Customer Reviews

Season of Blood: A Rwandan Journey

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The Rwandan massacres seemed to barely make the news cycle in the United States, and while our government shamefully refused to take any action to prevent the massacres, many international news organizations placed reporters in jeopardy to uncover the events of that harrowing month. Feargal Keane's book is a very personal and immediate account of what happened in his time reporting on the attempted genocide. While I do agree with other reviewers that his account does not attempt to place the regional tensions into a broader context (like Gourevitch's excellent "We regret to inform you..."), it does more to involve the reader in the stinging reality of what was happening at the very moment of the crisis. His fear is palpable, and as he drives up to each roadblock, his writing conveys the uncertainly of that situation, of the drunk soldiers, of those in the bush trying to avoid them, etc. It is this immediacy that makes the book so valuable in my mind, that it puts you so close to the nightmare as it was happening makes this an unforgettable and immensely distressing read. It is these kinds of images, written or drawn, that might move our leaders to act.

It is truly a shame that the Western media did not provide greater coverage of the genocide and civil war that nearly destroyed Rwanda in the early 1990's. It seems that the ethnic cleansing in Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia etc. completely eclipsed the African tragedy so well captured by Fergal Keane. I like to think that armed with more information, Western Powers would have intervened in order to halt the tribal savagery organized by both the Hutus and Tutsis. In reality, however, Western powers continue to see Africa as a backwards and barbarous continent, more fit for colonization than development.

Keane did a remarkable job of bringing the Rwandan tragedy to light. As a renowned BBC correspondent, Keane has witnessed reprehensible tragedies, disasters, and acts of inhumane conduct that most of us will never (hopefully) ever bear witness to. And although Keane has seen the worst of mankind, in a variety of instances, it seems that what he saw in Rwanda left lasting and troubling memories.

The book is relatively short, only 200 pages, but it certainly leaves its mark on the reader. The graphic descriptions are intense, but Keane's insight into not only the Rwandan situation, but into the minds of those who participated in the horror is startling as well. We certainly need more authors like Keane, who delve into the loathsomeness of man and bring forth the lessons that we all should heed.

This harrowing account of about two weeks of the 100 days of Rwandan genocide during 1994 is aptly entitled "Season Of Blood." Fergal Keane, correspondent for BBC, records some of the murderous atrocities the Hutu's perpetuated on the Tutsi's. His description of the freshly discovered scene of carnage at Nyarubuye Church as well as the events that led to it is as searing a testament to evil in its malicious state as any on paper. His heart wrenching discussion with Brother's Otto and Henri of St. Paul's about their "catch 22" decision to knowingly leave orphans in harm's way in order to save Otto's life embodies the seeming helplessness of many before such a murderous wave. Keane provides historical context for the genocide and presents his take on the hideous nature of this crime against humanity--"damaged souls"--and thereby avoids an artificial analysis of its causes. Political, tribal or economic evaluations aid in our understanding of the undercurrents of this catastrophe, yet do not do justice to its root cause. Evil has reasons that reason does not know. The twentieth century has witnessed the best and worst of human nature. Fergal Keane has documented an aspect of ourselves that defies simple assessments or critiques comfortably made at an arms distance. In uncovering Rwandan evil he reveals the nature of our heart and our need of redemption.

As one of the earlier books written on the tragic subject of the genocide Keane's book might seem acceptable. His depiction of the suffering and death is powerful and forceful and leaves little to the imagination. The book, in my opinion, is well-intentioned but ends up being narcissistic. It seems to be more about the author's story of himself. I found certain passages and comments to be indicative of white privilage, ethnocentrism, demeaning and condescending. As far as understanding the genocide I would suggest other books, especially Human Rights Watch's "Leave None to tell the Story". If you are interested in first person experiences I would recommend Gourevitch's "We Regret to inform you"...an excellent book and L General Romeo Dallaire's book "Shake Hands with the Devil"...an incredible book by an exceptional human being. There are many good books on the subject. If you are interested in Rwanda and plan to read more than one book I would suggest passing on Keane's book. I would go with Gourevitch for a similar but much more profound and humane approach.

