Rating: 
Summary: Waking up the West
Review: After watching "Swimming to Cambodia" Spalding Gray said one line that I'll paraphrase, "Maybe there's this great cloud of evil that floats over the planet and randomly lands somewhere every so often." Well, from Cambodia to Rwanda, that about sums it up because there is really no other explanation for the horrors of the genocide that occurred there. Feargal Keane has written a superb account of his journey into Rwanda shortly after the 1994 genocide. It's a well-balanced look at both sides with Keane able to access both Hutu and Tutsi areas (albeit sometimes with great difficulty and not a little danger). The human face of the "war" so often missed by Western journalists is really brought to the fore by Keane's insightful and extremely compassionate account.
Rating: 
Summary: fails on many fronts
Review: As one of the earlier books written on the tragic subject of the genocide Keane's book might seem acceptable. His depiction of the suffering and death is powerful and forceful and leaves little to the imagination. The book, in my opinion, is well-intentioned but ends up being narcissistic. It seems to be more about the author's story of himself. I found certain passages and comments to be indicative of white privilage, ethnocentrism, demeaning and condescending. As far as understanding the genocide I would suggest other books, especially Human Rights Watch's "Leave None to tell the Story". If you are interested in first person experiences I would recommend Gourevitch's "We Regret to inform you"...an excellent book and L General Romeo Dallaire's book "Shake Hands with the Devil"...an incredible book by an exceptional human being. There are many good books on the subject. If you are interested in Rwanda and plan to read more than one book I would suggest passing on Keane's book. I would go with Gourevitch for a similar but much more profound and humane approach.
Rating:
Summary: fails on many fronts
Review: As one of the earlier books written on the tragic subject of the genocide Keane's book might seem acceptable. His depiction of the suffering and death is powerful and forceful and leaves little to the imagination. The book, in my opinion, is well-intentioned but ends up being narcissistic. It seems to be more about the author's story of himself. I found certain passages and comments to be indicative of white privilage, ethnocentrism, demeaning and condescending. As far as understanding the genocide I would suggest other books, especially Human Rights Watch's "Leave None to tell the Story". If you are interested in first person experiences I would recommend Gourevitch's "We Regret to inform you"...an excellent book and L General Romeo Dallaire's book "Shake Hands with the Devil"...an incredible book by an exceptional human being. There are many good books on the subject. If you are interested in Rwanda and plan to read more than one book I would suggest passing on Keane's book. I would go with Gourevitch for a similar but much more profound and humane approach.
Rating:
Summary: Personal and powerful account of the face of death
Review: At about 200 pages, I was able to read this book in one week-end. This very moving personal account of the author's experince's in Rwanda during the final phase of the 1994 genocide left me with a deep sense of the horror that overcame the people of Rwanda. I highly reccommend this book that gives one a glimpse of the fear and vicousness of Rwanda's torment.
Rating:
Summary: Deeply Touching and Moving
Review: I began developing an intense interest in the Rwandan genocide recently, after reading various feature articules and op-ed pieces in the press commemorating the 10th Anniversary of the tragedy. There were countless examinations of how the genocide came about, there were merciless condemnations on the International Community's inaction as well as numerous examinations of Rwanda 10 years after the crisis. This book is different from that in at its heart is doesn't seek to ask why, it isn't a strict cross-examination but because it is such a deeply personal account, it manages to transcend many of these editorials and truly bring home the scale and tragedy of the massacres.Fergal Keane writes with a clarity and economy and an unerring eye for detail that is undoubtedly borne of his vast experience as an award winning journalist. He is not one to mince words, nor waste them and this book is a powerful and intense account as a result. But where this book really grabs hold is the way in which Keane confronts his own personal demons and reflects on how his time in Rwanda has left him deeply scarred. It is the deeply moving way in which we see him confront, internalize and eventually deal with the tragedy and its aftermath that sets this account apart. This is a book that should be read by everyone. It is a testament to the tragedy of how hate can drive humanity to unspeakable barbarism. It will shock you, haunt you and move you immensely.
Rating:
Summary: One of the most stunning books about Rwanda!
Review: I couldn't put this book down, it was so engrossing and filled with the words only an eye-witness could write. The author's experience in Rwanda right before the genocide of more than a million people is both insightful and amazing. There is no better book on the subject! This is better than any novel horror story, this is real life; this is REALITY! The horrors that Africa has seen as a nation go beyond most American's comprehension and the Rwanda tragedy is no exception. A gripping tale emerges from the pages of this book and does not let you go. Open this book with caution - once read, the contents will refuse to leave your mind.
Rating:
Summary: He opens our eyes and touches our hearts...
