Since the Cold War's end, the United Nations Security Council has become a more active and controversial player in international politics. Its perceived mandate in peace and security affairs had expanded considerably since the UN's creation in 1945. As its operational scope grows, so too has its detractors, who note its failures in the early 1990s, especially in Somalia and Bosnia. Jane Boulden's book comes at an important time in world politics as the United Nations begins the process of addressing Afghanistan's evolution toward democracy and stability, and as major operations in Bosnia, Kosovo, the Middle East and elsewhere persist.