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Thirteen Days in September: Carter, Begin, and Sadat at Camp David Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Lawrence Wright (Author, Narrator), Mark Bramhall (Narrator), Random House Audio (Publisher)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 691 ratings
Editors' pick Best History
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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.

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  1. Listening Length
    11 hours and 55 minutes
  2. Author
    Lawrence Wright
  3. Narrator
    Mark Bramhall, see all
  4. Audible release date
    September 16, 2014
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Random House Audio
  7. ASIN
    B00NLNSZ3W
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 11 hours and 55 minutes
Author Lawrence Wright
Narrator Mark Bramhall, Lawrence Wright
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date September 16, 2014
Publisher Random House Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B00NLNSZ3W
Best Sellers Rank #50,989 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#156 in Political Science History & Theory
#156 in International Relations (Audible Books & Originals)
#183 in 20th Century History

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
691 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book informative and well-researched. They describe it as an engrossing narrative with a fascinating story. The writing is described as clear and easy to read, like a novel. Readers appreciate the character study and portraits of the three protagonists. The visual style paints a vivid picture of the leaders of Egypt and Israel and their advisors. Overall, customers find the book's pacing engaging and relevant for today.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

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Information qualityReadabilityNarrative qualityWriting qualityCharacter studyVisual stylePacing
80 customers mention "Information quality"80 positive0 negative

Customers find the book informative and well-researched. They appreciate the historical commentary and detailed bios of the three main leaders. The book provides an objective perspective while providing insights into the subject. Readers enjoy learning about the history lesson and find it relevant for today's conflict.

"...and fascinating tale of how three men and three cultures forged a historic peace treaty, albeit an imperfect one...." Read more

"...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..." Read more

""Thirteen Days in September" is a brilliantly researched account of the tense negotiations in 1978 that resulted in the Camp David Accords..." Read more

"...The juxtaposition of the talks with historical commentary was very effective. This guy is a consummate researcher and writer...." Read more

52 customers mention "Readability"52 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and straightforward. They appreciate the author's use of memoirs and other sources.

"This was a great book. In the late 70s I was a young teen. I used to come home from school and wait for the evening news before doing homework...." Read more

"...It is his best book to date. It is a page turner...." Read more

"A remarkable book in which the lives of each of the primary negotiators, President Carter, president..." Read more

"...Despite that criticism I would sill recommend this as a book worth reading with the caveat that the reader be informed about all current..." Read more

39 customers mention "Narrative quality"39 positive0 negative

Customers find the narrative engaging and interesting. They describe it as a gripping account of the process that led to the peace accord between Israel and the United States. The book provides an accurate and fair portrayal of the events, with a glimpse behind the scenes.

"...Mr. Wright turns the underlying narrative into a compelling and fascinating tale of how three men and three cultures forged a historic peace treaty..." Read more

"...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." Read more

"This political history book telling the true story of the famous Camp David meeting between Sadat, Begin and Carter in the late 70;s is an..." Read more

"...He weaves the players history with the events that unfolded at Camp David. Would recommend." Read more

33 customers mention "Writing quality"33 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's writing quality good. They say it's well-written, easy to understand, and reads like a thriller. The story is well-researched and the author has a mastery of rightful eloquence and uncompromising prose. The book provides a comprehensive, fast-paced description of the Camp David peace summit.

"This book is a comprehensive fast paced description of the Camp David peace summit but is so much more than that...." Read more

"...His speech was a mastery of rightful eloquence and uncompromising prose...." Read more

"...This is a very, very good read." Read more

"Wright, as usual, writes a well researched, nicely styled book. He weaves the players history with the events that unfolded at Camp David...." Read more

18 customers mention "Character study"18 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's character study. They find the portraits of the three protagonists eye-opening, even for those who thought they knew about them. The book provides a compelling study of the characters of Carter, Begin, and Sadat, making each person personal and relatable. Readers enjoy learning about the personalities and backgrounds of these great leaders.

"...Equally interesting was the study of each man's character and how history forged their belief system...." Read more

"...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..." Read more

"...best part was learning more about the geographics, actions and key players involved...." Read more

"...It is his best book to date. It is a page turner. He describes the various personalities involved: not just those directly involved in the talks but..." Read more

8 customers mention "Visual style"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's visual style engaging and well-presented. They appreciate the vivid depiction of leaders in Egypt and Israel, as well as the thorough reporting and analysis. The book provides a fascinating look into this critical period.

"Wright, as usual, writes a well researched, nicely styled book. He weaves the players history with the events that unfolded at Camp David...." Read more

"...Well-documented and well-presented, my only real quibble with the flow of the book was the breakaway sections needed to flesh out the histories of..." Read more

"Fascinating look back into this critical period Felt the writer was biased against Begin and Israel" Read more

"This we was both informative and a good read. It does a nice job of showing both the problems with the negotiation and some of the salient events in..." Read more

5 customers mention "Pacing"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's pacing engaging. They appreciate its attention to historical context and personal dynamics of key figures like Menachem Begin, Anwar Sadat, and Jimmy Carter. Readers feel included in the stress and anxiety, as well as the camaraderie, as they experience the conflict and complexities of relationships in the Middle East.

