American Academy of Diplomacy
book award
for hardback edition
Original title:“Cursed is the Peacemaker”
E-book
American Academy of Diplomacy
book award
for hardback editionOriginal title:
“Cursed is the Peacemaker”
“[Phil Habib was] the most outrageously talented, beloved, and influential American diplomat since Benjamin Franklin… John Boykin captures the wily, witty Phil Habib in marvelously fast-paced and beautifully crafted prose.”
Charles Hill
Diplomat-in-residence, Yale
The story
We’d go out in the morning and pick up the spent ammunition that had fallen outside the dining room where we were sitting for breakfast. Once you’ve seen a piece of shrapnel and what it can do, it brings home the shock of war.
Philip HabibOnce you’ve seen a piece of shrapnel and what it can do, it brings home the shock of war.
Philip HabibShrapnel from Beirut
The summer of 1982 began with a mammoth blunder and ended with a masterpiece of diplomacy.
Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon’s invasion of Lebanon degenerated into a flailing siege of Beirut. Only two outcomes were plausible: a bloodbath or a bargain.
American diplomat Philip Habib’s singular purpose was to stop Sharon. Thwarted at every turn and risking his life to fight impossible odds, Habib pulled off what George Shultz calls a miracle.
Based on interviews with participants and declassified documents, One Brief Miracle is the riveting account of what really happened behind closed doors.
(for hardback edition)
Outstanding 
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 was the one sent when the issues were the most intractable.Henry KissingerHenry Kissinger, Secretary of State 1973-77Highly recommended An honest and compelling look at the delicate world of US 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!Douglas BrinkleyDouglas Brinkley, professor of history at Rice University and a fellow at the James Baker Institute for Public PolicyReal contribution [Phil Habib’s agreement in Beirut was] a work of psychological genius…. The world needs Phil Habibs, so anything that can be done to learn from his life and experiences that will help others try to emulate him is a real contribution. For me, that is the real point of this book.George ShultzGeorge Shultz, Secretary of State 1982-89, from his ForewordPainstakingly researched A detailed, painstakingly researched study…. Readers familiar with today’s Israeli-Palestinian conflict will have a sense of deja vu as the author tracks Sharon’s modus operandi, Arafat’s beleaguered tactics, and America’s hesitant stance. Full reviewForeign AffairsForeign AffairsBeautifully crafted prose 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.Charles HillCharles Hill, diplomat-in-residence and lecturer in international studies, YaleRequired reading John Boykin’s masterful analysis of Habib’s crowning achievement, walking Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon back from his disatrous 1982 invasion of Lebanon, ought to be required reading for anyone dealing with the Middle East…. Boykin’s account of Habib’s brusque but effective tactics … amounts to a virtual school on diplomacy….Boykin’s account is worthy of close study by today’s policy-makers.Foreign Service JournalForeign Service JournalBelongs on your shelf 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.Amb. Richard HolbrookeRichard Holbrooke, US ambassador to the UN, 1999-2001, negotiator of the Dayton Peace Accords for BosniaInvaluable for the serious student and historian The extent to which Boykin went in documenting everything he wrote is revealed by the fact that there are 125 pages of notes for 318 pages of text. There is a great deal of detailed, factual information here that the serious student and the historian will find invaluable….Highly recommended.Middle East JournalMiddle East JournalIndispensible for anyone interested in Israel [This] is a wonderful piece of work, full of action and the tensions of the time, a unique account of diplomatic genius and the tenacity of one lone American. Just as Habib broke new ground for a diplomat, this book does the same for diplomatic history. It is extremely well sourced. Boykin has caught the man, the maddeningly complex environment surrounding his work, and a string of setbacks that would have felled anyone but Phil. His portrayal of Sharon and Begin’s actions is riveting. This book fills a gap in the understanding of a vital chapter in recent Middle East history. For Israelis, it will recall the most complex and harrowing time in the evolution of their remarkable country. For all readers it provides background to be found nowhere else on what is now happening. It is indispensable reading for anyone interested in Israel.Brandon GroveBrandon Grove, US consul general in Jerusalem, 1980-83Resounding book 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.President Oscar AriasOscar Arias, former president of Costa Rica, 1987 Nobel Peace Prize winnerValuable addition I found [this book] to be an extraordinarily intimate story of an American diplomat and his work. It is a tragic story, with heroes and villains, filled with detailed accounts of critical events brought to life by fast paced narrative. It is a tribute to Phil Habib, but it is as much a history from the perspective of Habib and those around him. Not everyone will