From Reuters columnist Peter Apps, comes this history of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, looking at the geopolitical shifts of the post-war period and the human stories behind them.Published to coincide with the 75th anniversary of NATO, A SACRED OBLIGATION covers the aftermath of World War II, the Cold War, German reunification, Trump's threats to withdraw from the organisation, and NATO's current role in the Russia-Ukraine war.Bringing to life key individuals and crucial events, the book will use the story of NATO as a way of tracing the major political and international developments of the twentieth century. It investigates the renewed threat from Russia, NATO's expansion to Finland and Sweden, and Ukraine, Georgia and Bosnia's attempt to join the coalition.Finally, it asks how the alliance will overcome the pressures of conflicting interests from its member states - is our collective defence, as President Joe Biden called it, still 'a sacred obligation'? - and how will NATO remain relevant going forward.