We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda
A Preventable Tragedy
"
Philip Gourevich's award-winning retrospective of the Rwanda Genocide in 1994 takes a rational look at the unfathomable and irrational. Gourevich spent many months in the war-ravaged country and talked with dozens of survivors. The facts aren't in dispute...over 800,000 Tutsis were hacked to death by machete-wielding Hutus...but the causes are. Among his conclusions: the "ancient animosity" between Hutus and Tutsi's is largely a creation of the West; the colonial powers Germany and Belgium inflamed ethnic divisions where they did exist; and the Church (Protestant and Catholic) remained silent as the killing continued.
There is enough blame to go around in the story: the International Relief Community, the UN, the media and the major powers. International tribunals have found fault with everyone. Gourevich takes some time exploring the whole concept of genocide:
"Nobody knows how many people were killed at Nyarubuye. Some say a thousand, and some say many more: fifteen hundred, two thousand, three thousand. Big difference. But body counts aren't the point in a genocide, a crime for which, at the time of my first visit to Rwanda, nobody on earth had ever been brought to trial, much less convicted. What distinguishes genocide from murder, and even from acts of political murder that claim as many lives, is the intent. The crime is wanting to make a people extinct.
The idea is the crime."
As a double-dose of genocide studies, I am also currently reading "Pol Pot:Anatomy of a Nightmare."

Pol Pot: Anatomy of a Nightmare

We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda
A Preventable Tragedy
"
Philip Gourevich's award-winning retrospective of the Rwanda Genocide in 1994 takes a rational look at the unfathomable and irrational. Gourevich spent many months in the war-ravaged country and talked with dozens of survivors. The facts aren't in dispute...over 800,000 Tutsis were hacked to death by machete-wielding Hutus...but the causes are. Among his conclusions: the "ancient animosity" between Hutus and Tutsi's is largely a creation of the West; the colonial powers Germany and Belgium inflamed ethnic divisions where they did exist; and the Church (Protestant and Catholic) remained silent as the killing continued.
There is enough blame to go around in the story: the International Relief Community, the UN, the media and the major powers. International tribunals have found fault with everyone. Gourevich takes some time exploring the whole concept of genocide:
"Nobody knows how many people were killed at Nyarubuye. Some say a thousand, and some say many more: fifteen hundred, two thousand, three thousand. Big difference. But body counts aren't the point in a genocide, a crime for which, at the time of my first visit to Rwanda, nobody on earth had ever been brought to trial, much less convicted. What distinguishes genocide from murder, and even from acts of political murder that claim as many lives, is the intent. The crime is wanting to make a people extinct.
The idea is the crime."

Philip Gourevitch, in We Wish to Inform You, has accomplished an incredible feat: a moral and reasoned history of an insane situation. He manages to cut through all of the misinformation that we so often hear about the Rwandan Genocide and write something truly informative.

Other reviews on Amazon have complained about his focus on the political/violent situation in the entire region, but I strongly disagree. How are we to understand the genocide without its context and without the context that it created in nearby countries? I also found myself very interested in Rwanda's (and the region's) possibilities for a decent future.

This book is also damning towards the "international community," as well as international journalism of our times. The "international community" failed to intervene in the genocide - indeed, France even armed the genocidaires - and even fed and housed the genocidaires after they fled Rwanda. And Western Journalists consistently wrote the type of stories that were no more informative than "people are killing each other." Well, in this book, Philip Gourevitch has completely negated any previous excuse about the complexity of the situation or how little information was available, because he managed to quite clearly get to the heart of the situation and explain it quite easily, but in all its complexity, to us non-experts and non-historians.

I've lived in Africa near Rwanda for several years and have studied the Rwanda genocide extensively in graduate school. There is no better book about the genocide than "We Wish to Inform You.." It's extremely sad, frustrating, and fascinating at the same time. Gourevitch tells the stories so well that this doesn't read like non-fiction. My favorite part about this work is how he goes into detail about the refugee situation after the genocide, a time not as well documented as the actual genocide. It was fascinating how the international aid machine facilitated more murders by the interahamwe. The story he unravels is engaging and suspenseful and you can't wait to turn the page to find out what nugget of knowledge he turns up next. Pitching curveball after curveball, you are bound to learn a lot about many issues surrounding the genocide by reading this book.

I purchased and read this book last year, as I have studied the subject on this one quite extensively.
This book gets off to a good start, but loses interest as the book progresses.
There is also a lack of real-life survivors and witnesses imput, which could have made it more interesting.
The book however shed light onto many of the problems and atrocities that occurred after the genocide - which I wasn't particularly savy about previously - most notablly the problems in the Congo as a result of Genocidaires fleeing and relocating there - and still not losing their blood-lust and total disrespect for life.
Still a good addition to your home library however.
Derek Meade, NSW, Australia

We now know the basic story. Hutu extremists killed Tutsis and the world ignored them. The "International Community" from President Clinton to the Red Cross ignored Rwanda and allowed it to happen.
In Gourevitch's book, he looks not only at those months but also afterwards. The struggle and continued animosity between Tutsis and Hutus led to the tangled web of involvement in the Congolese wars. Mobutu stood on one side; while Kabalia stood on the other.
The work itself is insightful and well-written. However, while he is quick to condemn the Hutu Power and the "international community" (both correct in being condemned) he does little to give similar condemnation of Paul Kagame or his compatriots who are now in charge in Rwanda.
The world stood by and ignored the genocide and all we can do now about it is say "Never Again," again.

