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The United Nations' Top Job: A Close Look at the Work of Eight Secretaries General Paperback – February 12, 2014

by Lucia Mouat (Author)
3.0 3.0 out of 5 stars 7 ratings
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Despite limited legal power, the job of the United Nations secretary-general has evolved into that of an often-effective global leader and mediator. When the Security Council is blocked - and sometimes even when it isn't - the UN's top official has played a key role in resolving international disputes. This book looks at the varied ways that the eight secretaries-general -- from risk-takers to cautious conservatives - have used their position to pursue the common goal of a more peaceful world.
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  1. Print length
    530 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publication date
    February 12, 2014
  4. Dimensions
    6 x 1.2 x 9 inches
  5. ISBN-10
    1484806190
  6. ISBN-13
    978-1484806197
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“An epic book - accurate, interesting, and … a reliable historical account,” Sir Brian Urquhart, former UN Undersecretary-General

“I am impressed with the thoroughness of the research, interviews, and analysis. I am sure that this book will become a necessary part of the libraries and reading material of…anyone involved in some way in international affairs.” Stephen Schlesinger, author of Act of Creation

“Comprehensive….I do not know of any other book that brings all of the Secretaries-General together,” James Sutterlin, former Director of the Office of UN Secretary General and Distinguished Fellow at Yale University

“I hope the book gets the wide attention it deserves…,” Dr. Leon Gordenker, Professor Emeritus of Politics, Princeton University

About the Author

A longtime correspondent and editorial writer for the Christian Science Monitor, Lucia Mouat covered the United Nations as her last assignment. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Academic Council on the United Nations.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (February 12, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 530 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1484806190
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1484806197
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.54 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.2 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.0 3.0 out of 5 stars 7 ratings

About the author

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Lucia Mouat

Lucia Mouat

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Lucia Mouat is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Academic Council on the United Nations System. A longtime correspondent and editorial writer for the Christian Science Monitor, she covered the UN as her last assignment. She holds a BA in international relations from the University of Wisconsin and an MA from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Massachusetts.

Customer reviews

3 out of 5 stars
7 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

BP
5.0 out of 5 stars Concise and compelling
Reviewed in the United States on September 30, 2020
Verified Purchase
This book is clearly written for people with a background in foreign affairs or the organization itself. But the examples and analysis are (surprisingly) readable -- especially for a subject as complex and polarizing as the United Nations. If you are interested in the organizatiton, or multilateralism in general, this is the book for you.
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Ann Keely
3.0 out of 5 stars Review of "The United Nations' Top Job" by Lucia Mouat
Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2014
Verified Purchase
The book shows how the UN and its achievement have been shaped - at least in part - by the personal character and talents of the first 8 Secretaries General - from Trygve Lie to Ban KiMoon. Their independent diplomatic efforts often contributed significantly to resolving conflicts duing their time in office.
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Nancy Farmer
4.0 out of 5 stars Great Job
Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2014
Verified Purchase
Fascinating to see how involved these secretaries-general were in the disputes that arose on their watch. Though their bargaining chips were limited, they often made an important difference!
One person found this helpful
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Lauren Lange
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2016
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Great condition
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Lyn Shepard
5.0 out of 5 stars A journalist's show-and-tell tour of the UN crisis managers' mediation bunker
Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2015
Those drawn to recent global history will be captivated by this incisive and riveting account by Lucia Mouat. A timely and expertly sourced book, "The United Nations' Top Job", reminds us what a demanding (and usually thankless) task the first eight UN secretaries-general have faced since the end of World War II. Mouat, a longtime UN observer as a journalist, offers us a balanced view of the UN leaders' mission during the Cold War and up to the current tribulations confronting Ban ki-Moon.

Perhaps the author's most daunting challenge lies in her book's broad scope. But she moves nimbly and with great insight into the ups and downs of these eight men over a 70-year stewardship period. Naturally her focus must shift constantly to the UN Security Council and especially its five permanent members -- each empowered with a veto over critical action and the budget to make it effective.

Mouat's talent lies in her skilled use of UN human resources -- both its top staff and outside academic experts she calls upon for feedback. She frames each world crisis with terse summaries before turning to her in-house and outsider network for comment on the leaders' performance. Perhaps her most frequent source, Sir Brian Urquehart, served as a key advisor to the UN leaders from its creation in 1945. His crisp but juicy and always well-informed quotes from Mouat interviews sum up the leaders' strengths and failings with each of the secretaries-general he advised.

In her vignette of Kurt Waldheim (the "top job" occupant from 1972 until 1981), for instance, Mouat notes the bombshell that exploded five years after he left the UN when his past as a Nazi army officer during World War II came to light. Urquhart, Waldheim's under-secretary, could not forgive how Waldheim had lied "deliberately". And he recalled how his former boss had "buttonholed, cajoled, and wheedled everyone in sight" in a vain hope of winning a third term. Sir Brian adds: "He seemed to be a man without real substance, quality, or character, swept along by an insatiable appetite for public office."

A longtime UN supporter, Mouat offers an ideological critic like former US ambassador to the UN John Bolten a chance to make his case for gutting the institution. But she gives the closing word to UN development coordinator Mark Malloch-Brown.

"Bolton used the oil-for-food crisis [2005 report] to shame and tar the organization," the UN aide said, "and he used the reform proposals as a stick...to beat the organization rather than to strengthen it."

Such straightforward Input from highly informed sources helps make Mouat's book a "must read" for anyone concerned about the UN's past, present, and future."

Lyn Shepard, Berne, Switzerland
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