An Ordinary Man

An Autobiography

By: Paul Rusesabagina, Tom Zoellner

Narrated by: Dominic Hoffman

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.

Critic reviews

Rusesabagina . . . weaves his country s history with his personal history into a rich narrative that attempts to explain the unexplainable. . . . The book s emotional power comes from his understatement and humility. (The Boston Globe)

An extraordinary cautionary tale. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Rusesabagina s story of survival amid manic slaughter is as awful as it is gripping. (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

Read this book. It will humble and inspire you. (Sunday Telegraph, London)

Extraordinary horrific and tragic, but also inspiring, because Rusesabagina refuses to give up his belief in the basic decency of humanity. (The Times, London)

Outstanding!

What made the experience of listening to An Ordinary Man the most enjoyable?

Powerful story, extremely well read (you can easily picture the reader as the author).

What did you like best about this story?

Demonstrates the impact that just one individual can have when standing against a powerful tide.

Colorful, compelling, timely.

Compelling, colorful, and beautifully told. With all the fear and loss of reason that has accompanied COVID 19, the message is as timely as ever.

A wonderful story from a wonderful man

What did you love best about An Ordinary Man?

I loved Paul's compassion despite his fear and horror as to what was happening to his beloved country, friend, family and neighbors.

Have you listened to any of Dominic Hoffman’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This was my first. I liked his performace

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes.

Inspiring and Important

This is one of the most inspiring books I have ever read. I use it last in my college Holocaust literature course. It is a favorite among students for good reason. Paul has many important lessons to share, and this book illuminates them beautifully!!

The courage of ordinary men and women

I read this for a book club selection and in this pandemic year of 2020 it seems more important than ever to learn the lessons this story teaches. Yes it is gruesome and appalling to read of the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 but it is also uplifting to hear of the courage and bravery of ordinary men and women. It tells of the pitfalls of an uncaring government, pride,group/mob mentality and bloodlust. It also tells of love and caring, tremendous courage and creativity, and the importance of listening and hearing. I highly recommend this book.