The euphoric birth of South Sudan was celebrated around the world – a triumph for global justice and a sign that one of the world’s most devastating wars was finally over. But the party would not last; the Republic’s freedom-fighters soon plunged their new nation back into chaos, shattering the promise of liberation and exposing the hubris of their Western backers. An epic tale of paradise won and lost, A Rope from the Sky is an extraordinary journey into the rise and fall of the world’s newest state. Weaving together narratives local and global, this is a story of hope, power, greed, compassion, and conscience-shocking violence from the world’s most neglected patch of territory. But it is also the story of an audacious attempt to forge a state from scratch, an intervention that reflects both the best of the West and its uncomfortable reckoning with the limits of Western power amid a world in disarray. The author’s first-hand accounts, from deadly war zones to Washington’s halls of power, bring readers inside this unique episode in global history – an unprecedented experiment and a cautionary tale. From moonlit battlefields and glitzy hotel ballrooms to the emerald marshes of the Nile, South Sudan’s story is a richly painted canvas. Present before, during, and after independence, the author has taken tea with everyone: guerrilla fighters and corrupt ministers, teenage cattle rustlers and shadowy intelligence agents. Coupling his years on the ground with a role in the Obama administration, Zach Vertin is uniquely positioned to give the insider account of this modern-day Greek tragedy.

"Zach Vertin had a front row seat... With a journalist’s verve he takes us through the cast of characters – and forces – which put this country together and then tragically combined to dismantle it. This is a tale of leaders’ illusions and of a terrible violence consequently unleashed. And it’s a story that has not been properly told till now." -- Lord (Mark) Malloch-Brown KCMG PC, former United Nations Deputy Secretary-General
"The still-unfolding tragedy of South Sudan is too little understood and too little known, even among foreign policy experts. Zach Vertin is a rare exception... He has spent his life not just explaining how the promise of this young nation, for which so many sacrificed, was broken so badly, but helping end the bloodshed for a people who have seen far too much of it. An important read." -- John Kerry, 68th U.S. Secretary of State, and author of the book Every Day is Extra
"A brilliant, authoritative, and colourful insight into the hope and despair that is the world’s youngest country. Unique in modern history, this untold story of South Sudan’s birth carries lessons not just for Africa but for the rest of the world." -- Jon Snow
"A hugely important contribution to the debate about one of Africa’s longest-running tragedies." -- Lord (Chris) Patten of Barnes CH PC, Chancellor of the University of Oxford
"… a political roller coaster from Africa to the White House and back. Zach Vertin guides us through South Sudan’s euphoric independence and its devastating descent into war. A compelling read." -- Bart Gellman, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author
"A highly readable, well-informed and people-centred account… Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand why South Sudan has unravelled." -- Dame Rosalind Marsden, DCMG, Her Majesty’s Ambassador to Sudan 2007–10 and EU Special Envoy 2010–13
"A remarkably authoritative account of South Sudan’s rise and fall; Zach Vertin matches expert political analysis with a journalist’s knack for storytelling, and the result is an exciting and immersive book that will be read for years come. He was present at the creation, and could not be better suited to tell this story." -- Haile Menkerios, former United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Special Envoy to Sudan and South Sudan
"A superb read… Zach Vertin skilfully unpacks the events that gave rise to a nation and then hastened its tragic unravelling. It is at once a story that echoes with the experience and hopes of the South Sudanese people, and a chronicle of one of the most consequential attempts at state-building in the modern era. No matter where we seek to advance the cause of peace and justice in the world, we would be wise to learn from this important book." -- Rt Hon. Andrew Mitchell MP, former UK Secretary of State for International Development
"An engrossingly written account...A Rope from the Sky is an essential guide to one of the world's most intractable conflicts—a must-read for warriors, diplomats, relief experts, and would-be peace negotiators anywhere in the world." -- JON LEE ANDERSON * Staff Writer of The New Yorker *
"Vertin brings an insider’s knowledge to this gripping, well-written account of South Sudan.... The inclusion of stories from ordinary people the author came to know over his time in South Sudan rounds out the book and [gives it] nuance." * Publishers Weekly *

ZACH VERTIN is an American writer, foreign policy analyst, and former diplomat. He has spent the last twelve years working in international politics and peace and conflict issues. He is currently a Lecturer of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and a Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Doha Center. He previously served in the administration of President Barack Obama, and was closely involved in the South Sudan peace process 2014–16. He served as a Senior Analyst for the International Crisis Group in Sudan and South Sudan, and an adviser on UN operations and multilateral affairs in New York. He has written or commented for The New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Foreign Affairs, The Economist, CNN, Al Jazeera, Guardian, Le Monde, Reuters, Bloomberg, and National Public Radio.