COLIN McGREGOR, RICHARD McGREGOR & KIRSTINE JOLLY
The Accidental
Peacekeeper
"A tale of warlords, warzones, kidnappings, a multi-million-dollar robbery, a shark attack, a siege and, of course, aliens — all in the name of peace!"
From the quiet hum of a 1960's ice cream factory in Christchurch, New Zealand, to the tense frontlines of the world's most volatile and violent conflicts, The Accidental Peacekeeper traces one man's extraordinary, unexpected journey through history.
As a young accountant with ambitions to simply 'balance the books', Colin McGregor could never have imagined his career would take him to the corridors of power of the United Nations — and into wars which he, and all his fellow peacekeepers were tasked to end.
Through decades of service, he would find himself facing chaos as he navigated warlords, warzones, invasions, a siege, a robbery, death threats and kidnappings amongst many other challenges in countries including Afghanistan, Lebanon, Israel, Kosovo, East Timor, Western Sahara and Somalia.
Told with humour, humility and insight, The Accidental Peacekeeper is both a deeply personal memoir and a vivid account of the little understood world behind the blue helmets. It speaks to the human cost of conflict as well as the fragile hope that peacekeeping can bring and how an ordinary man came to experience an extraordinarily fascinating life.
Glimpses inside the book
A few moments from a life on the line.
The mission headquarters, the former US embassy in Somalia, had a very well-built strongroom containing some very large safes. This strongroom was attached to the rear of the cashier's office in the finance section. In that front office (although not in the strong room), there were several standard upright filing cabinets as well, housing general files, forms, and other documents used by the cashiers.
The local staff members knew when their paydays were scheduled, and therefore, they also deduced that those were the times when there would be lots of US dollars in cash in the finance section.
What transpired was that several international UN cashier staff had been threatened with death by a few local people who had dealings with the cashiers. These staff members were issued instructions to stash the incoming cash in a specific filing cabinet in their office on the night it arrived — if they didn't want to die. Of course, they were terrified for their lives (these were not guys to be messed with), and they followed the directive. The thieves swooped in during the night and uplifted the cash.
On the morning the burglary was discovered, the then Director of Administration asked his local administration assistant to make some enquiries about the missing funds in the city. Within hours, the mission was called to pick up the unfortunate man, who had had both his kneecaps shot off and was in a very bad way indeed.
Somalia
When we felt we had done as much as we could — from Pakistan at least — in relation to gaining assurances from the Russians as well as the Mujahideen that neither force would attempt to attack our airliner either during the approach or whilst landing at Kabul airport. We loaded up our plane and took off from Rawalpindi. Given most of us were sporting an unusually staunch manner and there appeared a total lack of humour, I'm pretty sure that all 80 of us on the plane were somewhat apprehensive about what might happen at Kabul.
The pilot had never done before what he planned to do on this flight. The plan was to fly over the Kabul airport at 25,000 metres, then aim straight down and drive in one large circle around the runway down to as low as he could risk before straightening out and making a very fast and heavy landing on the airport and stopping. I assure you: dropping out of the sky at that speed, that quick, is a truly weird and unusual feeling in an airliner and we all knew intuitively it was not typically something any airliner would ever try.
The drop from 25,000 metres only took a short time and ended with an eruption of clapping and yelling by everyone onboard directed at the captain, crew and stewardesses. We had arrived! Alive and well following our tense and sweaty descent into Kabul.
Afghanistan
From a letter Colin wrote to his family back home, May 1985:
"Last night, we heard sustained heavy weapons firing and dozens of frog men in rubber inflatables chugging along the shoreline at dawn. Yesterday morning, the Israeli navy was shelling the PLO refugee camp south of Tyre — just for kicks! That is a mere 20 kms north of here. The jet fighter bombers are also out just now, practising no doubt — on real, live people."
"Things are happening at a rapid pace in Lebanon at present as the Israelis continue their retreat and stir up as much trouble, in as many quarters as they can at the same time. Concurrently, of course, the 'loose' Lebanese get stuck into shelling, shooting and killing one another, destroying their own property and displacing tens of thousands of their own people from Sidon and villages to the East of the same. It's unbelievable what can and does happen in this strange area."
"UNIFIL is now right in the thick of things — and its very existence is in doubt, at least while its role and mandate are as unclear as they are at present. It could be that we will just pack up and go home and just leave the crazies to go for it!"
Lebanon · 1985
The Authors
A father's story, told with the help of his children.
Colin McGregor
1937 – 2023 · QSM
The main character — and author
The desire for adventure, a life full of daring-do and warzones… is arguably not the norm for most accountants. Colin McGregor, a New Zealander and formerly Deputy Director within UN peacekeeping, proved consistently throughout his life and career that he had 'the right stuff' — often considered pivotal in delivering huge, multi-national peacekeeping missions in remote locations at speed whilst juggling a plethora of cultural, political, religious and bureaucratic challenges.
All in a day's work.