Those who think "pece at all costs" would be well to read this. There are times when a person, a country, a WORLD, must take action. The Rwandan Genocide was one of those times.

The most sickening aspect of the tragedy of Rwanda--indeed all genocides--are that they were and are preventable.

Philip Gourevitch does a superb job of expressing his outrage over the lack of will displayed by the UN and US to the mass murder of the tutis by the Hutus'.

I highly recommend this book. This book should be required reading in high schools throughout the country. It is a real eye opener.

It's not easy to help other people, let alone other countries. Gourevitch's book shows us how the international "community" managed to misstep over and over again in Rwanda, making an already tragic situation even worse, first through its inaction and then through its misguided charity. What makes Gourevitch's thoroughly researched account of this tragedy so compelling is the way it focuses the reader's attention on the circumstances that made this evil possible. This writer not only looks unflinchingly at the ugliest aspects of humanity, but he persists in peeling back the layers of human stories piled on stories, searching for the truth. As he points out early in the book, "...power consists in your ability to make others inhabit your story of their reality..." and in the case of such terrible human suffering, perhaps healing can come from the courageous effort to insist that this story be the most true account that we can discover.

I read this good book, here in Brazil.This book is about the genocide, in Rwanda.Blacks exterminates other blacks, in massive numbers; hundreds of thusands.No religion- animism, christianism or muslin- did something with force to end this genocide.In all times, Africa is terrible.

This book deserves 5 stars- why? Read other full length reviews. I must say that you will get some strong stomach ache from reading it because the subject matter is very brutal.

This book describes the horrendous events of the 1994 Rwanda massacre. Philip Gourevitch, a New York reporter, traveled to Rwanda a year later to research the genocide. He gives a brief history of what happened. He explains how the Hutus had expressed hating the Tutsis for years but nothing was done. They even told the Tutsis that they would be killed. Many Western countries knew about this, but due to an isolationistic perspective, did not think it was any of their business to intervene.
Gourevitch does not just describe the horror, but also provides the reader with real stories of what happened. Some of these stories put a shiver in my spine. For example, one part of the book takes place in a hospital.
"It was Dr. Gerard (Hutu head of the hospital) who announced it: Saturday, the sixteenth, at nine o'clock in the morning, you will be attacked. You must be eliminated. God no longer wants you."(p.28) In the morning Gerard was seen driving towards the hospital with army men.
"We tried to defend ourselves with sticks and stones, the shooting started and people were falling down and dying."(p.29)
You will have to read the book to get the full story, but it would be worth buying, so you can know more about the horrors of genocide. Also, it will help you understand how countries let this happen. Despite the lessons of this book, the Darfur genocide still occurred.

Gourevitch told a story that must be told to the world. I only wish that he had told it as history-in consequential form. The story hopscotches from Biblical times to 1999 in apparently random order.

My prep for going to Rwanda was reading this book. This is a snapshot of the state Rwanda was in during the 100 days and the aftermath. However, much has been done to repair the damage. This is a time of reconciliation and healing. Go to Rwanda and see for yourself. It will change your life.

What a great book. Such insight and it really helps you understand what happened in Rwanda. Especially the history of all the long ago violence and things that have happened over the years. Great book and a must read for everyone.



This could happen everywhere or anywhere in the world. Can really open your eyes into how much we all could be killers or saviors at any one time.



Highly recommended.

What a great book. Such insight and it really helps you understand what happened in Rwanda. Especially the history of all the long ago violence and things that have happened over the years. Great book and a must read for everyone.

This could happen everywhere or anywhere in the world. Can really open your eyes into how much we all could be killers or saviors at any one time.

Highly recommended.

Gourevitch's jarring telling of the atrocities of hate hit with an imact of severe sorrow. The overwhelming scale of the murders in Rwanda are incomprehensible. It is sad to realize that in this age people allow hate and propoganda to rule their lives.

This book was very well written and informative about the genocide that occurred in Rwanda.

This is a superb book, a collection of interviews and incidents from the genocide in Rwanda. There are portraits of unimaginable betrayal, brutality and horror, but also of heroism--the owner of the Hotel Rwanda, for instance. The description of the conduct of the "refugee" camps is particularly useful as a warning on what is likely to happen in the next crisis, and should force us to re-examine our ways of providing relief for people in distress across the world.

