Thirteen Days in September: Carter, Begin, and Sadat at Camp David

by Lawrence Wright

ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW’ S 10 BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR

A gripping day-by-day account of the 1978 Camp David conference, when President Jimmy Carter persuaded Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin and Egyptian president Anwar Sadat to sign the first peace treaty in the modern Middle East, one which endures to this day.

With his hallmark insight into the forces at play in the Middle East and his acclaimed journalistic skill, Lawrence Wright takes us through each of the thirteen days of the Camp David conference, illuminating the issues that have made the problems of the region so intractable, as well as exploring the scriptural narratives that continue to frame the conflict. In addition to his in-depth accounts of the lives of the three leaders, Wright draws vivid portraits of other fiery personalities who were present at Camp David––including Moshe Dayan, Osama el-Baz, and Zbigniew Brzezinski––as they work furiously behind the scenes. Wright also explores the significant role played by Rosalynn Carter.
What emerges is a riveting view of the making of this unexpected and so far unprecedented peace. Wright exhibits the full extent of Carter’s persistence in pushing an agreement forward, the extraordinary way in which the participants at the conference—many of them lifelong enemies—attained it, and the profound difficulties inherent in the process and its outcome, not the least of which has been the still unsettled struggle between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

In Thirteen Days in September , Wright gives us a resonant work of history and reportage that provides both a timely revisiting of this important diplomatic triumph and an inside look at how peace is made.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, Middle East, Israel, Egypt, Biography

368 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Lawrence Wright is an author, screenwriter, playwright, and staff writer for The New Yorker magazine. He has won a Pulitzer Prize and three National Magazine Awards.

His latest book, The Human Scale , is a sweeping, timely thriller, in which a Palestinian-American FBI agent teams up with a hardline Israeli cop to solve the murder of the Israeli police chief in Gaza. According to The New York Times, “Wright succeeds in this complex, deeply felt work.”

He is the author of 11 nonfiction books. His book about the rise of al-Qaeda, The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 (Knopf, 2006), was published to immediate and widespread acclaim. It has been translated into 25 languages and won numerous awards, including the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction. It was made into a series for Hulu in 2018, starring Jeff Daniels, Alec Baldwin, and Tahar Rahim.

Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief (Knopf, 2013) was a New York Times bestseller. Wright and director Alex Gibney turned it into an HBO documentary, which won three Emmys, including best documentary. Wright and Gibney also teamed up to produce another Emmy-winning documentary, for Showtime, about the murder of Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi.

In addition to The Human Scale, Wright has three other novels: Noriega: God’s Favorite (Simon and Schuster, 2000) which was made into a Showtime movie starring Bob Hoskins; The End of October (Knopf, 2020), a bestseller about a viral pandemic that came out right at the beginning of COVID; Mr. Texas (Knopf, 2023), which has been optioned as a limited streaming series.

In 2006, Wright premiered his first one-man play, “My Trip to Al-Qaeda,” at The New Yorker Festival, which led to a sold-out six-week run off-Broadway, before traveling to Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. It was made into a documentary film of the same name, directed by Alex Gibney, for HBO.

Before he wrote the novel, Wright wrote and performed a one-man show also called The Human Scale, about the standoff between Israel and Hamas over the abduction of an Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit. The Public Theater in New York produced the play, which ran for a month off-Broadway in 2010, before moving to the Cameri Theater in Tel Aviv. Many of the ideas developed in that play later evolved into the novel of the same name, published 15 years later.

In addition to his one-man productions, Wright has written five other plays that have enjoyed productions around the country, including Camp David, about the Carter, Begin, and Sadat summit in 1978; and Cleo, about the making of the movie Cleopatra.

Wright is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Society of American Historians, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He also serves as the keyboard player in the Austin-based blues band, WhoDo.

Reviews

[Trish · Rating 5 out of 5]

”It is striking that, in a region as intimate as the Middle East, cultural ignorance and political miscalculation have played such perverse roles. By attacking the new country of Israel in 1948, the Arabs lost the chance to create an entity for Palestine. Through its policy of expulsion of the native population, Israel destabilized its neighbors and created a reservoir of future terrorists that was continually refreshed by new wars and population transfers.”

In surely what is the most intimately detailed report of the Carter Camp David Accords collected for public consumption, Lawrence Wright gives us a look at the men who came to that place in 1978 to wage peace. Chapter headings mark the thirteen days of talks, and within each day we are treated to the increasingly stuffy and claustrophobic internal debates which contrasted with the comfortable and laid-back atmosphere of the country playground.

As the chapters unfold, so do brief histories and biographies of the men who played a role: Israeli Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan; Israeli Minister of Defence Ezer Weizman; Prime Minister of Israel and leader of the minority coalition Likud, Menachem Begin; Egypt’s deputy Prime Minister Hassan al-Tohamy; Egypt’s new Foreign Minister Mohamed Ibrahim Kamel; Egyptian President Anwar Sadat; U.S. National Security Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski; U.S. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance; American first-term President Jimmy Carter.

The men are merely men, with all the ticks, scars, and faults of men. What is so breathtaking is that the lives of so many depended on these men acting like statesmen. By meeting at Camp David, all three men were taking huge political risks for their own lives and careers. One might argue that the risks never left the personal realm. None of them really took risks with the nations they represented. Carter continued to financially and politically support both countries, Begin never changed his determination to settle confiscated lands, and Egypt simply withdrew support for Palestinians it had previously protected.

Wright concentrates his focus on the Israeli and Egyptian delegations. We get a look at Jimmy and Roslyn Carter, their background and rise to prominence in Washington, and Jimmy Carter’s team of advisors, but we get a more detailed look at what was happening in the other camps as talks progressed through two weeks in September. We learn, too, of the wars fought in the name of ‘legitimate rights,’ which brought these men to Camp David.

There was a dangling thread that did not get resolved at Camp David, though two of the three parties believed it had been resolved. In the months after the agreement was signed, that dangling thread became part of the noose which helped to hang the careers of Carter and Sadat: Menachem Begin claimed he had not agreed to a settlement freeze while discussions with Palestinians continued but only for three months. Without the side letter that Carter and Sadat believed Begin had promised to produce, the concession was moot and not part of the original accord.

Begin returned to Israel triumphant, only to lose his closest advisors to resignations for his continued unwillingness to honor the spirit of the agreement he’d signed. Sadat was murdered by his own people three years later. Carter, having spent so much time on the effort of achieving the peace, had neglected his other duties and lost much support among his party and his electorate.

This was a time in Israeli-Arab relations when any observer could not be blamed for feeling despair. The Israelis were gloating and acting invincible with America’s money and support. The Palestinians were further marginalized and weakened by their loss of Egyptian backing and lack of good leadership. The conditions spelled out in the agreement continue to hold, but there is little sense of jubilation now.

This book must have been a difficult one to research and write, which only manages to shine a light on Wright’s achievement. He captures the ups and downs of high-stakes negotiation and gives us a feel for the real work involved in the process. There is little exhilaration here. Mostly there was just terror and relief.

In a final note, Wright tells the story of one of Begin’s closest advisors, Ezer Weizman, who was known to be a raging hawk in when it came to protecting Israel with military. One day his son was shot between the eyes in an engagement. At that point Weizman began to see the futility of war. Man seems determined to learn this lesson again and again, and not soon enough.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

My new favorite nonfiction subgenre is "Stuff That Happened When I Was Alive But Not Old Enough to Understand." It is, necessarily, a very specific topic area of interest to a very specific audience.

While I don't exactly remember these thirteen days, I remember the peace agreements signing ceremony, and wondering why it was such a big deal. Of course, I have spent seemingly every other day since then getting taught why these accords were important.

As with so many things in history, the Camp David agreement(s) were both an astounding success and abject failure. They succeeded in brokering a peace between Israel and Egypt, but left the issue of a homeland for Palestinians aside. And, as is often the case when history is examined through the lives of the real humans who made it, one is constantly reminded that so much depends on who is at the table, and what the have experienced, as well as who is staffing the table, and what brilliant ideas they come up with in the hallway.

[Steven Z. · Rating 3 out of 5]

On November 19, 1977 Egyptian President Anwar Sadat made a momentous journey when he visited Jerusalem. First, it led to the Camp David Agreement between Egypt and Israel, effectively removing Israel’s strongest enemy from the battlefield. Second, it cost the Egyptian leader his life as he was assassinated by Islamic extremists on October 6, 1981. Sadat’s removal from the diplomatic scene was a blow to the peace process from that point on. Motivated by the needs of the Egyptian economy, poverty, and the condition of his military, Sadat, known for bold moves sought peace as a solution to his nation’s ills. Because he chose peace at Camp David it precluded another round of war between Egypt, Syria, and Israel. Not since William B. Quandt’s CAMP DAVID: PEACEMAKING AND POLITICS has the reading public been exposed to what happened over the two week period in the fall of 1978 when an Arab country finally made peace with Israel. Lawrence Wright, a Pulitzer prize winning author for his work the LOOMING TOWER, has just completed THIRTEEN DAYS IN SEPTEMBER: CARTER, BEGIN, AND SADAT AT CAMP DAVID, a work of historical synthesis that tries to explain the origins and course of the Arab-Israeli conflict, and how the Camp David Accords fit into the diplomatic equation. Wright is a marvelous purveyor of narrative history. He has an excellent knack for integrating past history, be it, dealing with Biblical myths or recent political and military conflicts into his narrative. The book is quite readable and he tries to untangle the web of inconclusive negotiations and wars between Israel and the Arab states dating back to World War II. In so doing, he explores the Camp David process on a daily basis examining the personalities involved, the political landscape that each participant risked, the diplomatic minutia that Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin and Anwar Sadat engaged in, and the effect that failure or success might have on the summits results.

The book ostensibly is the story of three flawed men who came together at the 140 acre presidential retreat that lies inside Maryland’s heavily wooded Catoctin Mountain Park sixty miles north of the White House. Jimmy Carter “was fueled by his religious belief that God had put him in office in part to bring peace to the Holy Land,” and unlike previous American presidents he was willing to risk the prestige of his office to pursue his goal. (285) Carter had been warned by his former campaign manager, Hamilton Jordan of the domestic political consequences, particularly among American Jews, should it be perceived that he pressured Israel into making a settlement, but Carter was determined to make the effort. Anwar Sadat realized how weak Egypt was becoming due to the state of their economy and his goal was to try and “supplant Israel as America’s best friend in the region”. Peace was a highly desirable outcome as it would bring with it American economic assistance and European investment, but more importantly if the summit failed because of Israeli intransigence, it would boost Egypt’s standing with the United States. Begin agreed to attend believing it was a necessity because of Carter’s personal invitation. He believed it would only last a few days, and that nothing of substance would be accomplished other than the promise of future talks. Begin’s main goal was to avoid being blamed for the summits failure, but as Wright accurately describes, the only way that could be achieved was making sure it succeeded.

Wright does an exceptional job locating information that was heretofore not commonly known. An interesting example is the CIA’s profiles of Begin and Sadat that were requested by Carter as he prepared for the summit. Based on Wright’s narrative of the tense and at times vitriolic negotiations, the CIA’s analysis of each was quite accurate. Sadat “saw himself as a grand strategic thinker blazing like a comet through the skies.” The CIA noted his penchant for publicity, terming it the “Barbara Walters Syndrome,” by the time the summit began; it was upgraded to Sadat’s “‘Noble Peace Prize Complex.” Begin was seen as “secretive, legalistic, and leery of radical change. History, for Begin, was a box full of tragedy; one shouldn’t expect to open it without remorse.”(9) When under pressure Sadat resorted to generalities, Begin to minutiae, creating a situation Carter did not anticipate. Carter had hoped to avoid interjecting an American proposal to discussions, and allow Begin and Sadat to talk face to face, expecting they would reach an agreement with American nudging. This strategy was a failure, as Carter could not leave them alone in the same room. What became clear by the sixth day of the conference was that the Begin-Sadat relationship, was at best “prickly,” and their interchanges were overly charged in dealing with things like who won the 1973 War and the amount of oil Israel was pumping from the Sinai. If they argued bitterly over minor issues what would happen when territorial problems were discussed, the status of Jerusalem, and the Palestinian problem. As Ezer Weitzmann, the Israeli Minister of Defense has related, “Anyone observing the two men could not have overlooked their profound divergence in their attitudes. Both desired peace. But whereas Sadat wanted to take it by storm….Begin preferred to creep forward inch by inch. He took the dream of peace and ground it into the fine, dry powder of details, legal clauses, and quotes from international law.”(98) After taking his guests for a visit to the Gettysburg National Battlefield, Carter shifted his approach from a facilitator to a catalyst in conducting the talks. This change along with Carter’s doggedness and commitment are in large part responsible for the final success of the summit.

Wright provides the reader with brief biographies of each of the participants. Based on Carter’s engineering mindset and the skills he had developed over the years he was able to parse the language of written documents and make them mostly acceptable. His religious background drove him until he could achieve his goals. Begin was a prisoner of his past, be it his imprisonment in Siberia, the Holocaust, fighting the British after World War II as the leader of the Irgun, as all played into his narrow world view. From childhood onward, Sadat believed he was special and history had a place for him to accomplish great things, as he was open to all challenges whether allying with the Nazis during World War II, his own imprisonment, or unlikely political rise. Wright separates his narrative by employing chapters for each day of the conference. As he explains the daily events he integrates background history so the reader can understand the importance of each issue. If the contemporary history is not enough, Wright then goes on to discuss the Biblical stories and explanations that pertain to each issue. Wright also enjoys tackling different myths associated with the conflict, i.e.; he argues that Israel actually was not outnumbered by the Arab armies during the 1948 War; he also argues that David Ben-Gurion and the Haganah were involved with the bombing of the King David Hotel in 1947 killing 81 people and that Begin agreed to place the blame for the attack on the Irgun.

Wright tells his story and makes his arguments in a very concise manner and the narrative is very readable and provides the basis for understanding a great deal about issues that remain unresolved today. If there are areas that Wright could improve upon I would suggest he integrate greater use of primary sources into his work. He relies overly on secondary sources. I commend his command of these sources but at times he draws conclusions from the monographs he uses that are incorrect. In discussing the Suez Crisis of 1956 he leaves out important points, i.e.; when Nasser nationalized the Suez Canal he makes it sound as if it came out of the blue, and there is no mention of the fact that he was reacting to the withdrawal of the American loan to build the Aswan Dam. Further, I feel that at times the author gets bogged down in his repeated rendering of Biblical stories. I would rather have had him delve further into the negotiations and provide his analysis which was for the most part excellent.

Overall, Wright’s contribution to the literature of the Arab-Israeli conflict is to be applauded. The analysis he presents in his Epilogue is dead on as the summit papered over the Palestinian problem and it can be argued that this failure contributed greatly to recent events in Gaza. What is also important as Wright points out is that Camp David took Egypt out of the equation and “without a powerful Arab champion, Palestine became a mascot for Islamists and radical factions who could only do further damage to the prospects of a peaceful and just response to the misery of an abandoned people.”(288)

[Taufiq Yves · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book delves into the complexities of Jewish, Israeli, and Middle Eastern affairs. I've divided it into 3 sections for a clearer understanding.

Part 1: The first 13 days:

The initial focus is on what was discussed and how during the 1st 13 days of the summit. The broader context is established: since the 1948 UN partition plan, Israel and its Arab neighbors had been engaged in 4 wars. Despite Israel's overall military superiority, the 4th Arab-Israeli War had left Israel vulnerable, and Begin faced significant domestic pressure. Carter, too, was under strain due to the US's domestic economic situation and the need for a foreign policy victory to secure reelection.

The 3 main players were: Begin, the Israeli Prime Minister; Carter, the US President; and Sadat, the Egyptian President. While Begin and Carter's presence was expected, Sadat's participation as a representative of the entire Arab world was more tenuous, as not all Arab nations, particularly Jordan and Palestine, recognized his authority.

The primary issues discussed were:

1. The return of the Sinai Peninsula to Egypt.
2. The status of the West Bank.
3. The international status of Jerusalem.

Ultimately, Begin conceded on the first issue, while Sadat made concessions on the latter two, although he merely agreed to postpone a decision rather than making concrete commitments.

The author highlights the personal interactions between the leaders, such as conversations about their experiences in prison, and the symbolic gestures like Carter's tour of memorials, demonstrating that even high-level politicians are human.

Part 2: The leaders

This section delves into the personalities of Carter, Sadat, and Begin. Carter, a Southern idealist, underestimated the complexities of the Middle East conflict. However, he played a crucial role in the negotiations, evolving from a mere facilitator to a key architect of the peace agreement. Sadat, the first Arab leader to recognize Israel, faced significant domestic opposition for his peace initiative. Begin, a staunch nationalist, often clashed with Sadat but was ultimately persuaded to make concessions by his more moderate advisors.

Part 3: The aftermath

Sadat and Begin were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts. However, Carter was not, despite his pivotal role in the negotiations. Sadat was assassinated by Islamic extremists, and Begin faced increasing opposition from hardliners within Israel. Both leaders paid a high price for their pursuit of peace.

To be honest, I didn't gain much from this book. It's a history lesson, and while I'm interested in history, it's hard to see the point when conflicts are still happening today.

[Colleen Maynard · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this from a Libby rec list because of the recent news. It was interesting to learn some of the history of Gaza and Israel as well a bit of Carter’s presidency.

[Ted Hunt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This relatively short, well written book provides an excellent examination of the Camp David peace conference of 1978, which resulted in the first peace treaty between Israel and one of its Arab neighbors. I was drawn to the book not only because of the subject matter, but because its author, Lawrence Wright, wrote one of the best books that I have ever read, the Pulitzer Prize winning examination of the history of al-Qaeda, "The Looming Tower." His current book did not disappoint. Not only does it provide a day-by-day account of the events in Camp David, but it ingeniously weaves into the narrative a history of Arab-Israeli conflict up to that moment in time, as well as the backgrounds of the key protagonists: President Jimmy Carter, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. I had always envisioned Carter's role as that of the wise, low-key, benevolent peace-maker, but this book shows him to have been very, very tough when he needed to be, which was every time that the talks were threatened with collapse (which happened a number of times). Carter was not afraid to use his power as President to threaten the other two leaders with serious repercussions if a framework for peace was not worked out. And while the book points out the frailties of all of the individuals involved, it lays the blame for the conference's failure to produce a comprehensive peace for the entire Middle East at the feet of Begin. It praises him for having the courage to trade something tangible (the land of the Sinai Peninsula) for something ephemeral ("peace"), but it also faults him for making virtually no effort to revolve the Palestinian problem, which remains vexing almost forty years later. In the end, the book leaves one with a sense of the enormity of trying to arrive a comprehensive solution to the problems of the Middle East, but also with a sense of hope about what imperfect human beings are able to accomplish.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the hands of a good author, history can be absolutely gripping. I was as enthralled with this book as any fictional thriller. I learned a LOT and not just about the Camp David accord. The author included a great deal of background information about so many of the people involved to greater and lesser degrees in this historic meeting. The middle east is such a complicated place and this book helped straighten much of it out for me.

One of the things I came away with is that every side - the British, the French, the Americans, the Israelis, the Palestinians, the Arabs - all have made mistakes, choosing at critical moments to escalate hostilities instead of looking to the future and looking for other options. And at the same time, I also feel that there have been individuals who have tried, against all odds and pressure, to move in the right direction.

[Julian Douglass · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well written and detailed account of the thirteen days that Cater started the path to peace in the Middle East. A great tick-tock of the weeks, Mr. Wright does an exceptional job of writing in a way that makes you think that the deal is not going to happen, even though everyone who has a basic understanding of late 20th century America knows that this was one of Carter's few accomplishments. The only reason why it was not 5 stars is that the format bugged me a bit. While the tick-tock was a unique way to tell the story, some chapters were 30+ pages while others were just 10. I think the better way to do this was a beginning, middle, end, type of plot because the first 4 chapters included more backstory than actual negotiations, and in my mind, the first 4 days of the meeting, about 10% of those chapters were devoted to the actual summit. Still a great book and a good look at an unbelievable summit.

[Jennifer Ozawa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know very little about the Middle East and the origins of all the conflicts that plague the region. I was curious and picked up The Looming Tower and this book as well.

This book is an excellent entryway into learning about the US’s involvement in Middle East politics. Lawrence Wright is becoming a favorite of mine. The book is concise and really makes characters out of all the men involved in the Camp David talks.

[مصطفي سليمان · Rating 5 out of 5]

لورانس رايت يا جماعة يعني مش عارف أقول ايه والله
اللي بيعمله لورانس رايت في طريقة سرده للتاريخ حاجة محصلتش قبل كدا الراجل مش بيألف تاريخ مثلا أو بيحاول يبقي مؤرخ
ولكن بكل بساطة هو بيخليك عين تالته علي الحدث
لو كنت قريت
البروج المشيدة: القاعدة والطريق إلى 11 سبتمبر
هتبقي فاهم كويس انا اقصد ايه طريقة السرد الغير خطية اللي بيعتمد عليها هي واحدة من أصعب الطرق في السرد ان كانت معمولة بشكل جيد
هو بقي مستوي مرعب في السرد غير الخطي
هنا بيتكلم علي مفاوضات ال 13 يوم في كامب ديفيد اي كاتب هيكتب علي الموضوع دا هيبقي بيدور علي التواريخ و اللي حصل من حيث الاتفاقات واثرها
لورانس رايت مش بس عمل دا لكن كمان اديلك سيناريو متكامل عن كل يوم وبيبتدي معاك زي ما قولنا بطريقة ملتزمة ب سرد زمني بالنسبة للتفاصيل بينما فيه خط زمني واضح اللي هما ال 13 يوم

