins its rapid pace from the outset of the story and never lets up. Mostly set in Kinshasa, Zaire (formerly the Belgian Congo), it weaves together the lives of President Mobutu Sese Seko, the two heavyweight fighters, Ernest (a gangster from Harlem who owes money to several gangs), Edmund (a Belgian diplomat), Blanche (a hooker trying to get her brother out of jail where he is being beaten), Faustno (Blanche's brother), Lolango (a local taxi driver with loyalties to Belgium), CIA spies, the local police force, and the elusive Godfather. Mobutu intends to use the fight as a big publicity event to raise money, the visibility of Zaire, and inflate his importance to the world.
There are no real heroes in this story, as everyone has a selfish hidden agenda. Instead, there is plenty of treachery, lying, murder, and excitement that keep the reader engaged as it jumps back and forth between storylines. (Personally, I found myself taking notes on the action!) Baruti's full color artwork is detailed and appropriately dark. Mobutu, Ali, Foreman, and Don King are all easily identifiable characters. The art works well with Thierry Bellefroid's dark story. Bellefroid captures the bravado and showmanship of Ali well. Together, they have succeeded in making the Rumble into something larger and more diabolically political.
First published in French in Belgium in 2016, it has been translated by the award-winning translator Ivanka Hahneberger. Hahnenberger capably keeps the suspense about the story as it smoothly transitions from one scene to another.
Highly Recommended for adult readers who enjoy stories about political espionage.
November 14, 2024
In 1970s Harlem, Ernest finds himself in a dire situation, entangled in dangerous business dealings with ruthless gang leaders. His chance to escape comes in the form of an invitation to witness the highly anticipated return of Muhammad Ali to the ring. All he needs is a passport to disappear for a while. Little does Ernest know, the stage is set for a high-stakes political drama in Senegal, the venue for the 'Rumble in the Jungle' boxing match between Ali and George Foreman. A coup is brewing to overthrow the embattled strongman President Mobutu Sese Seko. Ernest’s survival instincts and street smarts will be put to the ultimate test as he becomes entangled in a web of chaos and murder.
Congolese cartoonist Barley Baruti and Belgian writer Thierry Bellefroid join forces to craft a graphic novel that seamlessly blends historical facts with imaginative fiction against the rich backdrop of post-colonial Africa. The story's premise is not just exciting but also offers a fresh and unique perspective into the Cold War era. As a work of fiction, "Chaos in Kinshasa" sparks curiosity about the story's plausibility, given our knowledge of the fight and the geopolitical turmoil of the time.
Originally penned in French, Bellefroid’s dialogues are steeped in African American Vernacular English. As a non-Black American, I am not the best judge of cultural appropriation in this context. This raises the question of how the book may be perceived by Black American readers.
Congolese cartoonist Barley Baruti and Belgian writer Thierry Bellefroid join forces to craft a graphic novel that seamlessly blends historical facts with imaginative fiction against the rich backdrop of post-colonial Africa. The story's premise is not just exciting but also offers a fresh and unique perspective into the Cold War era. As a work of fiction, "Chaos in Kinshasa" sparks curiosity about the story's plausibility, given our knowledge of the fight and the geopolitical turmoil of the time.
Originally penned in French, Bellefroid’s dialogues are steeped in African American Vernacular English. As a non-Black American, I am not the best judge of cultural appropriation in this context. This raises the question of how the book may be perceived by Black American readers.
November 27, 2024
The art is very good, but it's easy to get confused with much jumping around between plotlines (and if you have little grounding in the politics of the former Zaire and Angola.) Wish I'd read the end note first. Loved the setting though, both the sense of place and of time.
July 11, 2025
Skimmed for the Ali content. Looked promising.
September 13, 2025
Extremely cool political/conspiracy thriller set with the Rumble in the Jungle as a backdrop. Barly Baruti's artwork is a revelation. Thank goodness this got a translation.
January 30, 2026
This is a spy novel set during the cold war. The setting of the story is the 1974 Ali-Forman "Rumble in the Jungle" boxing match in Zaire. The novel follows Muhammad Ali, and Ernest, a gangster from Harlem as they accidentally become part of a plot to overthrow the Zaire government.
An interesting thriller spy story, especially if you are a boxing fan.
An interesting thriller spy story, especially if you are a boxing fan.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews