The Unquiet American: Richard Holbrooke In The World

by Derek Chollet, Samantha Power

Richard Holbrooke, who died in December 2010, was a pivotal player in U.S. diplomacy for more than forty years. Most recently special envoy for Iraq and Afghanistan under President Obama, Holbrooke also served as assistant secretary of state for both Asia and Europe, and as ambassador to both Germany and the United Nations. He had a key role in brokering a peace agreement among warring factions in Bosnia that led to the Dayton Peace Accords in 1995.Widely regarded to possess one of the most penetrating minds of any modern diplomat of any nation, Holbrooke was also well known for his outsized personality, and his capacity to charm and offend in equally colossal measures. In this book, the friends and colleagues who knew him best survey his accomplishments as a diplomat, activist, and author. Excerpts from Holbrooke’s own writings further illuminate each significant period of his career.

The Unquiet American is both a tribute to an exceptional public servant and a backstage history of the last half-century of American foreign policy.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Politics, History, Biography Memoir

400 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2011

Reviews

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Usually the beginning of a biography is the most boring part, especially for someone with such an impressive career. But the Unquiet American shows that Holbrooke's combative style was developed as a reporter at Brown, that his skill for manipulation came from closely observing history and the conditions on the ground in Vietnam. In many ways the Unquiet American reads like a sophisticated Irish Wake. The boozier it gets the more the same stories about suitcases at the Dayton Accords get repeated, and some chapters read as wistful essays reflecting more on the author's thoughts than on their subject. Samantha Power's intimate description of Holbrooke as mentor is unforgettable and touching. May we all have blustery mentors in pink Oxford shirts.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Holbrooke was a public servant almost continuously since he joined the U.S. Foreign Service in 1962. He died "in harness," suffering the fatal collapse that led to his death, in the State Department. This book is a wonderful collection of essays by people who knew him, many who worked with him, and one by his wife, Kati Marton.

They present a picture of a brash, unorthodox fighter, ambitious and egotistical to be sure, but one wedded to fighting for the America he believed in.

The essays follow him from his early days as a young Foreign Service officer in the quagmire of Vietnam to his last days as U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. In between, he served in various jobs, including Managing Editor of Foreign Policy magazine, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, twice as an assistant secretary at the State Department, and most famously as chief architect of the Dayton Peace Agreement that ended the 1990's war in Bosnia.

The quote that I remember best is one from an article he wrote for The New Republic on May 3, 1975, "Pushing Sand" and reprinted here about Vietnam: "But then finally it all seemed to come down to one simple, horrible truth: we didn't belong there, we had no business doing what we were doing, even the good parts of it."

[Sue Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had heard his name but never really knew who he was. I learned a lot about one of the premier diplomats of our time. More an anthology of some of Holbrooke's writings and men and women he worked with during the course of his long and esteemed career in foreign service.

[Patrick Kornegay, Jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh to have a man like Holbrooke at the State Department nowadays … great insight to a man how believe in public service and the power of US diplomacy to challenge global challenges, from Vietnam to Afghanistan. I’ll be sure to visit the American Academy in Berlin next time, of which he helped found, next time I’m there !

[Louise Yarnall · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a collection of appreciations of him written by his beltway journalism and political pals, along with some samples of his writing. Possibly interesting fodder for historians of the latter 20th century diplomatic policies and negotiations, but ultimately didn't work well.

Whether intentionally or not, I found the collection characterized him as a spoiled young man who goes through life convinced of his own specialness. I tired of his company and the company of his fawning friends. There was some pathos in seeing how, at the end of his life, the times had passed him by and Obama barely gave him the time of day. If there had been more on that, I might have read more, but I got bored with a story of a guy who, as far as I could tell, rarely faced any struggles in his life (other than not getting hired by the NYT) and so I put it down halfway through.

[Alan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not exactly uncritical. This book is a panegyrics of essays, by wife and admiring friends. Holbrooke was a darling of Carter, Clinton, N Y Times. He polished up his creds a lot. Another one of those guys who are "smartest" and proved it by showing how everyone else was stupid. Cozied up from Rusk to Clifford and other power brokers. Made loot on Wall Street while of course being "bored."

This is usually how I read "speaking truth to power" because the speaker has a corner on the truth and so it seems he was right about everything from 1960 (age 20) on. Thin skinned, everyone else had to be thick skinned. Of course, his last assignment was H Clinton appointment for Afghanistan where his performance was a disaster partly because he couldn't get along with anyone.

[Beverly Kent · Rating 4 out of 5]

This an outstanding book written using Holbrooke's own writings over the period of his diplomatic service. It is connected with commentary by his friends and mentees (those he mentored) and gives a wonderful picture of some of the most recent history of diplomacy in this country. The chapter on the Dayton accords and the closing chapter are especially strong. He was defintely a "doer" in the service of his country and an unabashed flag-waver and critic all in one. History buffs will enjoy it although there is some disconnect; be sure to read the title of each chapter and the date.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating account of the life of a Super Diplomat, told both through the eyes of those around him and through his own writings. Having just read the Steve Jobs biography I was struck by the similarities -- both men had a kind of genius and the audacity (and ego) to be phenomenally successful professionally. But both were also such flawed human beings that they made life miserable for many of those around them.

[Danny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard Holbrooke was the man and lived a pretty insane life. The structure was much more interesting that a standard biography. It's basically collection of essays about Holbrooke mixed in with essays previously published by the man himself. I learned a ton about the history of the late Cold War and the conflict in the Balkans in the 90's. This could be considered a solid manual for international diplomacy, in my opinion.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughy enjoyed the book. I admire people who have such clear determination in the face of adversity.
Richard Holebrooke was brash, abrasive and extremely intelligent. No friend or foe ever questioned where Mr. Holebrooke stood. This is a well deserved tribute to a great diplomat.
Perhaps his personality was the reason he never achieved his life long dream of being Secretary of State.

[Neil Bhatiya · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great overview of a unique American diplomat. It was published as a tribute, so don't expect too much in the way of criticism. That being said, Holbrooke's been front and center on Vietnam, the Balkans, South Asia, and the role of diplomacy in U.S. foreign policy. This serves as essential reference for one crucial perspective on these issues.

[Marion Vermazen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting. It contains essays by others about Holbrook and articles about foreign policy that Holbrook wrote over his career. I enjoyed the essays a lot but Holbrook's writing not so much because they obviously gave the perspective at the time they were written which I didn't find all that interesting.

[John Janovy Jr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a truly superb exploration of the life and times, as well as the intellectual endeavors, of one of the most remarkable individuals in post-war American diplomacy. Samantha Power is one of the editors and she is an extremely insightful writer and thinker.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have nothing but respect for Richard Holbrooks and all he accomplished as a diplomat and representative of the United States, and for his wife, Kati Marton. But I couldn't get through this book--it was not enough of a history to provide the context for many of the documents included and they seemed so dated (I didn't finish when I realized I was reading other things and avoiding the book). I lived through much of the time that is referenced, so I'm not ignorant of what was going on. Rather than being a history or biography, the book seemed more like a festschrift compiled by Holbrooke's admirers after he passed away, rather like a scrapbook of his writings with articles by those who most respected him. There's nothing wrong with that, but without the historian's perspective that would help the reader through the compilation, the book is not helpful in 2022--it seems the world has moved on, although the lessons of history are vital and I wish that Holbrooke were here to advise us all on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and other world problems. I'll look for a more traditional biography.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Essential reading for anyone aspiring to a career in public service. Inspires a renewed faith in the power of diplomacy (especially American diplomacy) in a time where it seems as though it is constantly failing.