Preface Summary

In the preface Power describes a young nine-year old Sarajevan who was killed in a bombing by Serb nationalists. Power was a journalist in Bosnia during this time and witnessed the Serbs' takeover of Sarajevo. When she returned to the United States, Power was unable to forget what she had seen there. She began to examine other twentieth century genocides and how the United States reacted to them. Although people have often argued that the United States didn't know what was happening in countries where genocide was occurring, Power suggests that US policymakers did know in all instances and chose not to intervene in effective ways.

In her book, Power suggests several things. First, she suggests that Americans have often chosen to believe in rational actors and trusted in diplomacy which has made the United States slow to recognize and act when genocide...