Can the world be governed by agreement rather than conflict? In 1945 the world's most powerful nation states came together to 'save succeeding generations from the scourge of war and reaffirm faith in the fundamental human rights'. Over sixty years later, the United Nations still doggedly pursues that mandate.

Paul Kennedy's timely history that examines the roots and functions of this unique organization casts an objective eye on its past effectiveness and assesses whether it will meet the challenges of our present world - from supplying aid during humanitarian crises to combating climate change. Ultimately he shows why, despite its fallibility and its foibles, the UN remains utterly indispensable to our future.