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

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Vertin, Zach, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

International relations.

History.

Peace.

Politics and government.

South Sudan--History--21st century.

South Sudan--Politics and government--21st century.

Sudan--History--Civil War, 1983-2005--Peace.

United States--Foreign relations--South Sudan.

South Sudan--Foreign relations--United States.

South Sudan.

United States.

Sudan.

Physical Description:

xxv, 497 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (chiefly color), maps (some color) ; 24 cm

Edition:

First Pegasus Books edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Pegasus Books, 2019.

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 Rivalsmeets 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 Skyis 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.

Contents:

Part 1 The Making of South Sudan

1 Boomtown p. 17

2 A Damp Hell p. 33

3 War, Peace, and the Americans p. 45

4 "Saving" Darfur p. 64

5 The Accidental President p. 75

6 Rebel with a PhD p. 98

7 It Isn't Yet p. 111

8 A Turbulent Union p. 121

9 A Very Greedy Boy p. 141

10 Drinking the Milk p. 165

11 A Messy Divorce p. 188

12 Inception p. 206

Part II The Unmaking

13 The Nuclear Option p. 225

14 Waldorf Astoria p. 240

15 Rocking the Boat p. 259

16 War p. 283

17 Alarm p. 307

Part III Picking Up the Pieces

18 Tipping Point p. 327

19 Business as Usual p. 339

20 From the Bush to the Palace p. 363

21 Houses Divided p. 388

22 Love Lost p. 410

23 Koang's Dilemma p. 425.

Notes:

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

ISBN:

9781643130514

164313051X

OCLC:

1079365464