Publications
Cursed
Is the Peacemaker
The American Diplomat versus the Israeli General, Beirut
1982
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by John Boykin
Foreword by
George P. Shultz
Belmont, Calif.:
Applegate Press, May 2002
504 pp, 16 illustrations, appendices, sources and bibliography, notes,
index
Cloth $29.95 (members' price
$25)
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Henry A. Kissinger, Secretary of State 1973–1977:
"John Boykin has done an outstanding job of portraying a preeminent peace negotiator and profoundly complex man. Part pragmatist, part idealist, Phil Habib possessed a powerful personality—brilliant, profane, tenacious, and courageous—a dedicated career diplomat who served under seven presidents and was the one sent when the issues were the most intractable." |
John Boykin's fast-paced life of the extraordinary diplomat Philip Habib zeroes in on Habib's excruciatingly difficult, much lauded, but short-lived success in halting the Arab-Israeli war in Lebanon in 1982 and negotiating the evacuation of PLO leader Yasir Arafat and his PLO fighters. Twenty years later, Arafat and Ariel Sharon, who led the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, are once again front and center.
Boykin's lively book is informal yet polished, a real page-turner about a colorful, unorthodox diplomat who was also a consummate professional. The book fills a gap in the understanding of a vital chapter in recent Middle East history. It is thoroughly researched and based almost entirely on primary sources: declassified government documents and interviews and oral histories of participants in the events described.
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Oscar Arias, former President of Costa RIca and 1987 Nobel Peace
Prize winner:
"John Boykin has gone to great lengths to ensure the accuracy of the accounts in this resounding book. Philip Habib was an extraordinary man, and this volume brings his story to light in a manner that is uniquely objective and at the same time highly personal. Works of this nature—particularly about those who embody U.S. foreign policy—are very needed and should be highly valued both within the U.S. and abroad." |
Other Reviews
- Richard Hobrooke, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, negotiator of the Dayton Peace Accords for Bosnia
"Phil Habib was the outstanding professional diplomat of his generation, and John Boykin has done American diplomatic history, and the Foreign Service, a great service by bringing Phil to life in this book, filled with his love of life and his dedication to the Foreign Service and the nation. For all of us who were privileged to work for him, this book will bring back the memories of this great patriot; for those who did not know him but care about America's role in the world, this book belongs on your shelf."
- Jim Mead, Brigadier General of Marines (Retired)
"A vitally important, hard-hitting, and time-sensitive book. It provides valuable insights into Ariel Sharon and the Israeli Defense Force. Every U.S. Marine arrived in Lebanon with respect for them and departed sadly disillusioned. Habib was a giant!"
- Charles Hill, Distinguished Fellow in International Security Studies, Yale University, and former Executive Secretary, Department of State
"This is the first, the only, and certain never-to-be-bettered study of the most outrageously talented, beloved, and influential American diplomat since Benjamin Franklin. Like Franklin, Phil Habib was a poor boy who picked himself up from the rough-and-tumble streets of a city and transformed himself into the quintessential American, who became both a bewildering puzzle and a welcome friend to foreign leaders when they found themselves in trouble. John Boykin captures the wily, witty Phil Habib in marvelously fast-paced and beautifully crafted prose."
- Douglas Brinkley, historian, Director of the Eisenhower Center, University of New Orleans
"John Boykin's Cursed Is the Peacemaker is an honest and compelling look at the delicate world of U.S. diplomacy through the eyes of the indefatigable Philip Habib. It's an essential addition to the growing literature of both the Middle East peace process and the Cold War. Highly Recommended!"
- Ze'ev Schiff, defense editor of Ha'aretz and co-author of Israel's Lebanon War
"Philip Habib was a unique American diplomat. Over and above his expertise and profound knowledge of the Middle East, he was also what is known in Yiddish and American slang as a mentsch: as good as his word, decent, trustworthy, and humane. Before all else, Philip Habib's primary concern when addressing the challenges of war was to stop the losses of life and the suffering of the warring parties."
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