يمكن كمان عمله في الجامعة الامريكية في القاهرة ادله تصور كبير عن المجتمع المصري و الشرقي في العموم ودا هو ذكره ف عدة لقاءات هنا هو بيحاول يدخل في تفاصيل تلات شخصيات غاية في التناقض في تفاصيل أتفاق من أصعب المفاوضات اللي حصلت في التاريخ
ازاي يخليك جزء من الحدث؟

الاجابة اللي هي

التفاصيل

ازاي أقدر اجمع كل هذا القدر من التفاصيل، انا متخيل كمية المعلومات اللي جمعها وبدا ب فرزها وتنقيتها و تنقيحها قبل ما يخط حرف في الكتاب، تقريبا اي سطر اتكتب ليه مرجع معين، مذكرات هنا، لقاء هناك، وثائق صور، فيديوهات وبعدين يبدأ في صناعة بروفيل عن الشخصيات بحيث يكون ليه ملف يقدر يرجعله وقت ما يحتاج، و النتيجة في النهاية بتقرأ عمل ادبي غاية ف الامتاع، مفهوش اختراع او اضافات من خيال المؤلف اللهم بعض الجمل الحوارية لكن غير كدا المواقف كلها موثقة ولكن السرد يا جماعة والله مش منطقي

في جزء بيحكي فيه حرب أكتوبر انا اتاثرت بشدة، بسبب طريقة السرد وحكيه للموضوع مع اني عارف كل اللي قاله و المعلومات كلنا حافظينها لكن فعلا طريقة الحكي يخليك تبص للموضوع بشكل تاني بسبب التفاصيل البسيطة اللي جايه من تعب و مجهود وبحث مضني عشان يقدر ياخد من الموقف اللي محتاجه

الكتاب البديع اتحول لمسرحية كبيرة في امريكا كتب ليها النص المسرحي المؤلف نفسه، واللي مثل دور السادات كان خالد النبوي
الكتاب يستحق القراءة و الاستمتاع بشدة

[Cindy H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating and in depth account of the thirteen days spent at Camp David , Maryland in 1978 where US President Jimmy Carter arranged and brokered a Peace accord between Egypt and Israel. Lawrence Wright did a phenomenal job researching and providing background information on all the key players. He made it very clear what each individual, as well as each country had to gain and lose by agreeing to undertake such a momentous task. I was awed by how intricate the nuances and wording of every line in the agreement was hammered out and to what extent both world leaders were willing to budge or hold unto.
A remarkable read which helps explain the situation the Middle East is still currently negotiating.

[Aaron Million · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lawrence Wright masterfully reviews and analyzes, in detail, the days leading up to the Camp David Accords in September 1978. This momentous peace treaty between Egypt and Israel still stands, mainly thanks to the flexibility and long-term vision of Anwar Sadat and the incredible work ethic of Jimmy Carter. Wright examines what all three sides brought to the table, and takes a close look at the important personalities who helped shaped the accords.

Wright structures the book so that the prologue is the time period leading up to the beginning of the almost two weeks at Camp David, the epilogue is what happened following the signing of the accords, and each chapter in between represents one of the thirteen days. He continually moves back and forth between mini-biographies of many of the major players involved (Sadat, Carter, Menachem Begin, and the many aides and ministers on all sides) and what is going on at Camp David. He does this with relative ease, using each person's history to help explain why certain things were occurring. One example is his review of Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Dayan - Wright details his military background, the loss of his left eye in Syria, and the many campaigns that he presided over. Wright uses this information to then help the reader better understand Dayan's behavior and motivations.

Of critical importance during these talks was the role of Carter. Wright skillfully explains how it evolved from one of mere host, where Carter was just hoping that by getting Begin and Sadat together at a remote cabin location the two men would sit down and iron out many of their respective differences, to that of an active and forceful negotiator, where Carter had to use all of his personal prestige as President and put it on the line, as well as developing a specifically American proposal. Wright shows Carter's strengths and weaknesses equally but ultimately gives him major credit for being willing to put his political career on the line in the way that almost no politician, let alone a sitting president, does. Had the negotiations ended badly - and for most of the thirteen days that seemed like the likely result - Carter knew that he for sure would be weakened during his remaining time in office, that the U.S. would lose credibility on the world stage, and that he surely would not be re-elected (which he wasn't despite this achievement). It is difficult to imagine many other presidents 1) being willing to sacrifice himself for the chance for peace between two countries on the other side of the globe, and 2) being familiar enough with the issues to hold his own in the intricate discussions. At the same time, Wright shows that Carter badly miscalculated in thinking that just by bringing Sadat and Begin together that things would work out.

If there is a villain here, it is Begin. His intransigence almost torpedoed the accords several times over. He was mired in minutiae and resolutely inflexible. Indeed, for most of the thirteen days, Begin and Sadat did not see or speak to each other, thus necessitating Carter's increased role. Begin's past is not something to be proud of (he basically ran a terrorist organization underground before coming to power) yet he was unflinching in his refusal to understand the Egyptian and Palestinian (and for that matter the American) viewpoints. With all of the bad blood and ill will between the two antagonists (Sadat refused to even utter Begin's name, instead referring to him as "that man"), it is incredible that Carter managed to forge a deal, and even more amazing that it has stood up to the present day in the most volatile region of the world.

Wright is an excellent journalist with the ability to make a story and all of its participants come alive. Anyone wishing to read about some of the conflicts in the Middle East would be well-served by this book.

