Peacemaker is the biography of U Thant, the forgotten UN Secretary-General who built and outlived the UN’s moral authority
Published on: Oct. 25, 2025, 10:19 a.m. | Source: The Indian Express
Thant Myint-U's biography, Peacemaker, serves as a crucial work of historical recovery, centering the largely forgotten Burmese statesman U Thant, the UN Secretary-General from 1961 to 1971, and restoring his significance as a diplomatic colossus who navigated major global crises from the Congo and Cuba to Vietnam and Gaza. The book highlights the UN's role as the institutional embodiment of the decolonization project and a vital forum for the Global South, even while acknowledging the inherent contradiction of the Secretary-General's position: immense prestige without real power or financial independence from major states. Peacemaker vividly recounts Thant's early triumphs, like his deft handling of the Congo crisis and his crucial, often-overlooked diplomacy in resolving the Cuban Missile Crisis through the cooperation of superpowers like John F. Kennedy. However, the narrative shifts to tragedy as American hostility under Lyndon B. Johnson, particularly over Vietnam, and the subsequent failures in Gaza led to the UN's diminished influence, but the biography ultimately stands as a powerful, realist tribute to the ideals of diplomacy and internationalism forged by Thant and his diverse team of "world makers."
