In recent years our televisions have beamed images of young men in blue helmets dropping from the skies into war-torn countries, sent to keep the peace. But what really happens when they reach the frontline? Linda Polman witnessed the UN missions to Somalia, Haiti, Rwanda and Sierra Leone and met their frightened soldiers, mystified locals and jaded mercenaries. In this text, she relates the comic absurdities inside these peace keeping camps and the truly horrifying reality outside. As she pays tribute to the bravery of some she also exposes the human cost of our indifference.