The United Nations under Dag Hammarskjold, 1953-1961

This study of Dag Hammarskjold, the second United Nations Secretary-General, examines how he set out to make a less conflict-ridden world, the principal purpose of that international organization. During his tenure from 1953 to 1961, Hammarskjold came to assume heroic stature by virtue of his professionalism, dedication, and activism to increase the influence of the world organization he headed. After a few high profile successes and less well-publicized setbacks, Hamarskjold achieved mythological status due to his untimely death on a UN mission. The book attempts to bring out various dimensions of Hammarskjold’s character and provide insights into the workings of the world organization, evidencing the limits of an institution which he tried to make more than the sum of its parts.