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A rope from the sky : the making and unmaking of the world's newest state / Zach Vertin.

By: Material type: TextTextCopyright date: ©2019Publisher: New York : Pegasus Books, 2019Edition: First Pegasus books editionDescription: xxv, 497 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (chiefly color), maps (some color) ; 24 cmContent type:
  • text
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9781643130514
  • 164313051X
Subject(s):
Contents:
Part I: The making of South Sudan. Boomtown ; A damp hell ; War, peace, and the Americans ; "Saving" Darfur ; The accidental president ; Rebel with a PhD ; It isn't yet ; A turbulent union ; A very greedy boy ; Drinking the milk ; A messy divorce ; Inception -- Part II: The unmaking. The nuclear option ; Waldorf Astoria ; Rocking the boat ; War ; Alarm -- Part III. Picking up the pieces. Tipping point ; Business as usual ; From the bush to the palace ; Houses divided ; Love lost ; Koang's dilemma -- Epilogue.
Summary: The birth of South Sudan was celebrated the world round--a triumph for global justice and the end of one of the world's most devastating wars. The Republic's historic independence was acclaimed not only by its long-oppressed people, but by three U.S. presidents and the legions of Americans who championed their cause. But the celebration would not last; South Sudan's freedom-fighters soon plunged their new nation back into chaos, shattering the promise of liberation and exposing the hubris of their American backers. Drawing on extraordinary personal stories of identity, liberation, and survival, A Rope from the Sky tells an epic story of paradise won and then lost. Zach Vertin's firsthand accounts from deadly war zones to the halls of Washington power bring readers on an extraordinary journey into the rise and fall of the world?s newest state. South Sudan's untold story is a unique episode in global history--an unprecedented experiment in international state-building, and a cautionary tale. Where Team of Rivals meets The Last King of Scotland, this gripping narrative follows an unlikely cast of liberators as they crusade from the bush to the palace and back. Long darlings of the West, South Sudan's guerillas were backed by an unprecedented coalition of Democrats and Republicans, ideologues and activists, evangelical Christians and Hollywood celebrities. This zealous alliance helped deliver an oppressed people from tyranny, only to watch in horror as their chosen heroes then turned their guns on each other. A Rope from the Sky is propelled by characters both inspired and ordinary their aspirations are matched by insecurities, their sins by courage and kindness. It is first a story of hope, power, greed, compassion, and conscience-shocking violence from the world's most neglected patch of territory. But it is also a story about the best and worst of America both our big-hearted ideals and our difficult reckoning with the limits of American power amid a world in disarray. From moonlit battlefields and glitzy hotel ballrooms to the emerald green marshes of the Nile, A Rope from the Sky is brilliant and breathtaking, a modern-day Greek tragedy that will challenge our perspectives on global politics.
Holdings
Item type Home library Collection Call number Materials specified Status Date due Barcode Item holds
Adult Book Adult Book Main Library NonFiction 962.9 V567 Available 33111009133949
Total holds: 0

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

The untold story of America's attempt to forge a nation from scratch, from euphoric birth to heart-wrenching collapse.

South Sudan's independence was celebrated around the world--a triumph for global justice and an end to one of the world's most devastating wars. But the party would not last long: South Sudan's freedom fighters soon plunged their new nation into chaos, shattering the promise of liberation and exposing the hubris of their foreign backers.

Chronicling extraordinary stories of hope, identity, and survival, A Rope from the Sky journeys inside an epic tale of paradise won and then lost. This character-driven narrative is first a story of power, promise, greed, compassion, violence, and redemption from the world's most neglected patch of territory. But it is also a story about the best and worst of America--both its big-hearted ideals and its difficult reckoning with the limits of American power amid a changing global landscape.

Zach's Vertin's firsthand acounts, from deadly war zones to the halls of Washington power, brings readers inside this remarkable episode--an unprecedented experiment in state-building and a cautionary tale. It is brilliant and breathtaking, a moder-day Greek tragedy that will challenge our perspectives on global politics.

Map on lining papers.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 461-486) and index.

Part I: The making of South Sudan. Boomtown ; A damp hell ; War, peace, and the Americans ; "Saving" Darfur ; The accidental president ; Rebel with a PhD ; It isn't yet ; A turbulent union ; A very greedy boy ; Drinking the milk ; A messy divorce ; Inception -- Part II: The unmaking. The nuclear option ; Waldorf Astoria ; Rocking the boat ; War ; Alarm -- Part III. Picking up the pieces. Tipping point ; Business as usual ; From the bush to the palace ; Houses divided ; Love lost ; Koang's dilemma -- Epilogue.

The birth of South Sudan was celebrated the world round--a triumph for global justice and the end of one of the world's most devastating wars. The Republic's historic independence was acclaimed not only by its long-oppressed people, but by three U.S. presidents and the legions of Americans who championed their cause. But the celebration would not last; South Sudan's freedom-fighters soon plunged their new nation back into chaos, shattering the promise of liberation and exposing the hubris of their American backers. Drawing on extraordinary personal stories of identity, liberation, and survival, A Rope from the Sky tells an epic story of paradise won and then lost. Zach Vertin's firsthand accounts from deadly war zones to the halls of Washington power bring readers on an extraordinary journey into the rise and fall of the world?s newest state. South Sudan's untold story is a unique episode in global history--an unprecedented experiment in international state-building, and a cautionary tale. Where Team of Rivals meets The Last King of Scotland, this gripping narrative follows an unlikely cast of liberators as they crusade from the bush to the palace and back. Long darlings of the West, South Sudan's guerillas were backed by an unprecedented coalition of Democrats and Republicans, ideologues and activists, evangelical Christians and Hollywood celebrities. This zealous alliance helped deliver an oppressed people from tyranny, only to watch in horror as their chosen heroes then turned their guns on each other. A Rope from the Sky is propelled by characters both inspired and ordinary their aspirations are matched by insecurities, their sins by courage and kindness. It is first a story of hope, power, greed, compassion, and conscience-shocking violence from the world's most neglected patch of territory. But it is also a story about the best and worst of America both our big-hearted ideals and our difficult reckoning with the limits of American power amid a world in disarray. From moonlit battlefields and glitzy hotel ballrooms to the emerald green marshes of the Nile, A Rope from the Sky is brilliant and breathtaking, a modern-day Greek tragedy that will challenge our perspectives on global politics.

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