Bringing Down Gaddafi: On the Ground with the Libyan Rebels

In February 2011, Andrei Netto, a reporter for O Estado de Sao Paulo , one of Brazil's main newspapers, traveled without permission into a region of Libya controlled by the regime, aiming to cover the first armed revolution of the Arab Spring. One of the first foreigners to reveal to the world the extent of the uprisings, he spoke to hundreds of Libyans, including many of the students, shopkeepers, doctors, teachers, and intellectuals who armed themselves with rifles, grenades, and anti-aircraft guns to attack the armored vehicles of an illegitimate regime responsible for 42 years of torture, murder, and terrorism. This is their story. A unique and memorable account of a revolutionary war, Bringing Down Gaddafi provides previously unpublished information about the Libyan conflict, including the circumstances of Gaddafi's death, behind the scenes diplomacy at the UN Security Council, and the supply of weapons to the Libyan rebels from abroad. Andrei Netto's testimony alerts the world to the atrocities committed by both sides in the conflict ended with Muammar Gaddafi's summary execution on the outskirts of his home city. Netto provides a powerful journalistic narrative with the spirit of a road movie and the elements of suspense worthy of a thriller."

About the Author :
Andrei Netto is a Paris correspondent for O Estado de S. Paulo, one of the leading Brazilian newspapers. He has reported on major events including the Arab Spring from about 40 different countries. He was previously a reporter for the Brazilian economic bestselling newspaper Gazeta Mecantil. He lives in Paris.

Review :
"Andrei Netto's telling of the fall of Gaddafi is a brisk page-turner conveyed like you haven't heard before: from the ground. This important book offers a minute-by-minute accounting by a journalist brave enough to risk his life to narrate this critical story." --Frances Robles, "The New York Times" "A gripping account of the Libyan Revolution by a journalist who lived it to the hilt." --Jon Lee Anderson, "The New Yorker" "Andrei Netto, who courageously followed on the ground the convoluted phases of the Libyan uprising, gives here a vivid, personal account of the events that led to the rise and fall of one of the most colorful, and dreaded, figures of modern African history. The reader emerges from the final page with a sharp understanding of a revolution whose full outcome remains still to be seen." --Marc Thibodeau, "La Presse" (Montreal) "Andrei Netto deserves a Pulitzer for his stubbornness to preserve a comprehensive and humanist approach even in the most desperate situations." -- Paulo Paranagua, "Le Monde" "Andrei Netto's account captures brilliantly the atmosphere in Libya during the last moments of Muammar Gaddafi's brutal dictatorship. His book has the best of both: good writing and rigorous reporting." --Deborah Berlinck, European correspondent, "O Globo" "Andrei's amazing adventure in Libya explains why humans behave like monsters or heroes, sometimes at the same time, and why we must continue to tell their story time and time again. A moving report about an exciting and equally terrifying moment in Libya's history." --Alvaro de Cozar Palma, "El Pais," Spain