The Man Who Made the U.N. Cool

Review

The Man Who Made the U.N. Cool

A new biography of U Thant shows how his peacemaking abilities helped the United Nations grow and flourish—for a time. September 12, 2025, 2:00 PM Comment icon View Comments ( )

A man in a suit sits on a table next to a window. A desk is seen behind him.

On Oct. 16, 1962, U.S. President John F. Kennedy learned that the Soviet Union was building missile bases in Cuba. Soviet ships were on their way to the island nation, 90 miles off the Florida coast, “loaded with atomic missiles and warheads.” Kennedy and his team decided that the most effective response—and one that did not risk starting a nuclear war—would be a naval blockade of Cuba. In response, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev authorized the use of atomic weapons to prevent a U.S. i