Interventions: A Life in War and Peace

Over forty years of service to the United Nations - the last ten as Secretary-General - Kofi Annan has been at the centre of the major geopolitical events of our time. Drawing on his recollections of major figures from Tony Blair to George W. Bush, Yasser Arafat to Yitzhak Rabin, Saddam Hussein to Nelson Mandela, INTERVENTIONS offers a unique, behind-the-scenes view of global diplomacy during one of the most consequential eras in recent history. With eloquence and immediacy, Annan recounts the highs and lows of his years at the United Nations: from shuttle-diplomacy during crises such as Kosovo, Lebanon and Israel-Palestine to the disastrous and wrenching battles over the Iraq War and the creation of the landmark Responsibility to Protect doctrine. He writes with unprecedented candour about the organization's ongoing challenges and failed efforts - the tragedies of Somalia, Rwanda and Bosnia, continuing violence in the Middle East, the endurance of AIDS and endemic poverty on his home continent, and much else. Yet Annan embeds these crises within the context of global politics, revealing how, time and again, the nations of the world have retreated from the UN's radical mandate. He makes a passionate case for a United Nations that serves the interests of individuals around the globe rather than of its member states, and that intervenes, rather than stands by, in the face of humanitarian crisis. Ultimately, Annan shows readers a world where solutions are available, if we have the will and courage to see them through. An unparalleled personal history of international statecraft, INTERVENTIONS is as much a memoir as a guide to world order - past, present, and future.

Review :
A fluent, compelling account... clear-eyed and honest... Annan emerges as an effective and charismatic embodiment of the UN's ideals A taut and timely memoir... Annan and his co-author, Nader Mousavizadeh, a former aide, embody the UN at its idealistic and yet level-headed best Annan doesn't shy away from admitting that he made mistakes, or that the UN needs to reform its outdated administrative structures. Yet he mounts a passionate, impressive defence of the organisation... The UN may be imperfect, but this powerful memoir shows that it is vital In this thought-provoking new memoir, Kofi Annan describes the peaceful and more equitable world that is within our grasp, and offers his candid perspective on the challenges we must overcome to get there. Interventions is a powerful reminder that the United Nations still matters - and must continue to matter if we want our new century to be more free, peaceful and prosperous than the last Kofi Annan is a great global leader of our time. This wonderful book gives the readers a lucid and enjoyable understanding of the kind of reasoning and commitment that has made Annan such a force for good in the troubled world in which we live. Kofi Annan has been a powerful voice for the poor and a tireless advocate for peace. As a catalyst for international security and human rights, Annan reminds us that we, as a global community, are more alike than different. His life's work demonstrates what is possible when we focus on the universal values of equality, tolerance and human dignity Written as part autobiography, part history lesson, [Interventions] is infused with Mr. Annan's accounts of private encounters with world leaders