The book is about assessing the effectiveness of a traditional UN Peace Operation. The book first goes on to develop a conceptual framework for the evaluation of UN peace operations and apply that to assess the performance of a traditional UN Peace Operation with UNIFIL as a case study. The author relies on empirical data, supported by perceptions and practical experiences of peacekeepers and `subject matter experts` at both the operational and tactical levels using a mixed method of qualitative and quantitative analysis. The author proves that UNIFIL can be assessed to be a satisfactorily successful UN Peace Operation. He ends the book with a few major takeaways and offers actionable recommendations to the practitioners of peacekeeping and for future reform of UN peace operations. This book is the first of its kind by a former Indian peacekeeper who holds a PhD from Tilburg University, the Netherland.

Major General (Dr) Apurba Kumar Bardalai is a veteran of the Indian Army and a graduate of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington (India). During his service in the army, he held various command and staff assignments at different levels including the command of an infantry division. He was also the Commandant of the Indian Military Training Team in Bhutan from October 2011 to January 2014. Earlier, he served as a Military Observer in the United Nations Verification Mission in Angola in 1991-92. He was awarded the Ministry of External Affairs Fellowship at the United Services Institution of India for the year 2003-2005 for his research on "Changing Global Security: Its implications for UN Peacekeeping Operations". He also served in Lebanon as the Deputy Head of the Mission and Deputy Force Commander of UNIFIL from 2008 to 2010. The author holds a PhD from Tilburg University, the Netherlands, for his research on United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon: Assessment and Way Forward.

Contact: tonybardalai@gmail.com