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Quick answer: If you read Do Not Disturb by Michela Wrong, try It's Our Turn to Eat, In the Footsteps of Mr Kurtz, We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families, Shake Hands with the Devil, A Thousand Hills and The Looting Machine. They deal with power, secrets and violence in central and east Africa.
Michela Wrong's 2021 book investigates the killing of Patrick Karegeya, a former Rwandan intelligence chief, and the regime of President Paul Kagame. It reads like a political thriller and a work of deep reporting. Readers who finish it want more about Rwanda and the Great Lakes region, or similar investigative nonfiction about power. These 15 books cover those themes. Several describe genocide and violence. (Note: the keyword also matches other novels with this title; this list follows the Wrong book.)
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Ages | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| It's Our Turn to Eat | Michela Wrong | Adult | more by the same author |
| In the Footsteps of Mr Kurtz | Michela Wrong | Adult | readers who want more of her work |
| We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families | Philip Gourevitch | Adult | readers who want a core text |
| Shake Hands with the Devil | Roméo Dallaire | Adult | readers who want a first-person account |
| Leave None to Tell the Story | Alison Des Forges | Adult | serious researchers |
| A Thousand Hills | Stephen Kinzer | Adult | readers who want to compare views |
| Left to Tell | Immaculée Ilibagiza | Adult | readers who want a survivor's voice |
| Machete Season | Jean Hatzfeld | Adult | readers who can handle hard material |
| Season of Blood | Fergal Keane | Adult | readers who want eyewitness reporting |
| King Leopold's Ghost | Adam Hochschild | Adult | readers who like history |
| Blood River | Tim Butcher | Adult | travel and history readers |
| The Shadow of the Sun | Ryszard Kapuściński | Adult | readers who like literary reportage |
| A Problem from Hell | Samantha Power | Adult | readers who want policy and history |
| The Fate of Africa | Martin Meredith | Adult | readers who want context |
| The Looting Machine | Tom Burgis | Adult | readers who like investigative nonfiction |
1. It's Our Turn to Eat by Michela Wrong
Wrong tells the story of John Githongo, a Kenyan anti-corruption official who became a whistleblower. A gripping book about corruption.
Best for: more by the same author.
2. In the Footsteps of Mr Kurtz by Michela Wrong
Wrong examines Mobutu's rule in Zaire and its collapse. Wry, vivid and well researched.
Best for: readers who want more of her work.
3. We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families by Philip Gourevitch
The classic account of the Rwandan genocide and its aftermath. Moving and carefully reported.
Best for: readers who want a core text.
4. Shake Hands with the Devil by Roméo Dallaire
The UN commander in Rwanda tells how the world failed to act in 1994. Heartbreaking and honest.
Best for: readers who want a first-person account.
5. Leave None to Tell the Story by Alison Des Forges
A very detailed human rights report on the genocide. Long and scholarly, and essential for serious readers.
Best for: serious researchers.
6. A Thousand Hills by Stephen Kinzer
Kinzer tells the story of Paul Kagame and the rebuilding of Rwanda. A more positive take, which Wrong challenges.
Best for: readers who want to compare views.
7. Left to Tell by Immaculée Ilibagiza
Ilibagiza hid in a small bathroom for 91 days during the genocide. A personal story of survival and faith.
Best for: readers who want a survivor's voice.
8. Machete Season by Jean Hatzfeld
The author interviews Hutu killers about what they did and why. Disturbing and important.
Best for: readers who can handle hard material.
9. Season of Blood by Fergal Keane
A journalist's account of Rwanda in 1994. Short, vivid and personal.
Best for: readers who want eyewitness reporting.
10. King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild
The story of Belgian rule in the Congo and the campaign against it. A classic of narrative history.
Best for: readers who like history.
11. Blood River by Tim Butcher
Butcher retraces Stanley's journey down the Congo River. Adventurous and revealing.
Best for: travel and history readers.
12. The Shadow of the Sun by Ryszard Kapuściński
Essays and memories from decades of reporting in Africa. Poetic and unforgettable.
Best for: readers who like literary reportage.
13. A Problem from Hell by Samantha Power
America's response to genocide, from Armenia to Rwanda. Pulitzer Prize winner.
Best for: readers who want policy and history.
14. The Fate of Africa by Martin Meredith
A wide history of African states since independence. Long, clear and readable.
Best for: readers who want context.
15. The Looting Machine by Tom Burgis
How oil, gold and minerals feed elites and wars in Africa. Angry and well reported.
Best for: readers who like investigative nonfiction.
How to Choose
If you want more Michela Wrong, begin with It's Our Turn to Eat. For Rwanda, start with Gourevitch or Dallaire. For the Congo, read King Leopold's Ghost or Blood River. For wider history and politics, choose The Fate of Africa and A Problem from Hell. These books describe mass killing and torture. Take breaks, and read at a pace that suits you.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Do Not Disturb about?
It examines the 2013 killing of Patrick Karegeya in South Africa and the history of the Rwandan Patriotic Front.
Is it controversial?
Yes. The Rwandan government rejects its claims, and the book has been debated widely.
Is it a good first book on Rwanda?
It is better as a second book. Start with Gourevitch or Dallaire for the genocide itself.
Is there a novel with the same title?
Yes, several books share the title, so check the author before buying.