like or agree with the way the key players during the period of Israel’s invasion into Lebanon are characterized, but that is to be expected. Academics and policy professionals will appreciate the insider’s view of events and the insight it yields into how diplomats and governments behave in crisis. The book is a valuable addition to the literature treating developments in a region that remains in turmoil twenty years later.Amb. Robert GallucciRobert Gallucci, President of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur FoundationEngrossing An engrossing account of Philip Habib’s high-wire diplomatic intervention to stop the spread of chaos in Lebanon and prevent a wider war. Habib’s angry jousts with General Sharon dramatize graphically the age-old conflict between diplomats and soldiers about how best to achieve peace.Amb. Samuel LewisSamuel Lewis, US ambassador to Israel, 1977-85Valuable insights A vitally important, hard hitting, and time-sensitive book. It provides valuable insights into Ariel Sharon and the Israeli Defense Forces. Every US Marine arrived in Lebanon with respect for them and departed sadly disillusioned. Habib was a giant!Gen. James MeadJames Mead, Brigadier General of Marines [Retired], original commander of US Marines in BeirutBrilliant diplomat The author’s well-documented account depends almost entirely on primary sources…. It makes an important contribution to the study of American diplomacy by providing a blow-by-blow description of how one brilliant diplomat carried out an extremely important mission…. Boykin’s book is very helpful in gaining an understanding of Israel’s present policies in the occupied territories. Full review.American DiplomacyWilliam N. Dale, in American DiplomacyUnique diplomat Philip Habib was a unique American diplomat. Over and above his expertise and profound knowledge of the Middle East, he was a mensch: 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 loss of life and the suffering of the warring parties.Ze’ev SchiffZe’ev Schiff, former defense editor of Ha’aretz, co-author of Israel’s Lebanon War
Who was Philip Habib?
Secretary of State George Shultz, Amb. Philip Habib, Morris Draper (Habib’s deputy), Ronald Reagan; White House, 1982
Rare is the diplomat who becomes a household name. In the 1980s, Philip Habib was one of those rare few.
Throughout the summer of 1982, the whole world was transfixed on this American diplomat’s lonely effort to stop a war in Lebanon.
In 1986, the whole world watched again as Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos tried to steal an election from Corazon Aquino. Habib was the special envoy Ronald Reagan sent to figure out what to do. Habib’s characteristically blunt report to Reagan, “The Marcos era has ended,” spelled the end of the Marcos regime.
Reagan and Secretary of State George Shultz then sent Habib as special envoy to Central America in the midst of the war between Nicaragua’s Sandinistas and Contras. But Habib was working toward a diplomatic solution on behalf of a president committed to a military solution. Nonetheless, he did help Costa Rica’s president Oscar Arias create the peace plan that brought peace to the region and the Nobel Peace Prize to Arias.
Philip Habib was a career Foreign Service Officer, mostly specializing in Asia. In 1968, he was instrumental in persuading Lyndon Johnson to reverse the American military buildup in Vietnam and start negotiations. He was the senior American career diplomat at the Paris peace talks. As ambassador to South Korea in the early 1970s, he saved the life of dissident Kim Dae-Jung, who would later become South Korea’s president and win a Nobel Peace Prize.
Philip Habib and John Boykin, 1988
John Boykin is a writer, researcher, and designer in the San Francisco Bay Area. He was an editor at Stanford Magazine and Wadsworth Publishing and a staff writer at Krames. He spent 7 years (over a 9-year period) researching and writing this book.
As a designer and researcher, his clients have included the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s, Walmart, Blue Shield, Bank of America, Janus, Visa, NBC, HP, Symantec, and Mitsubishi Motors.
His website is www.wayfind.com.
John Boykin’s acceptance speech (6 min., 22 sec.) for American Academy of Diplomacy book award, State Department, Washington, DC, December 11, 2002.
The award was for the hardback edition, titled Cursed is the Peacemaker.
The audience consisted of current and retired diplomats and senior government officials, journalists, and leaders of congressional foreign relations committees. Many of them knew Philip Habib.
C-SPAN covered the event because Colin Powell and Jim Lehrer were also receiving awards. C-SPAN got the name wrong.
Transcript of speech
Transcript
How many of you knew or at least crossed paths with Philip Habib at some point? Fascinating character, wasn’t he? You can see why I wanted to write a book about him.
Those of you who knew him may or may not know that he did not originally set out to be a diplomat. He set out to be a forester. He was a lousy forester, because he hated doing manual labor. The one exception was that he loved fighting fires. One time, when he was a student, he had to put out a lightning fire all by himself–at 10,000 feet, armed with nothing but an ax and a shovel. Good training for a diplomat.
