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. As much a memoir as a guide to world order, INTERVENTIONS provides a unique, behind-the-scenes view of global diplomacy during one of the most tumultuous periods in UN history.

With eloquence and immediacy, Annan writes about 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 wrenching battles over the Iraq War to the creation of the landmark Responsibility to Protect doctrine. He is remarkably candid about the organization's failed efforts, particularly in Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. Ultimately, Annan shows readers a world where solutions are available, if we have the will and courage to see them through.

Kofi Annan served as secretary-general of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006—the first sub-Saharan African to hold the post and the first to emerge from the ranks of the U.N. staff. He lives in Geneva, Switzerland.