An Ordinary Man: An Autobiography

Paul Rusesabagina · Tom Zoellner

Apr 2006 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

The 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.

Ratings and reviews

An excellent perspective of the hellscape that was Rwanda during the Rwandan genocide. The book is unashamed of its description of the brutality of genocide and its effects on a man and those around him. The book touches on aspects of human nature in regards to the response of fear, manifesting itself in human lives through forms such as the fear of losing power, of losing the acknowledgement of those around them, and of losing those they cared and loved.

Rather than the book because i didn't read it but i felt the movie was very touching and provocative(?) i was horrified but also amazed at how he managed to save a few citizens amongst thpse who had otherwise died.

Breif history of Rawandan genocide but nevertheless a tale of triumph against the genocideres, Paul is a brave man and a hero in the true sense of the word.

About the author

Paul Rusesabagina has received many awards and honors, including  the National Civil Rights Museum Freedom Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Rescuer of Humanity Award and the The Lantos Human Rights Prize. He formed the Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation to provide voice to victims of genocide and support peace efforts in Rwanda and throughout the world.

Tom Zoellner is the author of eight nonfiction books, including Island on Fire: The Revolt that Ended Slavery in the British Empire, and works as a professor at Chapman University and Dartmouth College.