Organized around the major events that marked Hammarskjöld's eight and a half years in office, this volume takes stock of Hammarskjöld first as a person and then as an international functionary. Also included are a bibliography, chronology, index, and an appendix of significant documents.

It has been 50 years since the UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold mysteriously died in a plane crash in Africa. Williams uncovers new evidence to demonstrate conclusively that the horrific conflict in the Congo was driven not so much by internal divisions as by the Cold War and the West's determination to control post-colonial Africa.

A new investigation into Hammarskjöld's role in the decolonisation of Africa during the Cold War offers startling conclusions.

This book deals with both the past and the present. In twenty-five chapters researchers, diplomats, and UN-servants from all over the world discuss the life and deeds of Dag Hammarskjöld. Sir Brian Urquhart, Hans Blix, Ambassador Nancy E. Soderberg, and Under-Secretary-General Shashi Tharoor, among others, ask themselves in what way the political legacy of Dag Hammarskjöld can help us find solutions to the international problems of today.