A few years later, during his first assignment in the Foreign Service, he and his wife were having a picnic with some friends on the Gatineau River in Canada. The woman went wading out into the water, suddenly yelped and sank under the waves. Phil and the woman’s husband dove in time and time again, trying to find her, and they couldn’t. The police came, dragged the bottom, and brought her up–at which point Phil started working and working and working and working on artificial respiration. He continued that until the paramedics came and told him that it was no use.
Now, lots of people have tried and failed to save a drowning victim. What makes this story telling is that, by the time Phil Habib started doing artificial respiration, she had been under water for an hour and a half. There was zero chance he was going to revive her. But he would not give up! That’s the kind of man and the kind of diplomat that Phil Habib was. In time he became known as the master of lost causes: When all hope was lost and you didn’t know what to do, you sent Phil Habib, the forest fire fighter who would not give up.
Things looked particularly hopeless in the summer of 1982. Phil was special envoy to the Middle East for President Reagan. As you may recall, the Israeli defense minister at the time, Ariel Sharon, had decided the time had come to destroy the PLO once and for all. So he invaded Lebanon and laid siege to the PLO’s stronghold, West Beirut.
The siege failed. It quickly turned into a flailing, aimless fiasco. While Sharon bombed and shelled and bombed and shelled the city trying to kill the PLO fighters, by and large they were riding it out safe in underground bomb shelters. The people doing most of the suffering and dying were the civilians of Beirut. Phil Habib screamed to Sharon about that over and over again, but to no avail.
The relation between Habib and Sharon was fascinating. Representing the United States and Israel, they of course were allies. But they were also rivals in a race to determine how this siege was going to end. The two men represented the only two plausible outcomes: It was either going to be a bloodbath or a bargain. Phil Habib’s singular purpose was to stop Sharon. But Sharon was every bit as tenacious as Habib was.
The Israelis and the PLO had gotten themselves into this unholy mess, and neither was willing to risk losing face to get themselves out of it. That was Phil Habib’s job. To end the siege diplomatically, he would have to evacuate the PLO safely out of Beirut. But Sharon had not gone to Beirut to chase the PLO away: He had gone there to kill them. So the last thing on earth he wanted was some American diplomat interfering and robbing him of his military victory.
Unable to bomb the PLO out, unable to starve them out, Sharon threatened to send his troops in on the ground to dig them out–in unspeakably bloody hand-to-hand combat. The PLO, in turn, threatened to go down in a blaze of glorious martyrdom–and take as many Israelis as possible with them.
So this is the prospect Philip Habib faced: If Sharon did send his troops in on the ground and if the PLO did fight to the death, countless thousands of Israelis, Palestinians, and Lebanese civilians (caught in the crossfire) would die.
The one thing most people remember about the siege of Beirut was the massacre at the Sabra and Shatilla Palestinian refugee camps. As horrible as that massacre was, it was only a microcosm of what would have happened if Philip Habib had failed.
Well, against all odds, he did succeed. And this book is the story of how he did it. The book is never you going to make me rich and famous. It will keep me quite securely poor and obscure, thank you. But in the nine years that this project took, I learned something from Phil Habib: You do what you do because it needs to be done, and because it ought to be done. Philip Habib is the kind of man that books ought to be written about. None ever was, because the story was too hard to put together. But I am proud to be the one who finally went to the trouble to do it.
The Foreign Service was Philip Habib’s religion. This building [the State Department] was his magnetic north. His greatest pride was that he had the privilege of doing the same kind of work that you as diplomats have all done. For me, learning about this one episode of high-stakes crisis diplomacy–as a case in point–has given me a profound admiration for the work that diplomats do. So I can’t imagine a higher honor for me than to have the likes of you sit still for five minutes and listen to me talk.
I thank you for that, I thank you for this [award], and I thank you for being here today.