This is a superb book, a collection of interviews and incidents from the genocide in Rwanda. There are portraits of unimaginable betrayal, brutality and horror, but also of heroism--the owner of the Hotel Rwanda, for instance. The description of the conduct of the "refugee" camps is particularly useful as a warning on what is likely to happen in the next crisis, and should force us to re-examine our ways of providing relief for people in distress across the world.

Unlike many other Western journalists, Gourevitch is very self-critical of his own attitudes. It seems that after writing this book, he has not even come to terms with what he learned. He readily admits the absurdity of the the Western countries, the UN, and the citizens of Rwanda.

I appreciate the history of Rwanda, the Hutus, and the Tutsis that Gourevitch gives. Between lessons on history and governance, Gourevitch tells the stories of common folk that he met after the genocide as well as extensive interviews with Paul Kagame. A good part of the book actually discusses the post-genocide crisis that developed when the Hutus fled the country.

Unlike many other Western journalists, Gourevitch is very self-critical of his own attitudes. It seems that after writing this book, he has not even come to terms with what he learned. He readily admits the absurdity of the the Western countries, the UN, and the citizens of Rwanda.

I appreciate the history of Rwanda, the Hutus, and the Tutsis that Gourevitch gives. Between lessons on history and governance, Gourevitch tells the stories of common folk that he met after the genocide as well as extensive interviews with Paul Kagame. A good part of the book actually discusses the post-genocide crisis that developed when the Hutus fled the country.

As I write, the world just commemorated the tenth anniversary of the Rwandan genocide. In the span of about 100 days in 1994, more than 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered by extremist Hutu genocidaires, most of whom were average, everyday people and most of them armed with little more than clubs and machetes. Keep in mind that Rwanda was only a country of 7.5 million people, so ten percent of their population was murdered. "The dead of Rwanda accumulated at nearly three times the rate of Jewish dead during the Holocaust. It was the most efficient mass killing since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki" (p. 3). Gourevitch, a staff writer for the New Yorker magazine, spent the better part of three years on the ground in Rwanda (1995-1998) to research this history. The book has earned a wide readership as one of the best on the subject and has won numerous critical awards.

As I write, the world just commemorated the tenth anniversary of the Rwandan genocide. In the span of about 100 days in 1994, more than 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered by extremist Hutu genocidaires, most of whom were average, everyday people and most of them armed with little more than clubs and machetes. Keep in mind that Rwanda was only a country of 7.5 million people, so ten percent of their population was murdered. "The dead of Rwanda accumulated at nearly three times the rate of Jewish dead during the Holocaust. It was the most efficient mass killing since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki" (p. 3). Gourevitch, a staff writer for the New Yorker magazine, spent the better part of three years on the ground in Rwanda (1995-1998) to research this history. The book has earned a wide readership as one of the best on the subject and has won numerous critical awards.

Perhaps the most remarkable element of Phillip Gourevitch's incredible book is the lack of outrage he brings to the telling of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. There is blame assigned, and the author never hides his disgust when discussing the cowardice of western governments, especially France and the United States, and the UN's inability to make significant decisions to protect lives.

But Gourevitch's book is not a case study in the author's outrage. His willingness to let his interview subjects tell their stories first hand, and his own spare observations during these conversations, are perhaps the best example of non-fiction storytelling I've ever read.

In one especially remarkable passage, he sits for a meal with two foreign aid workers who were present at the closing of Kibeho, a Rwandan refugee camp for internally displaced people, mostly Hutus who fled the country following the genocide and were in the process of repatriation. Kibeho was closed by the Rwandan military, and Gourevitch presents the incident as emblematic of the messy, confusing, and dangerous aftermath of the genocide.

Gourevitch recounts their conversation with few of his own interjections, and their recollections of what they had to do to try to help the refugees, like walking over bodies ("I feel very bad about that. It was very unreal and very insane, this decision to walk on dead people. I don't know what was right or wrong, or if I feel guilty, but I feel bad. It was necessary. It was the only way to get through," says Alexandre, a Greek aid worker) brings a human face to a tale that would otherwise collapse under the weight of the numbers of people involved.

And this is the magic of We Wish To Inform You.... Gourevitch has carefully researched Rwanda's history and provides canny insights into the long-term and short-term forces that exploded in 100 days of slaughter in 1994, but the human stories--of ordinary Rwandans, foreign aid workers, UN military personnel, and even the transcripts of US state department press officers denying any obligation to prevent genocide--make this a story about people. For good or ill, it's a tale about all of us.

This is one of the most compelling, interesting, and educational books I have ever read! It is a lesson in humanity, tribalism (or ethnic groups if you prefer to call it that) and the tension, chaos, and ethnic competition between them, as well as a look into modern geo-political ideas.
Having spent much time in Central and EastAfrica, married there, and having a cousin in-law who was an early missionary in East Africa, I found the book a "must read" for a look into understanding the outside influences of colonialism, and also tribalism that has explained ethnic violence for hundreds of years. It looks at the world of brutality, horror, and barbarous deaths and how the rest of the world approached these. For years we have listened to friends from many different backgrounds in Africa tell us "It is tribal, and you don't understand that". With our trip to Rwanda and Zaire right before the genocide, we got a much better understanding of how tribalism drives most facets of African life.
I was in Rwanda and (still at that time)Zaire just a week or so before the brunt of the genocide took place. We spent much of our time there listening to the locals talk of going to fight for the Tutsi's or the Hutu's, as the genocide had already started in the outlying countryside. It was divided right down tribal lines! The only form of news was a static filled radio report calling for WAR, and working the locals into a frenzy! The fact that whole towns, like Bukavu, on the border of Zaire and Rwanda, had no infrastructure whatsoever, seemed to be secondary to tribal conflicts. We cannot conceive living in a city where the schools have been shut down and windows broken out; where the post office is no longer in service, and has weeds head high growing in front of the door; where stores are all boarded up, they live on dirt floors,sometimes with little or no roof over their heads, and basic living essentials are not available. Where you buy shoes from a roadside blanket, and none of them are a matching pair; where food is very hard to come by and feeding your family is sometimes just a wish. Disease without medical care and famine are always a dark cloud. These things together might be enough for all of us to start a war, but all of it was normal for them, and they were only concerned with the line drawn in the sand between the two ethnic groups. To get out of the country, we passed through many checkpoints with young teenagers pionting AK47's at us, and talking of bodies on the roads, and what they could do in this fight, listening to the interhamwe militia groups.
With this type of background, past colonialization and how it affected different ethic backgrounds, and the ensuing conflict of the UN and peacekeeping sanctions and their lack of willingness to send troops and supplies, it is much easier although heartwrenching to understand how an atrocitiy like this could take place in our world today. In reading this book, we would hope that there would be better understanding, and the hope of never seeing another holocaust or genocide.

Excellent book - telling a shocking but real story of genocide on an unbelievable scale.

I was disappointed by the tone of the first chapter.
It was a graphic description of rotting bodies that had been raped and murdered over a year ago and never buried.

It seemed to be more to feed morbid curosity then as a way to show the tragical of life lost in meaningless violence.

I just personally felt that the tone of the beginning of the book almost glamorized or excusing what had been done. It was described more as if it had been a job to the murderers rather then brutal mass murdering.

Dismemberment is neither a necessary nor effective way to kill someone; it is a horribly tortue way to be killed. If these killers were trained to do this killing as a goal to exteminate a group of people, then why were they not able to reduce the difficulty and physical effort required in killing in such a brutal and physically demanding way.

His view of human natural didn't leave one having any hope for humanity.

Since I didn't read more then the firt chapter, I don't know if the author just choose an extremely morbid way to start his story.

I recently watched the film Hotel Rwanda (twice), which is what drew me to wanting to find out more and try to understand why - based on that film, this book was a disappointment.

This book will change your worldview. Gourevitch makes you realize how much we marginalize Africa, and how we refuse to recognize unpleasant realities to avoid the responsibility for dealing with them. While his account includes a lot of horrible examples of inhumanity, there are also some splendidly inspiring examples of humanity, which make you believe that change is possible, and even ultimately inevitable.

A lot of books I've read down through the years, even books I have enjoyed, I have forgotten almost as soon as I finished them.
This book not only have I not forgotten, but I continue to be affected by it. It is part of the reason I've "adopted" an African girl and have an awakened interest in Sudan, etc. and try and keep a soft heart for these people.

Rwanda I remember unfolding as a horrible tale at the time, but the numbers were so staggering and the tales of genocide so horrible that not only were they difficult to comprehend they were even difficult to believe. It is one reason why I've never fully bought into the idea that all the Germans were "ten miles from Dachau"- that is to say they knew what was going on. They may have, and undoubtedly some could of done more, but like Rwanda it is almost psychologically impossible to make yourself believe that humans are capable of these kind of atrocities.

And in Rwanda it all happened so fast. A few radio spots, a few speechs, and suddenly a terror campaign developed where 800,000 men, women and children were killed, mostly hacked to death by machete. Former teachers, former students, next door neigbors, even clergy could be perpetrator or victim. Like Nazi Germany, the tales of heroism are all the more poignant for their scarcity, and all the more to be marveled at. Those familiar with the movie Hotel Rwanda have some glimpses into the Schindler-like cleverness that rescued some of the Tutsi people from the Hutu attackers.

The book mostly blames the perpetrators, as it clearly should, but it also highlights by merciless observation the ineffectual and even criminal postion of the UN at that time. False hope is worse than no hope, and those counting on rescue that never came were worse off than those who took it upon themselves to become refugees- although the refugee camps were a grim escape route as the book points out in several chapters.

Well written, well told. It is not a pleasant subject, but something about the closeness of it- the intimacy between the participants, makes genocide a word saturated with sad but vivid meaning, and the mask is ripped off to reveal once again that we live in a fallen world. Almost a must read for our century, in my opinion.

