Fredrik S. Heffermehl
The Real Nobel Peace Prize
A Squandered Opportunity to Abolish War

Defrocking the Nobel Peace Prize.

It is an obvious truth: eternal arms races and wars cost astronomic amounts and threaten us with extinction – if we think about it. So, why don´t we? The Real Nobel Peace Prize seeks to raise an urgently needed debate:

• The aim of the Nobel prize was to liberate the world from weapons, warriors - and wars, help nations break the vicious circle they are locked in, avoid new wars and creating security and prosperity for all. «The world´s most prestigious prize” should have become its truly most important prize.
• Through a unique research of the Nobel committee´s internal archives the author found that the awarders, always reluctant to challenge the military world order, have suppressed the very ideas that they were legally obliged to support.
• Presenting the 114 peacemakers who should have won - many from the global South - the book also presents a little-known history and vindicates a suppressed and besmirched political idea.
• A prize true to Nobel would help us face pressing problems, environment, human rights, poverty, run-down infrastructure, democracy, the plight of women and children, water, housing, money for care, culture, . . . everywhere, every year.

Now translated, updated and re-edited for an international public, with easy-to-read tables and indexes. A unique and innovative study of reforms essential to creating world peace. A work of solid scholarship written for the lay reader.

The most original, interesting, and important book on the Nobel Peace Prize – ever. In 2008 Heffermehl wrote on What Nobel Really Wanted, here is What Really Happened.

Peter van den Dungen, UK, Peace historian (University of Bradford)

A very fine book. In fact too big for Norway – this book requires translations worldwide.

Bendik Rugaas, CEO of the National Library of Norway em.

This book I would publish without one second of hesitation. You have done magnificent work, setting a new standard. A major work, this is history writing making a major intervention in the present situation of the world.

Per Axelson, editorLeopard publishing, Stockholm (deceased)

You have written a fine book. What I can immediately say is: It contains a strong argument for your interpretation of the will. Many of your statements will will live by their clarity. As when it concerns the Stortinget's task «like anyone else . . . ". ( confirming sound legal writing in 2008)

Carsten Smith, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Norway

. . . deserves to be read, both because it provides a lot of new knowledge for most of us and also because Heffermehl poses some unpleasant questions that the Stortinget and the Nobel Committee cannot ignore forever.

Lars Døvle Larsen, review in Tønsbergs Blad, Norway

. . . a great pioneering work. The language, at times hard-hitting, makes for an interesting read. The message is crystal clear. The prize should, systematically, have promoted solutions other than war. Had not the ideas and wholehearted efforts of pioneers to save the world deserved better?

Randi Rønning Balsvik, Professor em. of history, review in Nordlys, Norway

. . . a book worth reading. The language is catchy, it it is easy to be impressed by his thoroughness and not a credit to the Nobel authorities that they fail to respect and benefit from his knowledge and commitment.

Bjørn Johannessen, Ambassador, book review in Bistandsaktuelt.

The book is well written, easy to follow and understand, full of surprising observations, a serious theme but a pleasant read.

Thore Vestby, Norway, former MP for the Conservative Party.

Heffermehl reveals the power of militarism precisely and surprisingly already on the first page.

Niels Chr. Geelmuyden, Norway, Author giving Master Class writing courses

Fredrik S. Heffermehl

Fredrik S. Heffermehl
Ole-Martin Gangnes

Educated as a lawyer in Oslo and with an LLM from NYU, Heffermehl has spent the last 40 years in leading positions in Norwegian and international civil society organisations (IPB, IALANA), often working at the United Nations in NY and Geneva. In the last decade and a half, he has used the Nobel Peace Prize as a wedge for public education and promotion of Alfred Nobels actual intention, co-operation on a disarmed global peace order. The hope is to change the common ways of thinking and unleash the same avalanche of protest against arms races, military power games, and wars, as did, in 1889, Bertha von Suttner with her record bestseller Lay Down Your Arms. Her book was a main inspiration for Nobel when he included "the prize for the champions of peace" in his testament. Heffermehl´s earlier books have appeared in 19 languages, his op-eds carried by leading international papers, and for a decade his columns for Inter Press Service were printed in newspapers all over the world.

Foreign rights

Fredrik S. Heffermehl, [email protected]
+47 917 44 783

Edited November 25, 2023 by Fredrik S. Heffermehl