Bending with the Winds: Kurt Waldheim and the United Nations

(Hardback)

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How could a man with a past mired in Nazi membership and alleged involvement in war crimes become Secretary General of the United Nations, an organization dedicated not only to the maintenance of peace but also to the preservation and advancement of human rights Bending with the Winds is the result of Seymour Maxwell Finger's and Arnold A. Saltzman's exploration of that question. Their analysis is based on a review of hundreds of confidential telegrams between the United States and its mission to the United Nations and more than one hundred interviews with diplomats from Waldheim's period of service as Secretary General, including Kurt Waldheim himself. A large part of this volume is an in-depth study of Waldheim's performance as Secretary General, an aspect of his life that has previously been neglected. Finger and Saltzman first probe the powers of that office, as well as its limitations, through a brief historical analysis of the actions of the five Secretaries General. This provides a basis for evaluating Waldheim's performance and the political context in which he performed. Emphasis is placed on Waldheim's pliability, his tendency to bend with the wind. This broad discussion leads to a search for a procedure of choosing a Secretary General that will produce the kind of leadership required for a revitalized United Nations. This book will certainly find a place on the shelves of readers interested in the United Nations or the Waldheim affair.

Reviews

All those who wish to see the revitalization of the United Nations, and who believe that selecting a truly superior secretary general is key to this, should read this book. The sections dealing with Kurt Waldheim do not offer much that is new, but the sensitive evaluation of an allegedly flawed individual is meticulously undertaken on the basis of many interviews by the authors, experienced former diplomats. . . . How this man was originally chosen, given a second term and almost elected to a third is discussed in some detail and does little to maintain one's confidence in the decision-making process and wisdom of governments. The other parts of the book talk about the attributes that should be sought in a secretary general and suggest the procedures that would allow a first-class person to be chosen. This makes the book important today.-Foreign Affairs
"All those who wish to see the revitalization of the United Nations, and who believe that selecting a truly superior secretary general is key to this, should read this book. The sections dealing with Kurt Waldheim do not offer much that is new, but the sensitive evaluation of an allegedly flawed individual is meticulously undertaken on the basis of many interviews by the authors, experienced former diplomats. . . . How this man was originally chosen, given a second term and almost elected to a third is discussed in some detail and does little to maintain one's confidence in the decision-making process and wisdom of governments. The other parts of the book talk about the attributes that should be sought in a secretary general and suggest the procedures that would allow a first-class person to be chosen. This makes the book important today."-Foreign Affairs

Author Bio

SEYMOUR MAXWELL FINGER is a Senior Fellow at the Ralph Bunche Institute on the United Nations at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. This career diplomat, ambassador, and professor is the author of several books, including American Ambassadors at the United Nations. ARNOLD A. SALTZMAN is Chairman of Vista Resources, Inc., and Honorary Chairman of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy. He has served on various government boards and as ambassador for Presidents Kennedy and Johnson.