To Catch a Dictator: The Pursuit and Trial of Hissène Habré

by Reed Brody Narrated by Reed Brody

Overview

What does it take to make a dictator answer for his crimes? Hissène Habré, the former despot of Chad, terrorized, tortured, and killed on a horrific scale over eight years in power-while enjoying full American and Western support. After Habré's overthrow, his victims and their supporters were determined to see him held responsible for his atrocities. Their quest for justice would be long, tense, and unnerving, but they would not back down.



To Catch a Dictator is an insider's account of the hunt for Habré and his momentous trial. The human rights lawyer Reed Brody recounts how he and an international team of investigators, legal experts, and victims worked across three continents to unearth evidence and witnesses, petition courts and skeptical governments, and rally public opinion. They faced many obstacles and constant threats. Habré fought back bitterly, drawing on secret bank accounts and extensive political connections to preserve his life of luxurious exile. Yet Brody and his allies ultimately triumphed: Habré became the first former head of state to be convicted of crimes against humanity in the courts of another country. This fast-paced, suspenseful book shows that there is nothing inevitable about the impunity that too often protects the powerful and that even the worst tyrants can be brought to justice.

Editorial Reviews

Foreign Affairs - Nicolas van de Walle

[To Catch a Dictator] makes for great reading. . . . An engrossing blow-by-blow account [that provides] fascinating insights.

African Yearbook - Mia Swart

Catchy, easy to read and inspiring...Brody is a natural storyteller.

The Washington Post - Steve Levingston

An absorbing saga that raises a disturbing question: How do brutal fascists like Habre and other murderous heads of state evade a courtroom reckoning for so long after falling from power?

Craig Etcheson

To Catch a Dictator reads like a gripping espionage thriller, except the whole thing is about true-life crime on an international scale. This definitive account of the origins and conduct of the Hissène Habré trial abounds with dictators, spies, assassinations, and political intrigue.

Amy Goodman

Reed Brody’s remarkable book, To Catch a Dictator, is part political thriller, part memoir, part handbook for human rights attorneys and activists the world over. Brody describes the atrocities committed by Hissène Habré, who brutally ruled Chad from 1982 to 1990 with U.S. government support, and with profound humanity writes of the victims of Habré’s torture, who courageously persevered in their decades-long fight for justice. This compelling book serves as a guiding light to those who would pursue justice and human rights in these times that appear increasingly dark.

Aminata Touré

A riveting account of how a band of unrelenting victims and their allies were able to turn the tables on a brutal tyrant who thought he had gotten away with his crimes. I saw the story play out in real time as Senegal organized one of the most important trials in African history, and it was every bit as extraordinary as it appears on the page. Reed Brody’s engrossing book will restore your hope in the possibility of justice.

Philippe Sands

From one of the world’s great fighters for justice, a most powerful tale of true crime that is at once gripping, forensic, and deeply human.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940159413390
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	01/30/2024
Edition description:	Unabridged

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