This is one of the most amazing books i've read. A must read for anyone who enjoys reading about current affairs. Author makes you feel as if you were with him on his journey. I highly reccomend it.

First of all, if you've watched "Hotel Rwanda" and thinks that the movie was based on this book, well, it was not. While "Hotel Rwanda" is a great, beautiful and emotional movie, featuring top actors (Don Cheadle is fantastic) and directing, it is only a tiny part, an almost isolated event of what happened in Rwanda in 1994. Sure, Paul Rusesabagina is featured in this book, but in only four or five paragraphs, at most. Watch the movie, but read this book too.

Philip Gourevitch's book begins as a series of isolated tales of people that have survived (or were the makers of) the genocide war in Rwanda in the middle of the 90s. By choosing to begin the book with these tales, Gourevitch makes the reader get an image of the horror of being first a tootsie, then a hutu. Graphic ideas of the massacre, the feeling of impotence, saddistic actions, sentiments of neighboorhood and friendship forsaken for an ideal that never really should have existed.

After the reader is completely terrorized (and even sickened), asking what could have brought a nation to this state of affairs, Gourevitch presents us with a condensed but perfectly clear history of the region - Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Uganda and Zaire - what happened during colonization, how traumatic was the process of independence from the european countries and what kind of legacy was left behind after their departure.

In the end, Gourevitch shows an account of the region after the genocide wars, and leaves us with a sentence that I found most interesting: if this conflict had happened in the northern hemisphere, it would have been called another World War.

Philip Gourevitch writes in an unusual way, not like a standard war-correspondent; having spent almost an entire year in Rwanda (and doing research and interviews in the US), he not only relates to the african country and its people, but he is also able to convey their emotions to the reader. "We wish to inform you..." is not an esterile reading; it is, in fact, bloody, dirty. And mandatory.

Gourevitch's book detailing the causes, events, and aftermath of the 1994 Rwanda genocide is a must-read for any serious student of African history, contemporary affairs, or cultural issues. His ability to convey not only the historic aspects of the genocide but also the human ones as well is worth note. By using personal stories, interviews, and hard data, Gourevitch has created a work that will stand the test of time. I was most pleased by the way that he tied the history of Rwanda's ethnic struggles with the past 12 years.

I am a high school world history teacher and this is first recommendation that I give to my students of intellectual and emotional maturity. It will change the way you perceive African affairs and our own human nature.

for anyone who is eager (or desperate) to learn about the actualities of the rwandan genocide, this is the book to read. gourevitch, who was one of a sorry few allowed into rwanda to see the brutal and inhumane horror that, sadly and ironically, only we humans appear able to inflict on ourselves. he was 'there', talking and sharing with those involved and scarred by the autrocity and wholly understands what occurred. this is mmediately apparent in his telling of the rwandans bloody tale.

more importantly, it is how gourevitch tells the awful events that shows just how well this book is written. his exploration into the bloody mess that was rwanda during and immediately after the genocide is remarkable. few could take the horror he witnessed and, without losing its tragedy and gut-churning awfulness, relay it to readers so smoothly.

and, moreover, it is his deep understanding, explanation and discussion of why this bloody episode of modern african history occurred that make 'we wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families: stories of rwanda' more than a great read but a must read. i would even endeavour to say that this book should be included in modern history class/courses so that more of us can learn not only why such events like this happen and who did the killing but why it was allowed to go ahead and how bloody (read: guilty) the hands of the UN and its 'members' (particularly the us and belgium) in playing a significant role in the outcome. it is a shining lesson into the real workings of the world and the value that some place on the lives of others.

i have been reading about, researching and travelling to rwanda for several years and, in that time, i have found few books that not only do i constantly refer to but continue to thumb through for further insight and understanding even today. gourevitch's effort in producing a lasting and englightening work should not go unrewarded. or forgotten -- much like rwanda and its problems appear to be in the international realm.

for further reading and a different yet engaging perspective, i suggest rom?o dallaire's [...] despite its heavy military tone and detail, dallaire's, the canadian general in charge (and sadly left almost solely responsible for the genocide by some) account provides a solid background to the steps made before the murders began and a clear detailing of the many mistakes made by those international agencies and agents that only provided fuel for the inferno. his lament for world turning a blind eye on the suffering rwandan people, personal anguish following the events and regular journies back to continue helping the people he was not allowed to during the genocide are testaments to his devoution to their cause. another wonderful explanation of the rwandan genocide of 1994.

This book provides a thoughtful, in-depth look at a horrendous human tragedy that was essentially ignored as it unfolded and sadly remains overlooked and misunderstood to this day. Gourevitch's courage, passion, and determination to chronicle the events surrounding and fueling the Rwandan genocide is absolutely remarkable. He faces the most difficult of tasks: to explain the inexplicable...to describe the indescribable...and perhaps most importantly, to make us think about the unthinkable. He admirably accomplishes all of these tasks with great insight and understanding. He takes us on an amazing, humbling, and often disturbing journey through the killing fields of Africa. He skillfully explores the destructive impact of political and economic greed and general hedonism on the human condition. I believe most readers will come away from this compelling account with a novel perception of themselves and their place in the world around them.

