An Ordinary Man: An AutobiographyThe remarkable autobiography of the globally-recognized human rights champion whose heroism inspired the film Hotel Rwanda “Fascinating…your book is called An Ordinary Man, yet you took on an extraordinary feat with courage, determination, and diplomacy.” – Oprah, O, The Oprah Magazine As Rwanda was thrown into chaos during the 1994 genocide, Rusesabagina, a hotel manager, turned the luxurious Hotel Milles Collines into a refuge for more than 1,200 Tutsi and moderate Hutu refugees, while fending off their would-be killers with a combination of diplomacy and deception. In An Ordinary Man, he tells the story of his childhood, retraces his accidental path to heroism, revisits the 100 days in which he was the only thing standing between his “guests” and a hideous death, and recounts his subsequent life as a refugee and activist. |
From inside the book
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... never been there to offer the illusion of safety. Even the vaguest rumor of rescue had been fatal to those on the wrong side of the racial divide. They had clustered in one spot and made it easy for their executioners to find them. And ...
... never been there to offer the illusion of safety. Even the vaguest rumor of rescue had been fatal to those on the wrong side of the racial divide. They had clustered in one spot and made it easy for their executioners to find them. And ...
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... never forget walking out of my house the first day of the killings. There were people in the streets who I had known for seven years, neighbors of mine who had come over to our place for our regular Sunday cookouts. These people were ...
... never forget walking out of my house the first day of the killings. There were people in the streets who I had known for seven years, neighbors of mine who had come over to our place for our regular Sunday cookouts. These people were ...
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... never be as physically attractive or as capable of running the affairs of the country. It was a poisonous stream of rhetoric designed to reinforce the power of the elite. When the Hutus came to power they spoke evil words of their own ...
... never be as physically attractive or as capable of running the affairs of the country. It was a poisonous stream of rhetoric designed to reinforce the power of the elite. When the Hutus came to power they spoke evil words of their own ...
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... never once heard him raise his voice. He didn't need to. He always spoke without apology or flourish and with a calm selfpossession. If he and my mother ever fought I never knew it. On special days he would fold my hand into his and ...
... never once heard him raise his voice. He didn't need to. He always spoke without apology or flourish and with a calm selfpossession. If he and my mother ever fought I never knew it. On special days he would fold my hand into his and ...
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... never had and I know now that he was sending a little piece of himself with me that day. Perhaps it had something to do with growing up with such a large family, but I found that I could get on well with the new kids in my school. We ...
... never had and I know now that he was sending a little piece of himself with me that day. Perhaps it had something to do with growing up with such a large family, but I found that I could get on well with the new kids in my school. We ...
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Common terms and phrases
able Africa Army asked banana become beer called capital church close coming death Diplomates door drink face father feel felt finally fire force French friends front genocide give going hands happened heard hill human hundred Hutu idea inside keep Kigali killed killers kind knew known later learned leave Listen lives look machetes manager military militia Mille Collines morning murder neighbors never night once Perhaps person president protection radio rebel refugees road RTLM Rwanda seemed seen showed side soldiers started stay stop story street suppose sure taken talk tell thing thought thousand told took tried trying turn Tutsi United usually village wanted wife