Review of A Dream For Peace
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Susan Gibbs
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Review of A Dream For Peace
[Following is a volunteer review of "A Dream For Peace" by Dr. Ghoulem Berrah.]
A Dream For Peace A Memoir is His Excellency Dr. Ghoulem Berrah’s lengthy autobiography. His book recounts the highlights of his remarkable life and diplomatic career in 17 very detailed chapters. Berrah was born in Algeria in 1938, a country that had been annexed by France. Algerians were taught about France in school and the French treated the Algerians quite badly. Berrah realized that Algeria’s heritage was under attack by this colonial power. A desire to help Algeria gain its freedom grew in him. Berrah attended university in France. He became very involved in politics via student organizations during his medical studies. Eventually, he and Antoinette (who became his first wife) tried to escape via Spain but ended up in prison. They were released in Morocco. Berrah received an opportunity to go to America to study Microbiology. Eventually, he had to choose between his wish to work for worldwide peace and harmony (particularly in Africa) and his work in the sciences. He began his diplomatic career with President Houphouet-Boigny of Cote d’Ivoire. He was involved in and witnessed notable events like the Israeli-Palestian situation and the USSR’s involvement with Somalia. He also knew many of the key players in South Africa’s politics during the struggle of apartheid. Berrah had the privilege of working with many of the world’s most well-known figures.
I loved how the author referred to the love of his life, Titi, as “My Love” and I loved seeing the smiling photos of them in the book. It is impressive to see the author’s photographs of the ministers he worked with. He also includes some important documents which he collected over the years. The author’s writing style is beautiful. His tone is respectful and his passion for his mission shines through. His dedication and hard work are plain to see in the way he told his story. He never became complacent or cynical. He retained a sense of reverence and respect. I particularly loved how he described how he perceived Pope John Paul II. Berrah didn’t just superficially report on people and events, he remained aware of the uniqueness of each person. He had a sense of awe about the world-changing diplomatic work he was involved in. For him, his mission to work for peace was a calling, not merely a job.
I liked the fact that he depicted himself as a real person with real struggles. He was working for peace in the world, but he also had very real personal struggles for peace. His first marriage ended, partly due to their long separations. He was not able to marry the love of his life (Titi). He was Muslim and divorced and her parents (devout Catholics) did not accept him. He then decided to marry Saousan (a Muslim woman), but this marriage eventually ended amicably. As luck would have it, he ran into Titi again. Read the book to see what happened next. I liked how he mentioned that many of the most sacred places for all 3 major religions (Islam, Christianity, and Judaism) can be found close to each other in Israel. Perhaps our differences are not really insurmountable. At all times, Berrah advocated for respect and tolerance for all nationalities, cultures, and religions.
A slight negative about the book is that I found reading it quite heavy going. There are so many details and names. I applaud the author’s magnificent ability to recall all that he experienced in his personal life and career. Each chapter is long and there are no spaces between paragraphs. A new paragraph is only indented from the previous line. The text can appear quite intimidating and unending. Not being that familiar with many of the historical events myself, I felt a bit swamped with information.
The book seemed to be exceptionally well-edited. I did not spot a single error in any of the 644 pages. Even though the subject matter is weighty, the author’s life story is inspiring and admirable. He believed that peace should not be a dream. Despite mixing with so many influential world leaders, the author’s humble spirit is evident. I believe that his intended message that dialogue can save humanity from wars, comes through in his book. I believe that his experiences could not have been portrayed in a simpler, less detailed way. For these reasons, I believe it is a well-written, excellent recollection of his life. I rate it 5 out of 5 stars.
I recommend this book to readers who enjoy autobiographies and memoirs, and those who have an interest in history and international relations played out on the world stage.
******
A Dream For Peace
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
A Dream For Peace A Memoir is His Excellency Dr. Ghoulem Berrah’s lengthy autobiography. His book recounts the highlights of his remarkable life and diplomatic career in 17 very detailed chapters. Berrah was born in Algeria in 1938, a country that had been annexed by France. Algerians were taught about France in school and the French treated the Algerians quite badly. Berrah realized that Algeria’s heritage was under attack by this colonial power. A desire to help Algeria gain its freedom grew in him. Berrah attended university in France. He became very involved in politics via student organizations during his medical studies. Eventually, he and Antoinette (who became his first wife) tried to escape via Spain but ended up in prison. They were released in Morocco. Berrah received an opportunity to go to America to study Microbiology. Eventually, he had to choose between his wish to work for worldwide peace and harmony (particularly in Africa) and his work in the sciences. He began his diplomatic career with President Houphouet-Boigny of Cote d’Ivoire. He was involved in and witnessed notable events like the Israeli-Palestian situation and the USSR’s involvement with Somalia. He also knew many of the key players in South Africa’s politics during the struggle of apartheid. Berrah had the privilege of working with many of the world’s most well-known figures.
I loved how the author referred to the love of his life, Titi, as “My Love” and I loved seeing the smiling photos of them in the book. It is impressive to see the author’s photographs of the ministers he worked with. He also includes some important documents which he collected over the years. The author’s writing style is beautiful. His tone is respectful and his passion for his mission shines through. His dedication and hard work are plain to see in the way he told his story. He never became complacent or cynical. He retained a sense of reverence and respect. I particularly loved how he described how he perceived Pope John Paul II. Berrah didn’t just superficially report on people and events, he remained aware of the uniqueness of each person. He had a sense of awe about the world-changing diplomatic work he was involved in. For him, his mission to work for peace was a calling, not merely a job.
I liked the fact that he depicted himself as a real person with real struggles. He was working for peace in the world, but he also had very real personal struggles for peace. His first marriage ended, partly due to their long separations. He was not able to marry the love of his life (Titi). He was Muslim and divorced and her parents (devout Catholics) did not accept him. He then decided to marry Saousan (a Muslim woman), but this marriage eventually ended amicably. As luck would have it, he ran into Titi again. Read the book to see what happened next. I liked how he mentioned that many of the most sacred places for all 3 major religions (Islam, Christianity, and Judaism) can be found close to each other in Israel. Perhaps our differences are not really insurmountable. At all times, Berrah advocated for respect and tolerance for all nationalities, cultures, and religions.
A slight negative about the book is that I found reading it quite heavy going. There are so many details and names. I applaud the author’s magnificent ability to recall all that he experienced in his personal life and career. Each chapter is long and there are no spaces between paragraphs. A new paragraph is only indented from the previous line. The text can appear quite intimidating and unending. Not being that familiar with many of the historical events myself, I felt a bit swamped with information.
The book seemed to be exceptionally well-edited. I did not spot a single error in any of the 644 pages. Even though the subject matter is weighty, the author’s life story is inspiring and admirable. He believed that peace should not be a dream. Despite mixing with so many influential world leaders, the author’s humble spirit is evident. I believe that his intended message that dialogue can save humanity from wars, comes through in his book. I believe that his experiences could not have been portrayed in a simpler, less detailed way. For these reasons, I believe it is a well-written, excellent recollection of his life. I rate it 5 out of 5 stars.
I recommend this book to readers who enjoy autobiographies and memoirs, and those who have an interest in history and international relations played out on the world stage.
******
A Dream For Peace
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Wisdom by Arun mago
