"This brilliantly judicious and moving account places Hammarskjöld within the heady context of African decolonization, UN governance and the Cold War. Melber sensitively portrays a man of integrity and individualism, who dared stand up to the most powerful political forces of his time, and paid for it with his life." --Joanna Lewis, Associate Professor of International History, LSE, and author of Empire of Sentiment "A carefully researched re-evaluation of Hammarskjöld, whose life and mysterious death still excite bitter controversy. Melber's emphasis upon his struggles to reconcile personal values with the brutality of realpolitik throws new light on his exercise of huge geopolitical authority." --Richard Rathbone, Professor of the Modern History of Africa, SOAS University of London "An intelligent and thoughtful exploration of a complex man and his special kind of anti-colonialism, working to underpin the UN as a creative space for counternarratives promoting change and reform. This welcome reassessment of a pragmatic visionary carefully examines his involvement in the UN's Cold War, and his untimely death." --Sue Onslow, Deputy Director, Institute of Commonwealth Studies "Written with personal engagement as well as scholarly acumen, this book offers a nuanced analysis of Hammarskjöld's motivations and his impact on African decolonization. Henning Melber's examination of the Congo crisis and the investigations into Hammarskjöld's death are especially compelling." --Poppy Cullen, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Exeter and Arts and Humanities Research Council, and author of Kenya and Britain After Independence