As an avid traveler, Colin spent most of his life working internationally, initially moving to Colombo, Ceylon, where he worked for a large global tea company. Colin considered that Ceylon would be more interesting than London for his 'Overseas Experience', and there began his wanderlust — and the first of 43 moves across 13 countries.
Colin's career deviated significantly from the typical path of a Chartered Secretary and accountant when he moved into peacekeeping, where he thrived in such a dynamic — and often dangerous — multi-cultural environment. Colin and his wife, Shirley, spent a total of seven years in Israel whilst Colin worked as the CFO and, latterly, the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) in Naquora, Southern Lebanon with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), supporting a workforce of 6,500 peacekeeping soldiers and managing over two thousand civilian workers.
Always the innovator, Colin helped with the scoping, establishment and 'gnarly' tasks that nobody knew how to tackle across a plethora of peacekeeping operations, including Iran-Iraq, Kosovo, Somalia, East Timor, Western Sahara, Cambodia and Afghanistan (whilst the UN facilitated the Russian withdrawal). He was extremely well regarded and respected by his colleagues and bosses over many years of service for his unique ability to 'get things done', and his intellect.
Colin retired from his last UN role as Chief Administrative Officer with the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), based in Bangkok, Thailand, in 1995. In 2002 he was awarded the Queen's Service Medal for services to peacekeeping. He was granted his own Coat of Arms by the Court of the Lord Lyons in Scotland in 2020. He spent retirement in several places around New Zealand including Auckland, the Bay of Islands, Tauranga, the Kaimai Hills, and finally, Rotorua.
All good things must end, and Colin passed peacefully in February 2023, survived by his daughter Kirstine and his son Richard. Colin was a talented, quietly spoken gentleman of immense integrity who is greatly missed.
Co-Authors
Richard McGregor
Richard is an expert in personal cyber risk and management, originally from Christchurch, New Zealand. He has an MBA, a Masters in Cyber Security Operations and — just to shake things up — a PhD from James Cook University in Queensland. He was a business analyst, business architect and designer before shifting to cyberspace. He enjoys playing the highland bagpipes, has continuous travel urges for no reason, loves coffee and whiskey, and lives in Sydney, Australia, with his family.
Kirstine Jolly
Kirstine is an artist who paints to raise money for various charities and lives in Rotorua, New Zealand with her family. She holds a Commerce degree and, after a career in the forest industry — spanning market development, technology transfer and marketing — she created a family-run accommodation business, Toka Ridge. She and her husband Ian, became very close to Colin during the latter years of his life, as they both navigated their way through his wife Shirley's Alzheimer's and Colin's battle with diabetes. Kirstine loves dog walking, wine, swimming and creating art, and occasionally, randomly, also experiences travel urges for no reason.
Reviews
What readers are saying.
"This book intrigued me. I knew little of the inner workings of the United Nations. Here are true-to-life stories cleverly pieced together by an employer in the United Nations, Colin McGregor, who went to the top of his profession in the Peacekeeping Division. I was touched by the compassion, discernment and intuition he had, meeting crisis after crisis in many corners of the globe. A gentle humble man who, I feel sure, was surprised himself at what he had achieved."
Margaret H.
Verified Reader
"A remarkable memoir told with rare honesty and quiet humour. McGregor takes us inside conflicts most of us only know from headlines, Somalia, Afghanistan, Lebanon, and shows the human reality behind the blue helmets. I couldn't put it down."
James W.
Retired Diplomat
"An extraordinary life told without ego. Colin McGregor's journey from a Christchurch accountant to senior UN peacekeeper is gripping, moving and at times very funny. Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand how peace is actually built, one impossible problem at a time."
Sarah T.
Book Reviewer
"A fascinating read illustrating one man's inside story of the complicated (and sometimes thankless) missions undertaken by the UN peacekeepers throughout the decades. What impact decolonisation has on politics and the people those politicians are meant to serve. This book highlights how life can change in an instant and how being open to opportunities can lead to the most amazing and personally satisfying experiences. Told with empathy and humour, Colin McGregor takes the reader on a personal journey living in some of the world's most complicated and dangerous territories and reflects on the geo-political conflicts of the time, many of which persist to this day."
Kirsty Carling
Verified Reader
"I found this book to be a remarkable read about a truly remarkable life. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I read it too quickly and found I couldn't remember all of the details. Just a week or two later, I started reading it again and enjoyed it every bit as much, if not more, the second time around.
What fascinated me most was the unique insider's view of how the United Nations operates to limit devastation and loss of life in war-torn countries. The book highlights the immense effort required to rebuild infrastructure and restore communities following the destruction caused by conflict. It has given me a much greater appreciation for the dedication, hard work, and personal sacrifices made every day by UN workers and their families.
I was especially captivated by Colin's account of living in Northern Israel while working in Southern Lebanon, particularly given the ongoing tensions and challenges in the region today. His experiences brought a human perspective to events that are often only seen through news headlines.
I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in world affairs, international development, or the work of the United Nations. It is both enlightening and inspiring, offering valuable insights into the people who work tirelessly to make a difference in some of the world's most challenging environments."
Jane Oppatt
Verified Reader
Begin the Journey
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