Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda

As Dallaire says, "I know there is a God because I shook hands with the devil in Rwanda".
This book illustrates how the myopic and imbecilic action of a genocidal government to the indifference of the world resulted in the brutal slaughter of a people.

Dallaire's account reveal how individuals at the UN prioritised their careers and failed their own men, the Rwandese, humanity and God. The unbelievable inaction of the world and the complicit actions of countries like France will draw anger and disgust. The book also offers heart-warming accounts of bravery, innovation and goodness in the context of humanity at it's lowest.
This is the story of the threshold of human emotional endurance in the face of unimaginable horror, and the courage of a few good men. A story that should be heard by all.

Compulsory reading (0/0 people found this helpful)

This is a book all schoolchildren should read. Maybe, just maybe it could help to make the world a more tolerant place.

Dallaire was on the ground from beginning to end of the slaughter of nearly a million mostly Tutsi, Rwandans, trying to prevent a crisis with too few troops and no political support.

With harrowing detail he describes how the militant Genocidaires gained political power in the tiny, over-populated, remote African state and shows how the world, lead by a dithering UN, stood back and did nothing. Clinton says it's greatest regret. It should be. While leaving out much personal emotion from the proceedings, Dallaire describes the events' full effects in the intro, talking us through his complete emotional breakdown and his lengthy, unfinished recovery.

The reader is left with a gut wrenching feeling upon completion of this book. A book like this should never have to be written again.

the genocide the world forgot (0/0 people found this helpful)

This book must be the most harrowing and honest that one will ever read about the genocide in Rwanda. Dallaire comes across a battle hardened soldier with a heart. The savagery of the killings never cease to move and anger him, yet through all of this he bonds with his men on a very human level. He emerges as a very decisive articulate, and warm person, who wants to do the right thing.

He finds himself in the impossible position of watching dreadful events in front of him unfold but is unable to stop it. He is justifiably critical of the UN, an organisation which comes across as one rife with infighting, bloated with egomaniacs so concerned with procedure and policy as to render the UN irrelevant in it's role in conflict situations.

Throughout this book, I hand to put it down on numerous occasions, for some of the events described by Dallaire moved me to sorrow and anger. I found this book more absorbing than enjoying.

Dallaires conduct reminds me of the phrase " Worse than the perpetrators were those who by the silence gave there consent" he can now go forward in life knowing that he was not one the silent majority.

france has african blood....again, on its hands (0/0 people found this helpful)

I just can't accept that this tragedy has occurred in modern times and the rest of the world just watched passively. The Rwandan genocide should be in our school history books to force us to remember this modern holocaust. However, what i found most horrifying, was the callous attitude of France in helping the killers right to the end. What was also most infuriating was its "white people only" evacuation operation. Even mixed couples were separated with the white spouse only being rescued.
Dallaire was a remarkable man and his account of the genocide is a must read. However, i hold him responsible to the extent that he toed the UN line to the end even, in his heart, he knew, so clearly, that the UN was wrong.

failure of humanity. (1/1 people found this helpful)

I decided to buy this book after seeing the film shooting dogs. After reading the book it has given me a different perspective on life. I feel a lot of sorrow for Dallaire. He had to stand there and watch as people were getting massacred left right and centre. His bravery and commitment to the mission and how he and the soldiers,milobs etc risked there own lifes to try and save as many people as they could in the terrible genocide. It makes me angry and full of hate that the so call western powers could just stand there and watch it happen and not let dallaire and his peacekeepers intovene to try to stop the genocide. The americans didnt want another somalia but then again the americans wont ever do anything untill they are attacked themselves!. This book is a great read and i would reccomend it to any one who never remembers the genocide. Its full of heroics,hate,greed and a big failure from the UN and western powers to stop the genocide. This is a must read.

Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda

Romeo Dallaire

Reader Reviews:

Humanity at it's lowest (0/0 people found this helpful)

Compulsory reading (0/0 people found this helpful)

the genocide the world forgot (0/0 people found this helpful)

france has african blood....again, on its hands (0/0 people found this helpful)

failure of humanity. (1/1 people found this helpful)

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