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Shake Hands With The Devil

The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda
By Romeo Dallaire
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Shake Hands With The Devil by Romeo Dallaire is a harrowing first-hand account of the author's experiences as the force commander of the UN peacekeeping mission during the Rwandan Genocide. The book details the international community's failures, the horrors witnessed, and Dallaire's personal journey through one of the darkest periods in modern history. It is a poignant reflection on human nature and the consequences of inaction.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this book if you are interested in personal accounts of historical events, particularly the Rwandan Genocide, and appreciate stories of human resilience and the moral challenges faced by peacekeepers. It offers a deeply personal perspective on leadership and humanitarian crises.

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Thirteen months after Lt-Gen Romeo went to serve as force commander of the UN intervention in Rwanda in 1993, he flew home broken, disillusioned and suicidal, having witnessed the slaughter of 800,000 Rwandans. This book takes us on a return voyage into the hell of Rwanda, recreating the events the international community turned its back on.

The #1 international bestseller -- chosen as Nonfiction Book of the Year and winner of the Shaughnessy-Cohen prize. A harrowing and ultimately redemptive memoir by the General who commanded the UN forces in Rwanda.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

When Lieutenant General Romeo Dallaire received the call to serve as the force commander for the UN mission in Rwanda, he expected to mediate peace between two warring factions. Instead, he found himself in the midst of one of the most horrifying genocides of the 20th century. Shake Hands with the Devil is not just a memoir; it is an unflinching recount of the atrocities that unfolded during the Rwandan Civil War, where over 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were systematically slaughtered within 100 days.

Dallaire's narration plunges readers into the heart of Rwanda’s chaos, where the thin line between life and death became a daily reality. He and his small contingent of under-resourced international troops faced unimaginable challenges, from insufficient manpower to the constant refusal of essential operational freedom by complacent bureaucrats. The book reveals the profound human spirit amid overwhelming despair and captures the haunting memories that accompanied Dallaire long after he left Rwanda a broken and disillusioned man.

Shake Hands with the Devil stands as a critically acclaimed piece of war literature and a powerful indictment of global apathy in the face of genocide. Dallaire’s insights lay bare the failures of international governance and highlight his call to humanity for swift and unified action in preventing such atrocities from ever occurring again. His poignant reflections resonate deeply: "I know there is a God," he writes, "because in Rwanda I shook hands with the devil. I have seen him, I have smelled him and I have touched him. I know the devil exists and therefore I know there is a God."

This book is a crucial read for anyone interested in modern history, military ethics, international relations, and the psychological impacts of conflict. Dallaire's story is not just about the past; it serves as a lasting reminder of the humanitarian responsibilities we share as a global community.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Shake Hands With The Devil is described as a heart-breaking eye-witness account and personal confession of the failure of an organisation, marked by a meticulous description of one of history's worst betrayals. It is praised as the best account of the Rwandan genocide, serving as both an important historical record and an impassioned plea against the moral cowardice of the time.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780099478935

Publisher: Cornerstone

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 03 February 2005

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Arrow Books Ltd

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 38.0mm

Width: 138.0mm

Height: 197.0mm

Weight: 410g

Pages: 592

Collections

African History Biography & Memoir Education & Reference History & Archaeology History & Military Military History Non-Fiction Penguin Books Politics & Current Affairs Romeo Dallaire

About the Author

Romeo Dallaire joined the Canadian Army in 1964. A three star General, he served as Deputy Commander of the Canadian Army and later in the Ministry of Defence. In 1993 he was sent to Rwanda on a UN peace-helping mission; he was soon struggling to prevent one of modern history's most shocking events and the UN's famous failed mission- the genocide in Rwanda. General Dallaire was medically released from the armed forces in April 2000 due to posttraumatic stress disorder and is now special adviser to the Canadian government on war-affected children and the prohibition of small arms distribution. In January 2002, he received the inaugural Aegis Award for Genocide Prevention in London. The Rwandan genocide is one of the most shocking examples of political exploitation and ethnic cleansing in living memory. It has been immortalised in the films Hotel Rwanda and Shooting Dogs, and here in the words of a seasoned soldier.

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