At about 200 pages, I was able to read this book in one week-end. This very moving personal account of the author's experince's in Rwanda during the final phase of the 1994 genocide left me with a deep sense of the horror that overcame the people of Rwanda. I highly reccommend this book that gives one a glimpse of the fear and vicousness of Rwanda's torment.

Rwananda is so far away from New York. I never paid any attention while the violence was taking place. I should have. We all should have. I have never read such a powerful book before. In just a few short pages the horror of what happened is described in ways you will never forget. The scene at the church was one of the saddest things i have ever read. This book is a must read on what is happening in Africa. The book shows how the European Scramble for Africa of the 19th century and the meaningless borders the imperialists created still effect the continent today.

I find it difficult to describe what I think of this book. The idea is very clear in my mind, but once I try to put it down on paper, words cannot describe how I feel. We have all grown up in a society that is used to hear about, to see violence, even sometimes to use it. When we see images on T.V. showing killings happening everyday around the world, we are so familiarized with it, that we are de-humanized, and many times this images do not touch our hearts.

As I was reading this book I was shocked by the level of brutality a human being, if deserved to be called so, can reach. Ignorant masses, shamefully, are easily controlled and manipulated by elites, reaching levels of violence, that maybe not even them could imagine.

Fergal Keane has a special talent to describe in a peace of paper things going on around him. He describes things in such a way that he opens our eyes and touches our hearts. I cannot deny that a couple of times as I read this book, tears rolled down my cheeks and a feeling of impotence grew inside of me while I turned the pages and kept on reading. It is amazing how the International Institutions and some Western countries, sat down with their arms crossed and watched the genocide go on. I can not understand how they could argue about economic issues, while they were facing such an incident.

The book is excellent, very easy and fast to read, and is written in a very wise way. While he centers in telling about his journey in Rwanda, the conflict is perfectly understood by the time the book is read.

This is a book for the uninitiated. Poignant scenes that can make even the most hardhearted breakdown are well painted here in short easy to read narrative. The fear, disgust, smells, sounds are all real. I felt the book was too superficial to be of much use to the serious scolar looking for a reason. The historical references were superficial and in places erroneous.

Characters the author tried to build were fleeting and left one begging for more. Unfortunatly the author displays a fundamental distance from Africa and Africans that while I suspect not intentional, could be seen as an arrogance that is at times ugly.

The author has composed a great book. Definitely worth a read if you're interested in the Rwanda genocide or the modern history of Rwanda or Central Africa.

Fergal Keane, reporter for the BBC, brings to life the unbelievable tragedy of genocide in Rwanda in 1994. Keane's travel through Rwanda's violence and desperation is interspersed with and the personal stories of witness from survivors. I will not forget the images painted, especially the one of the hacked decaying bodies Keane and his colleagues encounter at a church where it appears the murdered were trying to take refuge and it seems even God has abandoned Rwanda. The violence continues in the refugee camps and those that survive the killings face cholera and hardship. Keane and his colleagues eventually get to leave the decimation behind and I thought about the chaos the Rwandans were left with. More than just writing about the horror that erupted, Keane offers a brief historical trail of racial prejudice mixed with myth, colonialism, class warfare, injustice, politics, and violence on both sides leading up to the planned, deliberate genocide. He bids us to remember as we read the book "in one hundred days up to one million people were hacked, shot, strangled, clubbed, and hacked to death. Remember, carve this into your consciousness: one million." You may think it is about a place far away and alien, but we all part of the same human family that birthed this horror. Keane's story is relentless and illustrates evil and how it can be seeded and blossom in ordinary people. I am sure there are books that can place what happened in Rwanda into a wider more detailed political, historical and social perspective, but that is not the goal of this short book. Keane asks us to remember the Rwandan tragedy because it is a reflection of the soul of mankind. Along with the violence that erupted in Rwanda that so much of the rest of the world could stand by and do nothing says something about our humanity.