Grade: A

[Dakota Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew of the Camp David Accords as one of the many stop/start peace processes in the Middle East, but didn't really understand the complexity. Lawrence Wright does a great job of unpacking the long history of Israel-related conflicts, mixed in with the human-level conflict between Carter, Begin, and Sadat at Camp David. Wright's biographical details of these main characters, as well as their subordinates, help bring the peace talks to life.

A quibble: Wright's history lessons are slotted into the main narrative somewhat randomly, almost like he fit them in later. And the history isn't always chronological, making it hard to keep track of when Israel, Egypt, or another country was at war. Once you're in a given history, it's great and fascinating, but it's not easy to follow the big picture.

A quibble that Wright couldn't really do anything about: the "thirteen days" narrative is a rollercoaster, and not necessarily in a good way for narrative storytelling. Wright tries to make the various "we're done here" moments seem like rising tension, but you know the talks continue. The issue is that they never seem to continue in interesting ways. The tension gives way to... well, the next day dawns and the talks continue. It's never quite clear why these parties didn't actually give up, the story just goes on.

Quibbles aside, this is a superb retelling of a really interesting period of history for Israel, Egypt, and the United States. There aren't a ton of positive stories about Carter's presidency! This is a pretty good one, even if the Accords never quite lived up to their promise. At least Israel isn't at war with Egypt anymore?

[Jason P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Given the current situation in Gaza - I wanted to read a non-fiction book that might give me a sense of the deeper issues behind the Israel-Palestinian conflict. This fit the bill in many ways. The history of the region is both fascinating and tragic, and this book tells the story of what it took to get peace on just one of the elements that make the conflict so impossible: a deal between Israel and Egypt. What was ultimately required was sacrifice on all parts and leaders with vision. And even then - all involved suffered, most notably Anwar Sadat, who was assassinated shortly thereafter. Lawrence Wright explains how subsequent events sowed the seeds for the situation today. He also points out that the leaders of the time were forced to grapple with the fact history would judge them mercilessly for what they did or did not do - and of how much blood they would have on their hands. I’m not sure whether this book leaves me more depressed about the future of the conflict or hopeful some sane peace deal might be achieved in the future.

[Henry Atkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lawrence Wright has written a great account of the 1978 Camp David summit and the agreement that came out of it. President Carter, President Sadat, and PM Begin come alive in this account, as we see the summit nearly fail many times. We meet key officials like Israel’s Moshe Dayan and Ezer Weizman, Egypt’s Mohammad Kamal and Osama Baz, and the U.S.’s Zbigniew Brzezinski and Cyrus Vance. The enclosed nature of the negotiations and the multiple near failures are brought to life, as is the summit’s trip to Gettysburg. The life of the three major leaders is discussed and Wright is generally evenhanded in his discussion of Israeli and Arab/Egyptian history, although not always as empathetic towards the Israelis as he should be. Still, this is a good book and Wright’s superb writing style keeps the reader engaged. It’s definitely recommended to anyone interested in Middle Eastern or US history and/or politics. Rating 4/5

[Mack · Rating 4 out of 5]

After finishing Going Clear, I was hungry for some more Lawrence Wright and this book didn't disappoint. His talent for depicting leaders in all the highs and lows of their humanity is pretty astounding. Carter, Begin, and Sadat all come across as plagued by different personal neuroses, driven by disparate hopes, and incapable of even agreeing on the same goals. Still, these three men managed to iron out an admittedly flawed set of peace accords in less than two weeks against all odds, and that remains impressive to this day. Wright also does a great job of portraying how each man's deeply held religious convictions both hampered and helped these talks. He's an incredible journalist and he told this story so well.

[Jo Laprany · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book if you’re into this kind of stuff. And probably if you aren’t but you just may not like it. Neat seeing behind the curtain and how even world leaders can be affected by stuff that’s less than rational. Several unexpectedly strange and interesting plot points and generally interesting sequence. Some people don’t want peace

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Thirteen Days in September” by Lawrence Wright was a page turner…the narrative brought to light the tension in the Camp David Peace Accords. I ended up stuck between four stars and five for this work…I had given his other work – The Looming Tower – five stars and in the end do the same here.

Wright is masterful in how he breathes life into historical events and he doesn’t disappoint here. What brought me from 4+ to 5 is consideration for how little Wright had to work with in developing his story. Only a few other works have dealt with this event, and none arguably as well as Wright. He puts a human face on the players from the three camps…the Israeli’s Prime Minister Menachem Begin, the Egyptian’s President Anwar Sadat, and the American’s President Jimmy Carter. Wright also brings a nuanced look at many of the advisors each party brought along for the summit.

How close the parties came to accomplishing nothing is evident in this tale. That they actually struck a peace between Egypt and Israel – one that still stands today 37 years later – is a wonder. It was the first and remains the only peace accord between an Arab country and the Israelis. A major failure of the summit was the lack of a settlement to the Palestinian homeland question, but that should not take anything away from the main accomplishment.

This is good reading and engrossing history. It seems that many American presidents are able to achieve a hallmark accomplishment during their tenure…oftentimes not recognized as such during their stay in office as history regularly is the judge. Examples of these signature events might be Franklin Roosevelt’s old age pension Social Security, George H. W. Bush’s Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia, Barack Obama’s healthcare initiative Affordable Healthcare, and for Carter it could very well be his Camp David Peace Accord between Egypt and Israel. Good stuff…highly recommended.

[Charlotte Clymer · Rating 4 out of 5]

The prevailing viewpoint among Millennials is that Jimmy Carter was a lackluster president but has had an extraordinary impact on the world since he left office. He is now universally admired for his efforts on behalf of human rights, particularly women's rights as of late.

