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

Roméo Dallaire, the Force Commander of the UN peacekeeping mission in Rwanda, documents his first-hand account of the 1994 genocide. His memoir covers the period from his arrival in Rwanda through the hundred days of systematic killing that resulted in over 800,000 deaths. The book details the political climate leading up to the crisis, the limitations of the UN mandate, and the international community's response to the escalating violence. Dallaire recounts his daily efforts to protect civilians and prevent the spread of violence while operating with minimal resources and support. As both a military leader and witness, Dallaire provides insight into the strategic, diplomatic, and moral challenges faced by peacekeepers during one of history's darkest chapters. His personal struggles with the mission's aftermath and PTSD are woven into his chronicle of events. This memoir serves as both a historical record and an exploration of human morality in the face of evil, raising questions about international intervention and collective responsibility. The text stands as a testament to the cost of inaction and the burden carried by those who bear witness to atrocity.

Readers describe this as a raw, unflinching firsthand account that documents both the Rwandan genocide and the UN's inadequate response. Many note the emotional toll of reading Dallaire's experiences and his struggles with PTSD. Readers appreciated: - Detailed military and political context - Clear explanations of the UN's structural failures - Dallaire's honesty about his own limitations and mistakes - The balance of personal narrative with factual reporting Common criticisms: - Dense military terminology and UN procedural details - Repetitive passages about bureaucratic obstacles - Some found Dallaire's writing style dry or difficult to follow Ratings: Goodreads: 4.3/5 (19,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.7/5 (900+ ratings) Reader quote: "This book will haunt you, as it should. Dallaire doesn't spare anyone, including himself." - Goodreads reviewer Several readers mentioned needing to take breaks while reading due to the intensity of the content.

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🔹 Author Roméo Dallaire was the Force Commander of UNAMIR, the United Nations peacekeeping force in Rwanda, during the 1994 genocide. He later suffered from severe PTSD and attempted suicide four times. 🔹 The book's title comes from Dallaire's face-to-face meeting with one of the genocide's main architects, where he felt he was literally shaking hands with the devil. 🔹 Though Dallaire had only 450 peacekeepers under his command, he estimates they managed to save approximately 32,000 lives through direct protection. 🔹 The original manuscript was 850 pages long and took Dallaire five years to write, with significant help from his ghostwriter due to the traumatic nature of recounting the events. 🔹 The book won the 2003 Shaughnessy Cohen Award for Political Writing and inspired a documentary film of the same name in 2004, followed by a major motion picture in 2007.