Close transcript
Free sample chapter
Download now to desktop
(may not work on mobile devices)
Download now to desktop
(may not work on mobile devices)
Outstanding 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 was the one sent when the issues were the most intractable.Henry KissingerHenry Kissinger, Secretary of State 1973-77Highly recommended An honest and compelling look at the delicate world of US 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!Douglas BrinkleyDouglas Brinkley, professor of history at Rice University and a fellow at the James Baker Institute for Public PolicyReal contribution [Phil Habib’s agreement in Beirut was] a work of psychological genius…. The world needs Phil Habibs, so anything that can be done to learn from his life and experiences that will help others try to emulate him is a real contribution. For me, that is the real point of this book.George ShultzGeorge Shultz, Secretary of State 1982-89, from his ForewordPainstakingly researched A detailed, painstakingly researched study…. Readers familiar with today’s Israeli-Palestinian conflict will have a sense of deja vu as the author tracks Sharon’s modus operandi, Arafat’s beleaguered tactics, and America’s hesitant stance. Full reviewForeign AffairsForeign AffairsBeautifully crafted prose 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.Charles HillCharles Hill, diplomat-in-residence and lecturer in international studies, YaleRequired reading John Boykin’s masterful analysis of Habib’s crowning achievement, walking Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon back from his disatrous 1982 invasion of Lebanon, ought to be required reading for anyone dealing with the Middle East…. Boykin’s account of Habib’s brusque but effective tactics … amounts to a virtual school on diplomacy….Boykin’s account is worthy of close study by today’s policy-makers.Foreign Service JournalForeign Service JournalBelongs on your shelf 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.Amb. Richard HolbrookeRichard Holbrooke, US ambassador to the UN, 1999-2001, negotiator of the Dayton Peace Accords for BosniaInvaluable for the serious student and historian The extent to which Boykin went in documenting everything he wrote is revealed by the fact that there are 125 pages of notes for 318 pages of text. There is a great deal of detailed, factual information here that the serious student and the historian will find invaluable….Highly recommended.Middle East JournalMiddle East JournalIndispensible for anyone interested in Israel [This] is a wonderful piece of work, full of action and the tensions of the time, a unique account of diplomatic genius and the tenacity of one lone American. Just as Habib broke new ground for a diplomat, this book does the same for diplomatic history. It is extremely well sourced. Boykin has caught the man, the maddeningly complex environment surrounding his work, and a string of setbacks that would have felled anyone but Phil. His portrayal of Sharon and Begin’s actions is riveting. This book fills a gap in the understanding of a vital chapter in recent Middle East history. For Israelis, it will recall the most complex and harrowing time in the evolution of their remarkable country. For all readers it provides background to be found nowhere else on what is now happening. It is indispensable reading for anyone interested in Israel.Brandon GroveBrandon Grove, US consul general in Jerusalem, 1980-83Resounding book 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.President Oscar AriasOscar Arias, former president of Costa Rica, 1987 Nobel Peace Prize winnerValuable addition I found [this book] to be an extraordinarily intimate story of an American diplomat and his work. It is a tragic story, with heroes and villains, filled with detailed accounts of critical events brought to life by fast paced narrative. It is a tribute to Phil Habib, but it is as much a history from the perspective of Habib and those around him. Not everyone will like or agree with the way the key players during the period of Israel’s invasion into Lebanon are characterized, but that is to be expected. Academics and policy professionals will appreciate the insider’s view of events and the insight it yields into how diplomats and governments behave in crisis. The book is a valuable addition to the literature treating developments in a region that remains in turmoil twenty years later.Amb. Robert GallucciRobert Gallucci, President of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur FoundationEngrossing An engrossing account of Philip Habib’s high-wire diplomatic intervention to stop the spread of chaos in Lebanon and prevent a wider war. Habib’s angry jousts with General Sharon dramatize graphically the age-old conflict between diplomats and soldiers about how best to achieve peace.Amb. Samuel LewisSamuel Lewis, US ambassador to Israel, 1977-85Valuable insights A vitally important, hard hitting, and time-sensitive book. It provides valuable insights into Ariel Sharon and the Israeli Defense Forces. Every US Marine arrived in Lebanon with respect for them and departed sadly disillusioned. Habib was a giant!Gen. James MeadJames Mead, Brigadier General of Marines [Retired], original commander of US Marines in BeirutBrilliant diplomat The author’s well-documented account depends almost entirely on primary sources…. It makes an important contribution to the study of American diplomacy by providing a blow-by-blow description of how one brilliant diplomat carried out an extremely important mission…. Boykin’s book is very helpful in gaining an understanding of Israel’s present policies in the occupied territories. Full review.American DiplomacyWilliam N. Dale, in American DiplomacyUnique diplomat Philip Habib was a unique American diplomat. Over and above his expertise and profound knowledge of the Middle East, he was a mensch: 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 loss of life and the suffering of the warring parties.Ze’ev SchiffZe’ev Schiff, former defense editor of Ha’aretz, co-author of Israel’s Lebanon War
Buy from Amazon Kindle
$4.99
Buy from Apple iBooks
$4.99
By John Boykin
Foreword by George Shultz
Updated and abridged E-book edition of the hardback published in 2002 as Cursed is the Peacemaker. The hardback edition is out of print.
A selection of the Diplomats and Diplomacy Book Series, sponsored by the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training
and
Diplomatic and Consular Officers, Retired
Arabic Translation published by Dar An Nahar, Beirut, 2002
Correspondence: BriefMiracle at sign gmail.com