The former part of that--the lackluster presidency--is so ingrained in me based on everything I've seen about Carter that whenever I read something positive about this time in office, I am overcome by skepticism. When "Argo" was released, I found myself feeling distant about the film's post-script legacy touting of Carter's actions during the crisis. It portrayed him as working behind the scenes to free the hostages regardless of who got the credit. I'm embarrassed to admit that I wasn't convinced.

And that's one reason this book is so important; sure, Carter wasn't the greatest politician, but he had incredible talents, which are on beautiful display in this narrative of the Camp Davis Accords. Carter is certainly not the only hero in the book, but he gets credit where credit is due, and the firsthand account of these 13 days also helps to explain why Carter wasn't reelected: his lack of political savvy on domestic affairs even while he ensured a lasting peace between Egypt and Israel.

Students of the Arab-Israeli Conflict will probably love this book, but if you're like, you'll often find yourself feeling overwhelmed by the detail and wishing you had prior context most of the events mentioned. Even so, this is entertaining--yes, entertaining--look at high-level diplomacy and excellence in statecraft.

The book does drag in some parts, especially if you're not super interested in Middle East politics, but I still highly recommend this to anyone. Wright has done a fantastic job.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an exceptional account of the Camp David treaty. Not only does it take you through the relevant conversations of each day, but the author throws in appropriate history of both the leaders and the nations to provide insight into why they behaved as they did. While the information is dense, the writing style makes these knotty issues digestible. Often I found myself turning to maps of the region in order to get a clearer picture of the land in question-and any book that leads to me doing outside research gets 5 stars in my book.

This is a worthwhile look at one of the biggest moments in the 20th century, one that will leave you frustrated with the outcome while simultaneously amazed there was an outcome at all.

[Alex Linschoten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing, but perhaps this says more about my expectations than about the book itself. Lawrence Wright wrote an excellent book about the pre-history to the attacks on September 11. This book isn't half as good. It's probably too lengthy, seems to plod along and seems to miss a lot of important regional context. I imagine the play he originally wrote (this book is based on the research he conducted while writing it) is probably entertaining as a study of character, but this reimagination of the events of those thirteen days left me cold. Don't bother reading it.

[Alexa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lawrence Wright never disappoints. Engaging read of an incredibly important diplomatic event that changed the course of Middle East history. I appreciated the way he wove in many other pivotal historical events as well. As someone who has studied this issue extensively, I still learned a great deal.

[Brad Eastman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Camp David accords stand out as one of the greatest peace making endeavors of the Post-World War II decades. The peace was imperfect - lot of distrust remained on both sides and many controversies were glossed over in the treaty, rather than being resolved. Nevertheless, the peace has held for almost 50 years, despite changes in governments, the Arab Spring and multiple wars with other parties. In the early years of the nation of Israel, Egypt was the primary foe, so we should not scoff at the achievement of peace.

Mr. Wright has written a very easy to read and very compelling account of the negotiations that led up to the Camp David Accords. He presents interesting profiles of the main characters- Carter, Sadat and Begin - as well as many of their respective advisors. He presents in flashback the searing historical traumas suffered by Israelis, Egyptians and Palestinians - traumas that leave all of the parties scarred and make further progress so difficult.

The hero of Mr. Wright's account is Jimmy Carter - who pushed Sadat and Begin far past their comfort zones through sheer will. We remember the Carter years for the malaise of stagflation, the Arab oil boycott and the tragedy of the Iranian hostages. We too easily forget President Carter's monumental achievement in mediating amongst two unwilling parties to create a lasting peace. What statesman or stateswoman today has the credibility, intelligence and force of conviction to achieve anything remotely comparable today?

Mr. Wright presents a very balanced account of the dispute. There is so much hurt, pain and atrocious behavior on all sides and Mr. Wright does not whitewash anyone's behavior. Peace will have to be forward looking. As long as all sides in the Palestinian/Israeli/Arab controversies continue to focus on the unremedied tragedies of their past - As long as all sides continue to trade on their victimhood - there will be no solution to the intractable problems of the Middle East. Too bad there is no American leader today to force the parties to think of the future rather than the injustices of the past.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fascinating day-by-day account of one of the most remarkable diplomatic achievements of any American president: the thirteen-day summit at Camp David where Jimmy Carter managed to negotiate a peace between Israel and Egypt. It's an interesting glimpse of how negotiation happens: I was mildly surprised by how much can depend on slight changes in wording of an agreement--for example changing the phrase, "all territories acquired in war" to just "territories acquired in war" made a draft of an agreement much more palatable to Menachem Begin. The book also provides a close look at fascinating men such as Anwar Sadat and Moshe Dayan. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in Jimmy Carter, the history of American diplomacy or of the Middle East.

[elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book on the Camp David Accords.

It offers not just the facts of what happened over the thirteen days Menanchem Begin, Anwar Sadat, and Jimmy Carter were cloistered at Camp David to try to hammer out peace between Egypt and Israel, but it also offers the background of the men involved. It helps understand the why of the Accords by understanding the why of the men involved.

It's engrossing, infuriating, and a great introduction to the complexity of the Middle East conflict, including the beginnings of radical Islam. I'd call it essential reading for anyone looking to understand the modern Middle East.

[Frank Cervarich · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as a companion to my graduate study work on negotiations. Wright is a fabulous author, and takes the time necessary to give historical and geopolitical context to the story of Camp David. I enjoyed learning about a moment in history that I don’t feel that we talk about enough, and a peace that was reached by historic enemies that lasts to this day.

