I am grateful to NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book describes the efforts to bring Chad's former dictator, Hissène Habré, to justice for brutal crimes against his own people in the 1980s. Ousted from Chad following a coup in 1990, Habré took up residence in Senegal, where he lived comfortably for many years with political protection and seemingly safe from international calls to bring him to justice.

The book is written from the perspective of the American lawyer who, to a large extent, built the case against Habre. While not the leader of the legal team formed to bring Habré to justice, the author is one of the individual key in the process that took over his life, for many years. His is perhaps a coordination role, involving many nationalities, groups and individuals. Victims, supporters, families, legal professionals and politicians to mention some of those involved. The book highlights the difficulties of bringing a foreign leader to justice in another country's courts, especially when the country's government has links to the dictator or is corrupt. The book covers the efforts of the international team, the obstacles they faced, and the years of delays before Habré was finally brought to trial.

The trial took place in Senegal, and was characterised by a stop-and-start nature, with delays, setbacks, and confusion on both sides. Both the defence and prosecution experienced difficulties in presenting their cases. Witness testimony was a significant aspect of the trial, with details, verification, substance, and presentation being key factors in assessing the veracity of the charges against Habré. While the majority of the witness testimony was compelling, unsurprisingly there were some inconsistencies and issues with credibility, given the many years delay in bringing Habré to trial. The nuances of the trial are well presented by the author, included the demeanour of judges, lawyers, and supporters of both sides, as well as the laws in effect for the trial and the defence strategy. Overall, the trial was a complex and challenging process, with numerous obstacles and uncertainties that required careful consideration and attention from all involved.

The judgment eventually awarded millions to the victims, victim groups, and surviving relatives, but compensation and reparations have yet to be provided. The lack of closure for the victims and their supporters is a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle for justice and accountability in cases of human rights abuses. It is understandable to question whether the resources devoted to bringing Habré to justice could have been better utilised directly helping his victims and their families.

It is important to consider the potential bias of the author, as the book is written from the perspective of a lawyer with a particular agenda. A person who describes some recent American Presidents as “War Criminals” and the members of the British House of Lords as “old white men educated at Oxford or Cambridge”. The author does not hide his biases and indeed seems proud of his views. Despite this, the book presents a compelling case and highlights the challenges and complexities of seeking justice for crimes committed by a brutal dictator. The delayed justice and lack of compensation for victims may indeed be seen as a diminished form of justice, and it is uncertain whether it will serve as a deterrence to other dictators in the future.

I think anyone with an interest in Africa, International Law and Human Rights will find this a fascinating. A detailed, well researched and documented human, moral and legal saga. I wish the author and publishers all the very best with this important book; It deserves a wide readership.

To Catch a Dictator describes the long, drawn-out process to try Chadian dictator Hissene Habre for war crimes. The book does well in explaining the intricacies and frustrations of "threading the needle" in terms of trying a human rights case while working through jurisdictional issues and other issues related to rule of law and justice. It also highlights the stories of some of the more interesting victims, following their stories pretty much from the beginning, and juxtaposing their experiences with Habre's own experience as uncaring despot causing direct harm to them. The choice to make the book part-memoir and part-thriller resulted in an uneven read. Frankly, the memoir sections were not very interesting or well fleshed out, and oftentimes questions that arose because of the personal narrative distracted from the case narrative. It also produced a rather biased view both on human rights and international law that did not consider why a more nuanced perspective might have resulted in more success with the case, or if another path was considered. The memoir sections only grazed the surface of the tumultuous times of the author's life. To be fair, the author may not have been interested in discussing private matters, but I do fault the editor for not considering those potential plot holes and choosing to steer the book in its hybrid direction. Ultimately, I would have preferred the novel perspective of Jacqueline, the main lawyer on the case, or that of one of the victims instead. The book is persuasive in showing the courage of the victims and humanizes their side of the Habre story, even if ultimately not being convincing in explaining away some of the questions surrounding Brody's story.

Hisse ne Habre was known as the butcher of Chad. He ran the country like a dictator or a king even to heaven dungeons where they practice medieval torture. He was guilty of rape, murder, burning down whole villages and all for his own nasty greed. The best part is he thought he would get away with it! Thankfully read Brody and many others decided he wasn’t going to. Although he gave every effort to get away with it Mr. Brody has the kind of tenacity and ethical backbone that gave him what he needed to make sure he did not! This book is much more than the summary I gave above yes it is a brief outline but in no way touches the whole story. Read Brody tells it all and still comes out looking humble I have a Lotta respect for Mr. Brody and his desire to read the world of those who hurt others. I was given this book by Ned Galley and I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any errors as I am blind and dictate my review but all opinions are definitely my own.