The United Nations: A Very Short Introduction, by Jussi M. Hanhimäki

The United Nations: A Very Short Introduction describes the history of the UN, how the UN is structured and how it operates, and the ongoing debates about what its role should be in international conflicts and humanitarian crises. This is very useful context for understanding the roles and functions of the Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO) and missions like UNAMIR, as well as why UN leaders like Kofi Amman made the decisions they did during the Rwandan Genocide.

The Rwanda Crisis: The History of a Genocide, by Gérard Prunier

This book lays out the history surrounding the genocide. Specifically, it explores the factors in both Rwandan and international history that led up to the genocide and made it possible.