This is the first biography of Hammarskjold which draws on his
private papers. Urquhart, a longtime U.N. official, indulges in a
lot of eulogistic sentiment, tending to portray his subject's every
action as unimpeachable - "From his earliest days as
Secretary-General Hammarskjold provided an exhilarating spectacle
of principle and intellect in action. His confidence, sureness of
touch, and strength.... His quickness of thought.... His
intellectual capacity and facility.... His learning and
experience...." But the book finds firm ground in detailed
exposition of Hammarskjold's diplomatic activities as Secretary
General from 1953 to 1960, especially the account of his Mideastern
tour and subsequent General Assembly moves, and his private
negotiations within the frustrating confines of his office.
Urquhart fully lives up to his professed disinclination to analyze
Mideastern politics. When it comes to the Congo, however, he
indulges in prolonged blame of Lumumba, whose speeches he
inaccurately terms demagogic tirades and outbursts. This editorial
license is consonant with Urquhart's effort to restrict himself to
the view from Hammarskjold's head, without betraying the
Secretary-General's prejudices. The book also mentions
Hammarskjold's poetic aspirations, his religious-mystical
dispositions, his solitudes, his belief in law-and-order, his
"markings" - he seems rather like a T.S. Eliot without talent for
irony. To fully appreciate Hammarskjold's skill as a diplomat one
has to travel outside the book, but it provides sufficient
documentation to make it a standard source. (Kirkus Reviews)
As the 1990s place greater demands on the UN, this inspiring
biography shows how Hammarskjold perfected the active but quiet
diplomacy that proved successful in a series of seemingly hopeless
situations, from the Suez Crisis to Indochina, and how he stood up
for principle against the greatest powers. Photos.
General
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