In the first book to distill the entire history of the United Nations into one accessible volume, Maggie Black explains how this complex organization works. In doing so, she explores its successes, failings, and limitations.

This No-Nonsense Guide addresses the U.N.?s creation and early history, how it is structured, and whether it can effectively fulfill its mandate. The author considers possibilities for reform to make it more democratic and efficient.

MAGGIE BLACK has written books for Oxford University Press, UNICEF, and Oxfam. She has worked as a consultant for UNICEF, Anti-Slavery International, and WaterAid, among others, and has written for The Guardian, The Economist, and BBC World Service.

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“Well-informed, acutely insightful, sharply opionated and highly readable — a must for anyone interested in the UN!”

Shashi Tharoor, former UN Under-Secretary-General

“Black’s hard-nosed mini-history of the United Nations is compact and highly readable… an ideal primer for a new generation as well as a welcome memory-refresher for those of us who think we know it.”

Frederic Eckhard, official spokesperson for Kofi Annan, 1997-2005