Roger Lipsey is a biographer, art historian, editor, and translator. Among his many books is Hammarskj ld- A Life, hailed as the definitive biography of Dag Hammarskj ld. Lipsey speaks regularly at United Nations gatherings and under other auspices about Hammarskj ld's life and legacy. He lives in the Hudson Valley.
At a time when political leadership in many contexts seems to be as-similating itself to the worst and most corrosive bits of the enter-tainment industry, and when the whole ideal of public service is disregarded or despised, it matters that we know where to look for hope and challenge. Dag Hammarskjoeld's extraordinary example of a statesmanship that was at once astute, humble, courageous, patient, and risky is as necessary for us as water in the desert; and in this wel-come book, Hammarskjoeld's finest modern biographer sets out with model clarity and passion just what we might learn from him, just what we might hold ourselves accountable to. --Rowan Williams, Master of Magdalene College (Cambridge), Archbishop of Canterbury (ret.) In a series of memorable chapters, Lipsey charts the career and inner life of Hammarskjold on facing facts, the complicated process of negotiation, the healing power of time, perseverance, global interdependence, a world full of meaning, and the way of a statesman. --Spirituality & Practice