Do Not Disturb

The Story of a Political Murder and an African Regime Gone Bad

De: Michela Wrong

Narrado por: Michela Wrong

A powerful investigation into a grisly political murder and the authoritarian regime behind it: Do Not Disturb upends the narrative that Rwanda sold the world after one of the deadliest genocides of the 20th century.

We think we know the story of Africa’s Great Lakes region. Following the Rwandan genocide, an idealistic group of young rebels overthrew the brutal regime in Kigali, ushering in an era of peace and stability that made Rwanda the donor darling of the West, winning comparisons with Switzerland and Singapore. But the truth was considerably more sinister.

Vividly sourcing her story with direct testimony from key participants, Wrong uses the story of the murder of Patrick Karegeya, once Rwanda’s head of external intelligence and a quicksilver operator of supple charm, to paint the portrait of a modern African dictatorship created in the chilling likeness of Paul Kagame, the president who sanctioned his former friend’s assassination.

©2021 Michela Wrong (P)2021 PublicAffairs

Great read

Enjoyed listening and learning about the Rwandan story and it’s intrigue.Highly recommend reading this book

The author sounds drunk

Incredibly compelling story and subject matter, but the author's slurred speech makes listening a real chore. I wish there was an option to select another narrator.

A great African narrative

A great informative read into the hushed political truths of African society. A carefully researched word of art, very revealing and simplified. Well done Michela.

An eye-opening book on Rwanda, badly narrated

A Crucial but Challenging Read

This is a difficult book to rate. I’m giving it 4 stars—not because it was an easy or flawless read, but because it feels like a necessary one.

Do Not Disturb is a deeply researched and courageous account of Rwanda’s recent history, particularly focusing on what happened after the 1994 genocide and the rise of Paul Kagame’s regime. Michaela Wrong takes real risks in telling this story, and her determination to challenge dominant narratives is commendable.

It also reads as a personal reckoning—an attempt to correct earlier reporting shaped by propaganda or incomplete truths. That honesty alone makes it worth reading.

That said, I struggled with the book's structure. It often assumes readers have detailed background knowledge, and the narrative sometimes jumps between timelines and topics in ways that can be confusing. I listened to the audiobook, which was unfortunately hindered by the author’s flat delivery—it added to the sense of distance rather than drawing me in.

Still, if you want to understand Rwanda beyond the headlines, this book is essential. It might not be a smooth read, but it's a powerful and sobering one.

Profound and important

A deeply researched and felt book on Rwanda that all journalists and policy makers need to read. Truly magisterial.

Revealing and Riveting

Great insight into the Rwandan 'success' story and the politics of the great lakes region.

Quite brave yet shocking revelation

I'm quite impressed but not surprised by how well researched and detailed this book is. Michaela doesn't disappoint. Never does. This book really jolted me with the eye-opening chronicles of African politics. God help us!

Must read

A true eye opener basically wow - a bit confusing at first and it jumps around in the timeline but once you’re in there and know the characters you can’t stop listening - one of the best non fiction books I’ve ever heard and it totally changes your mind about African politics and how it’s described in western media

Astonishingly Good

This book is marvelous. It provides a sweeping overview but also goes deep into the psyches of the men and women who comprise the regime. Yet the book never feels tedious and the author does a great job narrating. Truly excellent!

Gripping and committed read

The wealth of detail--political, historical, human--does not overbalance a galloping narrative. I learned a lot, and not only about Rwanda. Highly recommended.