On April 6 1994, President Habyarimana of Rwanda's plane was shot and all on board were killed. Starting from that night, for the three months, the Hutu military and interahamwe militia groups killed around 80,000 Tutsis and Hutu (moderates) in a process that would be known later by the world as the "Rwandan Genocide".

"We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families: stories from Rwanda" by Philip Gourevitch tells the story of the Rwandan Genocide from of the perspectives o history, politics, economics and personal accounts of people who witnessed the genocide and its aftermath.

The book is divided into two parts. The first part mainly deals with the survivor stories relating the events of the genocide period and authors account of the political and social construction of Rwandan society. Or in other words, the first part is a micro description whereas the second part gives a big picture of the massacre.

The country is predominantly Hutu but have a sizeable minority of Tutsi population as well, who historically are thought to have come from Ethiopia and during the colonial era were promoted as the "superior race" as per the Hamitic myth. Then the implementation of national identity cards to permanently mark the ethnicity as either Hutu or Tutsi further divided the country forever on ethnic lines.

Mainly through the stories of Odette Nyiramilimo, a doctor who had several members of her family killed, and Paul Rusesabagina (a Hutu by ethnicity), a hotel manager (refer to movie Hotel Rwanda) who protected 1,000 or more Tutsis from harm. The book begins with the story of how pastor Elizaphan Ntakirutimana, the clergyman who received the famous letter that gave the title of this book, but who chose to ignore the pleas.

The second part goes on to give details about the post genocide period when the Rwandese Patriotic Front took over. The details of horrific deaths continues in the refugee camps in the borders and some of the international war tribunal cases. The main interviewee is Major General Paul Kagame, who became the vice president and minister of Defense Minister (he is current president of Rwanda). He tries to make sense of what happened during and the post genocide period and said that "People are not inherently bad. But they can be made bad. And they can be taught to be good." The book haunts the readers by challenging questions of reconciliation between the victims and the victimizers. How can the Tutsis just forgive the Hutus?

After going through all the contextual details of what could lead ordinary people to take on machetes and kill other ordinary people, the author comes up with a combined set of explanations. In page 180, Gourevitch tries to make a sense of the genocide and democide. The author argues that nothing really explains that what could motivate hundreds of thousands of people to murder nearly a million of their neighbors in the course of a few weeks. However if you take all possible factors, like "pre colonial inequalities, hierarchical administration, the Hamitic myth, the Hutu revolution of 1959, the economic collapse of late 1980's, [President] Habyariamana's refusal to accept the Tutsi refugees back, the multi party confusion, the RPF attack, the propaganda, the practice massacres, the importation of arms, the extreme poverty, ignorance, the indifference of the outside world (page 180)" then you would have an "excellent recipe for genocide."

A truly insightful look into one of the worst tragedies of our times.

This book presented some of the facts and the reasoning that led up to transpired during and even now as the country is coming to grips with the legacy of western imperialism/colonialism. How many of the so called caring and liberal minded nations actually stood by and watched like old mates at a football match at the entire incident. It does mention specifically how the so labeled Democratic Party with all of its bluster and concern with regard to downtrodden minorities stood by and not only failed to lift a single finger to assist, but to add insult to injury set roadblocks in the deployment of others to step in and send aid to the country. While this book is not perfect, it does tell much more than the media then and even now with regard to the events that occured during that April. Perfectly normal people murdering thier nieghbors, family members and friends is not uncommon and in some places it is led to be perfectly acceptable. If you want to learn more about what is going wrong with the worlds second largest continent, then you need to read this book.

Philip Gourevitch's book is an incredible look at the worst genocide after the Holocaust. The book is not so much about the killings, but the personal stories of survivors, killers, RPF leaders, politicans who implemented the genocide, and aid workers. The book is a great analysis of how people could murder 1 million of their friends, neighbors, and co-workers in 100 days while the world turned away. If you've ever wanted to study the Rwandan genocide in depth, you must read this book.

Before I read "We wish to inform you..." I had only a vague notion of the events in Rwanda: mass-slaughter, Hutus and Tutsis, a river full of bodies. After reading it, I feel I know not only what happened but also why and even, to some extent, how. How a majority population (the Hutus) could kill 800,000 of their neighbors (Tutsi), not with bombs and missiles, but up close, with machetes and guns.

Gourevitch tells the tale from every available perspective: historical, political, economic, and personal. He repeats key points when necessary but never hammers away needlessly. His journalistic restraint is impressive, given the scope of the horrors he is relating. It's as if he knows that, after all of the meticulously researched and presented background, it is the small details, the personal stories and anecdotes of the survivors, that will really stick with you. He's right, it's the woman in the yellow dress swallowed up by the crowd, the pile of bones in a churchyard, the split bodies in hospital beds and similar scenes that prove indelible.

