On the recordDecember 17, 2010
I suppose, in an ironic way, Richard would smile at the enormous impact he had on friend and foe alike. He was a life force, a force of nature--someone always operating on multiple levels, in high gear, and in more than three dimensions. Though it takes years to settle on how history will view someone, my guess is Richard Holbrooke will be considered, hands down, as the best diplomat of our generation. Indeed, he will be in a small pantheon that includes Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Averell Harriman. But the public Richard is not all of it: The private Richard was a generous and loyal friend.





