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Sir Marrack Goulding was United Nations Under-Secretary-General in charge of Peacekeeping Operations from 1986 to 1993, a period during which the political shape of the world changed enormously and in which the UN played a defining (although not always successful) role in shaping that change. In this weighty book Goulding describes his time there, recalling how an era that began at the end of the Cold War with a sense of intense optimism turned sour as the UN bungled missions in Bosnia, Somalia and Angola, leaving a trail of bloodshed and bitterness behind. Goulding's unique vantage point allows him to unveil the personalities of the key players in conflicts we often regard as statistical rather than personal, from Afghanistan and Iran to Bosnia and Somalia, and put these disputes into context as human problems caused by the direct decisions and actions of individuals, rather than by the numinous influence of 'circumstance' or 'politics'. Rather like the late Alan Clark, Goulding's calm, authoritative style oozes charm and urbanity; whether describing spotting a Hume's Wheatear in Iraq or being lied to by Milosevic in Belgrade, his touch is light but firm, intellectually satisfying, honest and at times almost confessional. This is essential reading for anyone interested in the new world order and the UN's place in it. (Kirkus UK)

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Sir Marrack Goulding, after several diplomatic postings mainly to the Middle East, was seconded to the Cabinet Office where one of his projects was the CPRS review of Britain's Overseas Representation. Since leaving the UN, he has been Warden of St Antony's College, Oxford.

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