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The Globalist: Peter Sutherland – His Life and Legacy
THE GLOBALIST is the first in-depth biography of an international power-broker who was instrumental in shaping the global economy that we know today.
PETER SUTHERLAND played a defining role in world history over the past 25 years and was arguably the most influential Irish person ever to have lived. He was Ireland’s youngest ever attorney general; the youngest ever European Commissioner; UN special representative for migration; and special adviser to the Vatican.
His landmark achievement was the signing of the Uruguay round of multilateral trade negotiations in Marrakesh on April 15th, 1994. Under Sutherland’s stewardship, a historic global agreement on the removal of trade barriers and market liberalisation was achieved, earning him a reputation as the ‘father of globalisation’.
He became chairman of BP and Goldman Sachs International and sat on the board of some of the biggest companies in the world. Public service, however, remained his true calling. The position he most prized was President of the European Commission but a combination of domestic political tribalism and French resistance derailed his chances.
Drawing on a wide range of interviews with major political and business figures, including Hank Paulson, Mickey Kantor, Pascal Lamy, Sir Tom McKillop, Mary Robinson, Bertie Ahern, Brian Cowen, Catherine Day, David O'Sullivan and Klaus Schwab, The Globalist examines key episodes in Sutherland’s life and career – the Arms Trial, the introduction of the Eighth Amendment, the Anglo Irish Agreement, the development of the EU single market, the establishment of the WTO, and migration policy.
Towards the end of his life Sutherland became a tireless advocate for the rights of asylum seekers and migrants, which made him a target for nativist and populist movements around the world.
PETER SUTHERLAND played a defining role in world history over the past 25 years and was arguably the most influential Irish person ever to have lived. He was Ireland’s youngest ever attorney general; the youngest ever European Commissioner; UN special representative for migration; and special adviser to the Vatican.
His landmark achievement was the signing of the Uruguay round of multilateral trade negotiations in Marrakesh on April 15th, 1994. Under Sutherland’s stewardship, a historic global agreement on the removal of trade barriers and market liberalisation was achieved, earning him a reputation as the ‘father of globalisation’.
He became chairman of BP and Goldman Sachs International and sat on the board of some of the biggest companies in the world. Public service, however, remained his true calling. The position he most prized was President of the European Commission but a combination of domestic political tribalism and French resistance derailed his chances.
Drawing on a wide range of interviews with major political and business figures, including Hank Paulson, Mickey Kantor, Pascal Lamy, Sir Tom McKillop, Mary Robinson, Bertie Ahern, Brian Cowen, Catherine Day, David O'Sullivan and Klaus Schwab, The Globalist examines key episodes in Sutherland’s life and career – the Arms Trial, the introduction of the Eighth Amendment, the Anglo Irish Agreement, the development of the EU single market, the establishment of the WTO, and migration policy.
Towards the end of his life Sutherland became a tireless advocate for the rights of asylum seekers and migrants, which made him a target for nativist and populist movements around the world.
- GenresCurrent Affairs
336 pages, Hardcover
Published October 17, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 25, 2024
I am possibly being a bit generous with four stars, but how and ever. I guess the main selling point of this book for me is that it features successive episodes that I lived through, so I have my own recollections of the events as well. In a practical sense, I thought Sutherland was a very able and well-connected man, who seemed to have a great intellect and a penchant for doing good. I think, because this book is effectively an authorised biography, the author is a bit too flattering at times, which grates. Sutherland did end up in many situations of power where things went awry below him, but the author rather lets him off the hook in these situations. But it's very readable, I'm fairly convinced that he was in essence a decent man and fun to be with, and while I would balk at the saintliness which at times is suggested it's a decent trawl through the early 70's up until his untimely death at the age of 71. Worth a read.
February 12, 2022
A very informative and important read for the topic of globalisation.
August 17, 2023
Excellent book about a great modern Irishman.
January 1, 2024
A biography of the Irish lawyer and international statesman Peter Sutherland charting his career at the Irish Bar, as Attorney General, European Competition Commissioner, architect of the GATT agreement, partner at Goldman Sachs, chairman of BP and, finally, at the UN.
The book is a good account of Sutherland's life written in a journalistic style that's easy to read. The author conducted many interviews in the course of his research with Sutherland's friends and acquaintances and he quotes extensively from them, too extensively in many cases and they could have been have been better integrated into the text. The book is pretty flattering to Sutherland too, being a sort of progressive equivalent of a Catholic hagiography.
The strongest parts of the book are the accounts of Sutherland's roles in Goldman Sachs and BP, it's very interesting to see this job from the inside. And Sutherland's warning over Brexit show that the author's account of Sutherland's nose for danger and risk was no exaggeration.
The book is a good account of Sutherland's life written in a journalistic style that's easy to read. The author conducted many interviews in the course of his research with Sutherland's friends and acquaintances and he quotes extensively from them, too extensively in many cases and they could have been have been better integrated into the text. The book is pretty flattering to Sutherland too, being a sort of progressive equivalent of a Catholic hagiography.
The strongest parts of the book are the accounts of Sutherland's roles in Goldman Sachs and BP, it's very interesting to see this job from the inside. And Sutherland's warning over Brexit show that the author's account of Sutherland's nose for danger and risk was no exaggeration.
February 7, 2020
Interesting and informative. That one man could achieve so much....
January 3, 2020
Interesting read but the content seemed to repeat itself often.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews