In the early 1960s, the United Nations was regarded as Humankind’s best hope for ending war. A peaceful world seemed possible. In Peacemaker, Thant Myint-U shows the forgotten role played by his grandfather, Secretary-General U Thant, in many of the pivotal confrontations of the twentieth century: from the Congo to the Cuban Missile Crisis and the 1967 Arab-Israel War to Vietnam. U Thant’s tireless efforts gave voice to the newly decolonised world as he championed racial equality, environmental protection, and a fairer international economy, all while racing to prevent a third world war.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.