[Nelson Kalberer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wright provides thrilling narrative and exceptional insight into one of the most incredible American negotiations. However, he stops short of answering why things happened the way they did. There is little on the nitty gritty of the Camp David Talks and of the interests of Egypt, Israel, and the United States that must have influenced the decision making. He gives historical and biographical context to the issues at hand, but it reads more as a work of journalism than as a truly analytical text.

Regardless, it is a book I would recommend to anyone wishing to get insight into the Israel-Palestine conflict. It was a joy to read.

[Sam Mart · Rating 2 out of 5]

A DNF for Wrightster who should stick to his wheelhouse of Islamic extremism. Seemed like his intent was to bash Begin for having the gall to stand on his two feet as opposed to write history. Proper junk.

Execution equal to Round 2, 2025 Tigers v Eels @Commbank

[Frank Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

President Jimmy Carter remains one of the most unpopular president's of recent memory. At times, he seems to blot out the black mark of Richard Nixon. Perhaps this is more a result of his recent political blathering about various international crisis', taking positions that if not loopy sound almost anti-American. But history is a slow judge and looking back at his mostly failed presidency, there was one small bright spot: the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt.

Lawrence Wright - who initially wrote a play about the 13 days of intense negotiations at the behest of Carter's former director of communications - brings a fascinating lens to what is arguably the only serious peace agreement in the Middle East in decades. While clearly sympathetic to Carter (Rafshoon produced the stage version, by the way), it does show Carter as a highly intelligence and incredibly determined man who trapped both Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minster Menachem Begin at Camp David in an effort to hammer out a deal.

But Wright is also clear-eyed about Carter by the epilogue: "...Carter came to Camp David under the spell of an illusion, seeing his role as a facilitator, a kind of camp counselor helping two quarreling parties understand each other better. he thought the leaders would discover the inherent goodness in each other and would willingly work out their differences. that illusion shattered within minutes of the first meeting of the three men."

Coupled with the scene of Carter crawling around on his hands and feet over a 20 foot map of the Sinai in the middle of the negotiations, one cannot help but what wonder what Sadat and Begin truly thought of Carter.

Begin is placed in a fairly dark light in the book, seen as determined to block any deal, obstruct any move toward peace. What I found fascinating was Begin's background: a survivor of Nazism, a survivor of Stalin's gulags, a dedicated family man and incredibly proud grandfather. But he was also a man who struggled with gloom and clear depression (can you blame him?). He spoke multiple languages, taught latin at one point in his life, and was a true man of the world.

Likewise, Sadat was a man of constant learning, having taught himself multiple languages including German from Nazi spies who were imprisoned in British prisons with him. Sadat was a consummate actor who viewed the political stage as a real stage - one where he could act out in outrageous fashion to push and pull opponents and allies toward that goal.

The Israeli-Egyptian peace is an enduring one. Carter clearly overreached in trying to settle the Palestinian issue at Camp David. And, as Wright points out, he ignored many of the other crisis' at hand in the world - many of which we are still struggling with, not the least of which was the fall of the Shah of Iran and the resulting rise of the tyrannical Ayatollah and the taking of American diplomats as hostages. And Sadat's determination to grab a piece of history in this deal set off a series of political tumblers which led to the resurgence of the Muslim Brotherhood, the birth of Al Qaeda and his own ultimate assassination at a grand military parade (one current Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri had a hand in).

Wright has written an interesting book, one filled with drama and interesting dialogue - in short, I can see how this must have been an interesting play.

[Philip Girvan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The biographical sketches of Menachem Begin are the strongest sections in the book. Wright does a commendable job demonstrating how Jewish history, along with his own WWII experience, influenced Begin’s worldview, particularly as regards Jews placing their security in the hands of non-Jews. One example of this which I had been previously unaware is Great Britain’s conduct during WWII. As Wright notes: “The British, freshly awakened to the value of oil and hoping to maintain productive relations with Arab countries, agreed to secretly restrict Jewish immigration into Palestine. The Irgun was Jews out of Europe, but British authorities were blocking ships carrying refugees to Palestine and sending them back to the European slaughterhouse” (76).

There’s also a clear delineation between Jews, European immigrants to Israel who had lived through the Holocaust, and Israelis – those who had been born in Ottoman Southern Syria or the British Mandate of Palestine, and how those differences vanished during the Yom Kippur War as all of Israel realized that they might be wiped from the map.
Begin’s movement from the underground to the Knesset is remarkable, and, as Wright informs us, inspirational to others would wish to gain legitimacy: “American forces would find a copy of Begin's memoir _The Revolt_ in the library of an al-Qaeda training camp. OBL read Begin in an attempt to understand how a terrorist transformed himself into a statesman” (82).

Anwar Sadat’s rise to power is nearly as inconceivable as Begin’s. Wright details this, noting similarities he and Begin share: prison, fighting British colonialism, political struggles with political and religious hardliners, and the desire for support and help from the United States.
Both countries desire to strengthen their alliance with the United States and this is all the leverage US President Jimmy Carter has at his disposal.

The Camp David Accord is a significant document though clearly less comprehensive and ambitious than Carter and Sadat desired. How the treaty plays out, and how Carter’s attempt to treat the Middle East as an engineering problem is woefully inadequate for the task at hand, is made clear.

My principal complaint is with the way Wright chose to organize the book – dividing it into thirteen chapters, with a prologue and epilogue, each chapter dedicated to the progress made during that day buttressed with biographical and historical information. I think the history would have been more effectively told had the book been organized differently. Still, it’s an informative read.