Using every tool available to him as a journalist, Gourevitch thoroughly debunks a conventional wisdom on the conflict that is not only wrong but also patronizing, hypocritical, and dangerous. The pernicious myth that these are little more than primitive tribes that just can't help tearing each other apart is crap. Gourevitch knows it and anyone who reads this book will know it too.

I encountered this book when searching to find out more about the "Hotel Rwanda" movie. I decided to read this before watching that movie and am glad that I did. This book gives a glimpse of what happened and the history behind how it came to pass. Interestingly enough, I found the book to be more factual than political giving the reader the opportunity to make sense of the international response and subsequent treatment of the refugees. As with most book reviews, I am skeptical of reviewers that provide their own political commentary about what is right and wrong so I won't voice mine here. Regardless of where blame lies you can't go away form this book without feeling terrible yet amazed that this could take place in modern times. As for "Hotel Rwanda", I eventually saw it and think it is a great movie. Reading this book helped give a good background into the conflict. For those who have seen the movie, Paul Rusesabagina is mentioned briefly in the book and is a true hero. My point is, the movie is only one of many stories that came from this horrific event.

It is Western propaganda! You will find the truth at allthingspass.com; especially the piece, "Hotel Rwanda..." .

As Philip Gourevitch writes in We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families, the Rwandan civil war was a very big deal-in Africa. Gourevitch's journalistic skills are excellent as he writes about his experiences and encounters while in Africa just after the war. However, he does tend to focus mainly on persuading the reader to find his beliefs most important. I believe the purpose of this book is to inform the American people of the tragedy that has hit Africa within the last decade. Even though Gourevitch's portrayal of Rwanda at the time is accurate and informative, the lack of index or glossary made it difficult to follow completely with the numerous acronyms and organizations of people. In the beginning, Gourevitch writes mainly to persuade the reader to believe the war was hideous while also making it clear that other countries, the United States included, did nothing to help or even acknowledge the fact that it was a genocide when 800,000 people died.

The second part of this book is better than the first. Although interesting, the first part seems detached and meandering -a nice set of interviews - but for the most part they seem to be after the fact interviews. The second part becomes more unified and emotional. It is concerned more with the here and now - of how Rwanda is `coping' with the genocide - indeed, if it can ever hope to do so. Sometimes I feel the author is painting a `rosy' picture of Rwandan president Paul Kagame. Nevertheless he does score points in detailing how the international communities have been insensitive to Rwanda- particularly in terms of the refugees (or fugitives from justice) in camps that were receiving humanitarian aid from several UN organizations. Gourevitch also points out the hypocrisy of the UN providing aid, but it's unwillingness to risk lives (like to prevent a genocide of close to 1 million people). The book reminds me of the points brought out by Daniel Goldhagen (Hitler's Willing Executioner's) - a genocide has many participants and they can be eager participants who believe in the righteousness of their cause. Also a genocide is organized - machetes were ordered, lists were made, groups assembled. These points are well brought out in the book of Gourevitch. For a more immediate `feeling' of the genocide read Romeo Dallaire heart-wrenching `Shake Hands with the Devil'. Dallaire and Paul Rusesabagina, represented in the movie Hotel Rwanda, are interviewed in this book of Philip Gourevitch.

I have read a ton on Holocaust and even after that it is hard to believe the atrocities of the Nazi regime. The only silver lining is that the world has recognized the harm (though not in proper time) and some of the people have been punished. But for Rwanda it is amazing that we do not even consider it to be genocide (just a million people hacked to death) and nobody has been punished. Do we still have to shout or announce that skin color matters? By the way, Hutus and Tutsis are both black so race never played too much role in the killing apparently but as you read the book you will find human heritage did play a role in the genocide.

Let us talk about the book - this is just brilliant - by all means one of the most non judgmental descriptions of genocide I have come across. It has the facts but does not deluge you with figures. It brings the whole political scenario in Rwanda in one canvas. I will call that this is the "one hundred years of solitude" for non-fiction books. Absolute classic. One of the great achievements is not going into the gory description of the actual killings (like we find in the writings of Elei Weisel and other Jewish authors who survived the camp). Have no confusion about the fact that genocide in Rwanda was far worse than that in Sarajevo and may be Auschwitz. This was more brutal than anything we have seen in 20th century. Especially when you consider the perspective - one fine morning your neighbor comes to your house with a machete and kills all members of your family - how will you react? Probably with disgust but amazingly UN did not believe that this was genocide.
It is strange to see how the western countries behave (France and Belgium in this case) when ever their interest is involved. Belgium of course cause the mess of Zaire by killing Lumumba and here it is all western neighbors playing their fine role (Clinton also cannot be spared). The whole of 20th century and UN should be tried for this tremendous loss of life.

