Review of A Dream For Peace
Posted: 15 Jun 2021, 15:42
[Following is a volunteer review of "A Dream For Peace" by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah.]
The book A Dream for Peace presents the memoirs of its author Dr. Ghoulem Berrah in which he described most of his life, from childhood to the time of his withdrawal from the world of diplomacy. Although Algerian by birth, the author placed himself in the service of another African country, the Ivory Coast. Equally unusual is his determination to replace his vocation, medicine, and science, with the world of high politics and diplomacy.
Page after page, the author introduces readers to his own life. From the sands of Algeria through schooling in France, the fight against colonizers and prison, to further education in the United States and an important contribution to science. Will the young scientist, who arrived straight from the university laboratory, manage in the diplomatic service in an entirely new country?
What I really liked about A Dream for Peace is its human component. The author acquaints readers with his childhood, family, and personal life before entering the diplomatic service. Although extensive, the book is very nicely and logically organized, which makes it easy to read. What left an exceptional impression on me was the author's ability to adapt to any situation and environment. With equal skill, Dr. Ghoulem Berrah managed to be a good host and guest to leaders and delegations from capitalist, communist, and non-aligned countries. The fact that the author is a Muslim married to a Christian womаn, with many Jewish friends, educated in the Western world, enabled him to have a realistic view of the situation in the conflicts between Israelis and Palestinians. The book is full of little-known details of political life and stories behind the scenes of official events. A very nice addition to the interesting story is the abundance of quality photos and official documents. The most interesting chapter for me was the one entitled Diplomacy of Smiles, which offers readers witty anecdotes from the diplomatic service.
I have almost no objections to the book. A minor objection could concern the deprivation of readers for some important details of certain events. When the delicacy of the described events takes into account, skipping certain parts of them becomes justified. Also, the USSR and the Soviets are often referred to exclusively as Russia and the Russians, although this does not correspond to the facts.
With all of the above in mind, deciding how to rate A Dream for Peace was pretty easy. My final judgment is to rate the book with four out of four stars. The book itself is very well edited and provides readers with an abundance of information, from the perspective of a diplomat, in a period critical for the formation of society and the world as we know it today.
I think that the book will appeal to the general public, as well as to all readers who are interested in the period of decolonization of Africa, to all lovers of politics, diplomacy, and history, as well as to all readers who simply appreciate a well-written book.
******
A Dream For Peace
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
The book A Dream for Peace presents the memoirs of its author Dr. Ghoulem Berrah in which he described most of his life, from childhood to the time of his withdrawal from the world of diplomacy. Although Algerian by birth, the author placed himself in the service of another African country, the Ivory Coast. Equally unusual is his determination to replace his vocation, medicine, and science, with the world of high politics and diplomacy.
Page after page, the author introduces readers to his own life. From the sands of Algeria through schooling in France, the fight against colonizers and prison, to further education in the United States and an important contribution to science. Will the young scientist, who arrived straight from the university laboratory, manage in the diplomatic service in an entirely new country?
What I really liked about A Dream for Peace is its human component. The author acquaints readers with his childhood, family, and personal life before entering the diplomatic service. Although extensive, the book is very nicely and logically organized, which makes it easy to read. What left an exceptional impression on me was the author's ability to adapt to any situation and environment. With equal skill, Dr. Ghoulem Berrah managed to be a good host and guest to leaders and delegations from capitalist, communist, and non-aligned countries. The fact that the author is a Muslim married to a Christian womаn, with many Jewish friends, educated in the Western world, enabled him to have a realistic view of the situation in the conflicts between Israelis and Palestinians. The book is full of little-known details of political life and stories behind the scenes of official events. A very nice addition to the interesting story is the abundance of quality photos and official documents. The most interesting chapter for me was the one entitled Diplomacy of Smiles, which offers readers witty anecdotes from the diplomatic service.
I have almost no objections to the book. A minor objection could concern the deprivation of readers for some important details of certain events. When the delicacy of the described events takes into account, skipping certain parts of them becomes justified. Also, the USSR and the Soviets are often referred to exclusively as Russia and the Russians, although this does not correspond to the facts.
With all of the above in mind, deciding how to rate A Dream for Peace was pretty easy. My final judgment is to rate the book with four out of four stars. The book itself is very well edited and provides readers with an abundance of information, from the perspective of a diplomat, in a period critical for the formation of society and the world as we know it today.
I think that the book will appeal to the general public, as well as to all readers who are interested in the period of decolonization of Africa, to all lovers of politics, diplomacy, and history, as well as to all readers who simply appreciate a well-written book.
******
A Dream For Peace
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
