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

Author: Roméo Dallaire

Foreword: Samantha Power

When Roméo Dallaire was called on to serve as force commander of the United Nations (UN) Assistance Mission for Rwanda, he believed that his assignment was to help two warring parties achieve the peace they both wanted. Instead, he was exposed to a chaotic display of civil war and genocide, observing in just 100 days the killings of more than 800,000 Rwandans. With only a few troops and his own ingenuity and courage to direct his efforts, Dallaire rescued thousands, but his call for more support from the world body fell on deaf ears. In Shake Hands with the Devil, General Dallaire recreates the awful history the world community chose to ignore. He also chronicles his own progression from confident Cold Warrior, to devastated UN commander, and, finally, to retired general struggling painfully and publicly to overcome post-traumatic stress disorder.

Paperback

592 Pages