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
Results 1-5 of 36
Page
... seemed normal and sane to me. I did what I believed to be the ordinary things that an ordinary man would do. I said no to outrageous actions the way I thought that anybody would, and it still mystifies me that so many others could say ...
... seemed normal and sane to me. I did what I believed to be the ordinary things that an ordinary man would do. I said no to outrageous actions the way I thought that anybody would, and it still mystifies me that so many others could say ...
Page
... seemed an awesome distance, like looking into another country. The hill was laced, as ours was, with houses made out of mud and stucco and baked red tiles, dots of cattle grazing, the groves of avocado plants, and the paddlewide leaves ...
... seemed an awesome distance, like looking into another country. The hill was laced, as ours was, with houses made out of mud and stucco and baked red tiles, dots of cattle grazing, the groves of avocado plants, and the paddlewide leaves ...
Page
... seemed like a towering height. I used to climb in on my hands and knees. To the side of the door was a flat stone used for sharpening machetes. There was a shallow depression in the middle where rainwater would collect. After a storm I ...
... seemed like a towering height. I used to climb in on my hands and knees. To the side of the door was a flat stone used for sharpening machetes. There was a shallow depression in the middle where rainwater would collect. After a storm I ...
Page
... seemed impossibly tall and strong. I could not comprehend that I could one day be his age, or that he was once mine. I assumed he had always been old. I never once heard him raise his voice. He didn't need to. He always spoke without ...
... seemed impossibly tall and strong. I could not comprehend that I could one day be his age, or that he was once mine. I assumed he had always been old. I never once heard him raise his voice. He didn't need to. He always spoke without ...
Page
... seemed to know some of them, but not all. There must have been a dozen strangers in our courtyard. They were frightened and apologetic. “Don't worry, you're safe here,” I heard my father say. “Relax and have a drink.” There was one ...
... seemed to know some of them, but not all. There must have been a dozen strangers in our courtyard. They were frightened and apologetic. “Don't worry, you're safe here,” I heard my father say. “Relax and have a drink.” There was one ...
Other editions - View all
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