Overview

In the early 1960s, a peaceful world was an imaginable goal. The still-young United Nations was widely respected and regarded as humankind’s best hope for resolving global conflicts. African and Asian nations, having recently won their freedom from colonial domination, sought dignity and influence on the world stage. At the helm of their international efforts was U Thant, a practicing Buddhist from a remote town in Burma who, as the UN’s first non-Western secretary-general, became the Cold War era’s preeminent ambassador of peace. From the moment of his predecessor’s mysterious death in 1961, Thant faced a deluge of violent conflicts in Congo, Yemen, Cyprus, and Nigeria, as well as one between India and Pakistan, that threatened larger conflagrations. Crucially, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, he played an indispensable role—virtually hidden until now—in defusing tensions and helping both superpowers find a way back from nuclear confrontation. For years Thant also challenged Washington over its war in Vietnam, identifying paths to peace that could have saved the lives of millions. Drawing on newly declassified documents, Thant’s grandson, historian Thant Myint-U, gives a riveting account of how his grandfather’s gentle yet willful disposition shaped his determination to avoid a third world war, give voice to the newly decolonized world, create a fairer international economy, and safeguard the environment. Rather than a vestige of an idealistic past, U Thant’s fight for peace is central to a fresh understanding of our world today.

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9781324051978

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Reviews

A gift: a primer on the Cold War era, revives the pivotal role of U Thant--the first non-European to lead the UN--and foreshadowing the conflicts we face today.--Elizabeth Becker, author of Elizabeth Becker, author of You Don't Belong Here: How Three Women Rewrote the Story of War Amazing. This book will come as a revelation even to scholars of the UN in the Cold War period.--Frances Fitzgerald, author of Fire in the Lake A wonderful subject, beautifully written, evoking a world startlingly like and unlike our own - a reminder of paths tragically not taken, of idealism and cynicism - of how much the United Nations offered and could still offer. Essential reading for anyone interested in the origins and possibilities of our current global crisis.--Rory Stewart, author of Politics on the Edge Beautiful, gripping, and indispensable, this biography of the longest-serving United Nations secretary-general is also a reminder of almost forgotten aspirations for a postcolonial world beyond endless war and enduring hierarchy. The dreams revisited in this eye-opening and uplifting book have an enormous claim on the attention of Americans at a crossroads in their relation to global affairs.--Samuel Moyn, author of Th Last Utopia

""U Thant devoted his life to the pursuit of peace in a fearsomely fractured world. With empathy, care, and scholarly rigor, Thant Myint-U reminds us that the truly courageous never abandoned their struggles for justice, even in the darkest of times."" -- Kevin Boyle, author of The Shattering: America in the 1960s ""Amazing. This book will come as a revelation even to scholars of the UN in the Cold War period."" -- Frances Fitzgerald, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Fire in the Lake: The Vietnamese and the Americans in Vietnam ""A gift: A primer on the Cold War era that revives the pivotal role of U Thant—the first non-European to lead the UN—and foreshadows the conflicts we face today."" -- Elizabeth Becker, author of You Don’t Belong Here: How Three Women Rewrote the Story of War ""Beautiful, gripping, and indispensable. . . . [T]he dreams revisited in this eye-opening and uplifting book have an enormous claim on the attention of Americans at a crossroads in their relation to global affairs."" -- Samuel Moyn, Chancellor Kent Professor of Law and History at Yale and author of The Last Utopia: Human Rights in History ""Important reading at any time in history; essential in the world of today."" -- Peter Frankopan, author of The Silk Roads: A New History of the World ""A wonderful subject, beautifully written, evoking a world startlingly like and unlike our own. Essential reading for anyone interested in the origins and possibilities of our current global crisis."" -- Rory Stewart, author of Politics on the Edge ""A model of biographical thoroughness and insight, beautifully written and artfully shaped and plotted, it tells its improbable and altogether extraordinary story with an enviable mixture of writerly skill and scholarly authority."" -- William Dalrymple, author of The Anarchy: The Relentless Rise of the East India Company ""Full of nail-biting tension… The biography sparkles with rich, human details about Thant’s New York existence, his inner life, and his changing psychology across two terms as U.N. secretary-general."" -- Bronwen Everill - Foreign Policy ""When the future looks this bleak, a glance backward can offer not only reprieve and distraction, but also perhaps a flicker of hope. Peacemaker: U Thant and the Forgotten Quest for a Just World, by historian Thant Myint-U, provides exactly that. Thant Myint-U draws on extensive archival research to restore Thant to his rightful place in history… His personal connection to the subject — Thant was his grandfather — undoubtedly provides unique access, but it doesn’t keep him from criticizing the UN and he avoids sliding into hagiography."" -- Timothy McLaughlin - Bloomberg News ""A welcome addition to modern diplomatic and world history."" -- Kirkus Reviews ""An insightful and gripping appreciation of the vital, patient work of international relations."" -- Publishers Weekly

Author Information

Thant Myint-U  is an award-winning historian, writer, conservationist, and international public servant. He is the author of four books and his writing has been featured in many publications, including the New York Times and the Financial Times.

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