'Peacemaker': U Thant's grandson tells his grandfather's story in new book

In the early 1960s, U Thant, a practicing Buddhist from a remote town in Burma, became the first non-Western secretary-general of the United Nations. He was immediately faced with unfolding crises in Congo, Yemen, Cyprus, India, Pakistan and Cuba.

We talk with Thant’s grandson, historian Thant Myint-U, about how his grandfather’s diplomacy de-escalated conflicts, gave voice to the newly decolonized, and safeguarded the environment. His new book, “Peacemaker: U Thant and the Forgotten Quest for a Just World,” describes his grandfather’s journey to becoming the Cold War era’s preeminent ambassador of peace.