Review: I find it difficult to describe what I think of this book. The idea is very clear in my mind, but once I try to put it down on paper, words cannot describe how I feel. We have all grown up in a society that is used to hear about, to see violence, even sometimes to use it. When we see images on T.V. showing killings happening everyday around the world, we are so familiarized with it, that we are de-humanized, and many times this images do not touch our hearts. As I was reading this book I was shocked by the level of brutality a human being, if deserved to be called so, can reach. Ignorant masses, shamefully, are easily controlled and manipulated by elites, reaching levels of violence, that maybe not even them could imagine. Fergal Keane has a special talent to describe in a peace of paper things going on around him. He describes things in such a way that he opens our eyes and touches our hearts. I cannot deny that a couple of times as I read this book, tears rolled down my cheeks and a feeling of impotence grew inside of me while I turned the pages and kept on reading. It is amazing how the International Institutions and some Western countries, sat down with their arms crossed and watched the genocide go on. I can not understand how they could argue about economic issues, while they were facing such an incident. The book is excellent, very easy and fast to read, and is written in a very wise way. While he centers in telling about his journey in Rwanda, the conflict is perfectly understood by the time the book is read.
Rating: 
Summary: A colorful and powerful eye witness account of genocide
Review: I write this review one week into our grief over the WTC Attack on America. Most people don't even think about Rwanda because it happened outside America, and we Americans think that things like that can't happen here. How terribly wrong we have been! It is crucially important, I think, particularly at this point, to learn about war and attrocities that other countries have had to live with on their shores, much longer than we have. I'm sure Americans have much to learn from those who have struggled daily with the violence in their midst. We have our share of crime to live with, and our "War on Drugs," which is another story entirely, but genocide is truly not far from our reality at all. We just need to open our eyes and be aware of it. Too many people think the only attempted genocide that ever happened was the Holocaust, and perhaps the Armenian genocide. There have been so many others, including the attempted genocide of the indigenous Native American. Here is a colorful and powerful eye witness account of one man's journey to tell the story of the genocide in Rwanda. The images of body parts cluttering the journey are sharp pointers to the body parts that today litter the streets of New York City. Though genocide was not the aim (or was it? was the death of all Americans really the ultimate goal here? for me, the jury is still out on that one), still, the images are similar and distressing. Read this book. Then, listen to some cheerful music and read something uplifting before trying something else as challenging.
Rating:
Summary: One of the most stunning books about Rwanda!
Review: It is truly a shame that the Western media did not provide greater coverage of the genocide and civil war that nearly destroyed Rwanda in the early 1990's. It seems that the ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia etc. completely eclipsed the African tragedy so well captured by Fergal Keane. I like to think that armed with more information, Western Powers would have intervened in order to halt the tribal savagery organized by both the Hutus and Tutsis. In reality, however, Western powers continue to see Africa as a backwards and barbarous continent, more fit for colonization than development. Keane did a remarkable job of bringing the Rwandan tragedy to light. As a renowned BBC correspondent, Keane has witnessed reprehensible tragedies, disasters, and acts of inhumane conduct that most of us will never (hopefully) ever bear witness to. And although Keane has seen the worst of mankind, in a variety of instances, it seems that what he saw in Rwanda left lasting and troubling memories. The book is relatively short, only 200 pages, but it certainly leaves its mark on the reader. The graphic descriptions are intense, but Keane's insight into not only the Rwandan situation, but into the minds of those who participated in the horror is startling as well. We certainly need more authors like Keane, who delve into the loathsomeness of man and bring forth the lessons that we all should heed.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Journalism
Review: It is truly a shame that the Western media did not provide greater coverage of the genocide and civil war that nearly destroyed Rwanda in the early 1990's. It seems that the ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia etc. completely eclipsed the African tragedy so well captured by Fergal Keane. I like to think that armed with more information, Western Powers would have intervened in order to halt the tribal savagery organized by both the Hutus and Tutsis. In reality, however, Western powers continue to see Africa as a backwards and barbarous continent, more fit for colonization than development. Keane did a remarkable job of bringing the Rwandan tragedy to light. As a renowned BBC correspondent, Keane has witnessed reprehensible tragedies, disasters, and acts of inhumane conduct that most of us will never (hopefully) ever bear witness to. And although Keane has seen the worst of mankind, in a variety of instances, it seems that what he saw in Rwanda left lasting and troubling memories. The book is relatively short, only 200 pages, but it certainly leaves its mark on the reader. The graphic descriptions are intense, but Keane's insight into not only the Rwandan situation, but into the minds of those who participated in the horror is startling as well. We certainly need more authors like Keane, who delve into the loathsomeness of man and bring forth the lessons that we all should heed.
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