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It is difficult to think of a figure more closely tied up in the legacy of the modern United Nations than former Secretary-General Kofi Annan. In his 2012 memoir, Interventions: A Life in War and Peace, Annan recounts his time in the highest office of the United Nations (UN) and pontificates on how he believes the organization must evolve to meet the continuing needs of a modern world. His approach is to examine his time in the seat of the chief diplomat through the lens of certain key events and the UN’s response to them. The unsparing critique brings in many of the highest figures in international relations over the past 20 years and is quick to cast blame anywhere Annan thinks it is due. Ultimately, the book serves two purposes: (1) to shore up Annan’s legacy as secretary-general and, more importantly, (2) to paint a path forward for an organization that many denounce as anachronistic. Kofi Annan is a child of decolonization. His father was an influential figure in the Gold Coast Colony, holding an executive position in an Anglo-African corporation but also deeply involved in the independence movement. Unlike political leaders such as Kwame Nkrumah