Alas, the good portion of the book is that you see an even handed picture - which brings out the darkness of the African society and also how the western countries play with that. I wish we use this book as a text book in our schools so our kids will know about our callousness and lack of responsibility.

Sometimes the book is little difficult to digest since a genocide is not exactly a Walt Disney movie. I have seen a riot (Hindu Muslim riot) and understand the psychology of masses. It is easy to turn masses into animals or killing machines - fear can be instilled systematically and human characters can be changed using propaganda. It has happened again and again. The best way to stop genocide it before it happens and not after it has occurred. When will the UN learn?

This is an increadibly good book for anyone interested in genocide, human rights abuses and Rwanda. It makes you wonder about your own humanity and how come nobody did anything to stop the killing of more than 800 000 Tutsis.

The author does a great job of telling this horrific tale with all the humanity that could be mustered. It is not only a very good read, but a very important story about humankind. It should be required reading at some point in everyone's life.

One of the most engaging books I've ever read, I was repulsed by many of the accounts but felt compelled to keep on reading. To me this book is not a rubber-necking excercise but a caution and a blueprint to avoid inhumanity.

I teach high school and search for ways to engage my students. I had taught a unit on witness poems using Carolyn Forche's anthology and the poems that seemed to strike my students' hearts centered around the Shoah. They had not realized however that there were other genocides, other atrocities and 1994 was not that long ago. This book allowed me to share with them the moral and immoral from Rwanda. Many went on to watch Hotel Rwanda, but many more went on to care in a way that spoke volumes about global awareness. I always tell them that they hold so much in their hands. Philip Gourevitch's book is a roadmap through a modern Dante's inferno and there is no easy moralistic map. Rather than ignite apathy, this book awakens the spirit, steels the soul and lights a path to civic and global activism. Read and join Amnesty International. Read and discover your voice.

Back in 1994, I remember hearing about problems in some far away African country; killings, refugees, camps. I just didn't pay too close attention to what was happening, so embroiled in the drama of my own life. As it is with most stories, things come and go, and soon, the little country of Rwanda, where so much horror and travesty happened, became a distant memory. It is precisely this reason why books like "We Wish to Inform You..." and movies like "Hotel Rwanda" need to be read and seen, so that the horrors are brought to light and understood by people like me.

"We Wish to Inform You..." is an amazing book by Philip Gourevitch, who details the genocide in Rwanda, the history leading up to it, and the aftermath of the bloodbath. Gourevitch's strategy is to tell a fairly complex story through the eyes of its survivors, which makes for some very compelling reading. Dr. Odette Nyiramilimo, Paul Rusesabagina, and others, tell what they saw, heard, and survived with during these terrible times. Their first hand accounts bring an immediacy and a deeply personal impact to the book.

By interviews with other important Rwandas, generals and members of the clergy, Gourvevitch attempts to uncover and discover the sournce of blame for the atrocities. From visiting a church that honors those killed, to visiting the camps that held many Hutu fugtives, Gourevitch's book is complete and intense. He manages, without overstatement or aggrandizement, to bring the horror of the genocide alive.

A million Rwandan's turned on each other and committed massive crimes on each other and humanity, while the world watched. Teachers killed students in their classrooms, while the US Government debated the definition of the word "genocide". Priests trapped thousands of congregants in their churches and had them slaughtered, while the UN debated what to do. Hundreds of thousands of bodies were dumped into rivers, while the world did nothing. This book brings to light not only the travesty of Rwanda, but also, the travesty of the world's indifference.

Gourevitch's "We Wish to Inform You" is a remarkable portrayal of some of the worst months ever experienced in the history of the world. For one who is familiar with what happened in Rwanda between April 6, 1994 and July of that same year, the previous assessment is not an overtstatement.

Having read this book from an American perspective, the thing that hit me the hardest was not necessarily the mass murder and suffering, as terrible as it was. The most striking aspect of Gourevitch's portrayal is the complete ambivalence of the United States and the rest of the World... most notably the United Nations. For me though, it was mindboggling to witness the complete breakdown of a system that was designed to protect against incidents like the genocide in Rwanda.

As for the book itself... I particulalry enjoyed how the author told the story of the Rwandan genocide from the perspective of those who lived it. He introduces the readers to individuals whose lives will be deeply affected by the killings for decades to come. Th reader is introduced to numerous victims and poltical leaders whose stories are both heart breaking and triumphant at the same time. Instead of pontificating, Gourevitch lets the characters in the book explain what happened and why it happened. Gourevitch seemingly approached this project like the journalist that he is. He is not an academic nor is he a pundit. He allows those who were profoundly affected to tell the story and then explain how they have been affected.

In my humble opinion, this book is one of the most important books written in the last decade. More importantly and more accurately, the story the book tells is one of the most important stories of this generation.

For Westerners, this book warns of the intensely repugnant consequences of timidity and ambivalence in the face of tyranny and hate.