"...substance: it is a kind of a Getting to Yes book, a How to Deal With Difficult People compendium, or a rewrite of Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends..." Read more

"...We participate in the stress and anxiety, and the camaraderie on the one hand and the differences on the other...." Read more

"...rooted in a profound sense of historical context and personal psychologies of Menachem Begin, Anwar Sadat and Jimmy Carter...." Read more

"This is a wonderful insight into the geopolitical, religious and personal dynamics that went into achieving what in retrospect is an amazing treaty..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Mike D., La Jolla
    5.0 out of 5 stars Far Better than the Title would Suggest
    Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Remembering how much I enjoyed "The Looming Tower" , my wife recommended this book to me. When it was described to me, I worried that it might be so what boring because of the subject matter. After all, this is ostensibly about 3 men hammering out a peace treaty at Camp David. Instead, Mr. Wright turns the underlying narrative into a compelling and fascinating tale of how three men and three cultures forged a historic peace treaty, albeit an imperfect one. The day-to-day events at Cam David don't lend themselves to page-turning reading. Rather it is the way in which Wright weaves in the history of both cultures, and the wars they fought that makes this bookmark great one. Equally interesting was the study of each man's character and how history forged their belief system. Make no mistake that this book paints a rather unflattering picture of Begin, and a far more sympathetic one of Sadat. Wright emphasizes the specious biblical claims that the dark-mooded Begin makes for his expansionist ambitions. When I completed the book, I wondered if some Israelis would find the book anti-Semitic or at least unsympathetic to the Zionist cause. According to some reviews I have read, that is indeed the case. I do fault Wright for not emphasizing and the holocaust as the formative event of what Begin calls "the fighting Jew". By not emphasizing it as much as the faulted Old Testament claims, Wright gives the impression that he's more interested in undermining the Zionist cause rather than legitimizing it. Also, the book covers more of the military excesses by the IDF than the abhorrent terrorist responses by the PLO. It's pretty clear that the author simply doesn't like Begin and perhaps for legitimate reasons. However traumatized he was as a boy by the Holocaust, his actions and beliefs are unjustifiable and hypocritical to Wright. At least, that was my impression. Regardless of the underlying tone of the book as it pertains to the Zionist cause, Wright's latest work makes for fascinating and compelling reading.
    17 people found this helpful
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  • frank kelly
    4.0 out of 5 stars a kind of camp counselor helping two quarreling parties understand each other better. he thought the leaders would discover the
    Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    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.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • William Capodanno
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Account of the Historic Camp David Accords
    Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    "Thirteen Days in September" is a brilliantly researched account of the tense negotiations in 1978 that resulted in the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt. I was only 8 at the time of this summit so have no recollection, but remember watching the news in 1981 of Anwar Sadat's assassination that led to my interest and study about the Middle East.

    Wright provides an objective and meticulous day by day account of the contentious negotiations between Begin, Sadat and their respective ministers while they were literally shut off from the rest of the world in rural Maryland. Wright does a great job of providing sufficient background on Begin, Sadat and the roots of the conflict between the two nations from Israel's independence in 1948 without losing focus from the 13 days at Camp David. However, the reader truly gets the essence of the personalities of Carter, Begin and Sadat through Wright's penetrating portrait of them struggling with the weight of their own decisions, the historic legacy of what they were trying to achieve and their pasts. Despite the many failures of the Carter Presidency, one has to appreciate and respect the dogged determination, conviction and passion he brought to Camp David that even in the darkest hours of doubt, he staked his legacy and those of Sadat and Begin on finding a path to peace.

    While there are those who will find fault that a broader framework for resolving the issue of Palestine wasn't part of Camp David, but I believe Wright accurately makes it clear from the historical record that any broader solution would have resulted in the talks collapsing without the historic peace treaty that Israel and Egypt eventually signed in 1979 as the result of Camp David.

    Any historian or individual that is interested in the Middle East would benefit from reading this wonderful piece of scholarship.
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Luiz Augusto Módolo de Paula
    5.0 out of 5 stars Belo relato sobre resolução de conflitos - Beatiful tale about conflict resolution
    Reviewed in Brazil on July 10, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Excelente relato de como resolver conflitos, recomendo! - Beatiful tale about conflict resolution, from the same author of The Looming Tower.
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  • CB
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ein Klassiker der Nahostverhandlungen
    Reviewed in Germany on October 3, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    "Thirteen Days in September" schildert die Verhandlungen, die vor 40 Jahren zum Friedensabkommen zwischen Israel und Ägypten geführt haben. Der Autor rekonstruiert anschaulich und plausibel die relevanten Personen, Themen und Gespräche. Rückblenden und Ellipsen liefern dazu Hintergrundinformationen. Das Buch ist unter zwei Aspekten sehr lesenswert: Erstens behandelt es eine der wichtigsten Verhandlungen und die zentralen Endstatusthemen einer Zweistaatenlösung für den Nahen Osten, und zweitens gibt es Einblicke in Interaktionen und Verhandlungstechnik auf Ebene von Staats- und Regierungschefs. Das Buch ist gut geschrieben und eher eine Freude als eine Pflichtlektüre. Zur Ergänzung: Die Handlung wurde in Episode 1 Staffel 6 ("N.S.F. Thurmont", 2010) der Fernsehserie "The West Wing" verfilmt.
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  • kenneth robinson
    5.0 out of 5 stars A real insight into politics of the day. Riviting.
    Reviewed in Australia on November 22, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Accessable political thriller.
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  • Rafiki
    5.0 out of 5 stars A must read!
    Reviewed in Canada on January 16, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    This very well researched and written book is a must read for all political junkies and those who want to learn what goes on behind the scene in complex international matters. The book exposes duplicities and intricate political manoevering at the highest levels of governments. I just couldn't put it down and didn't want the book to end. Kudos to Lawrence Wright for his work!
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  • Leslie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 2, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    good
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