The world has lost a great man who dedicated his life to the pursuit of truth and justice, whether delving into the depths of the Pentagon bureaucracy, the thorniest Middle East conflicts, American literary history, baseball, or just about any topic that grabbed his attention. Mark Perry was a dear friend, a source of endless insights, and a person who never drew the line between active engagement and dispassionate analysis. He did both and made lasting contributions that will impact long after his untimely passing this week at the age of 70.
For years, Mark was actively involved in pursuing dialogue between intractable Middle East adversaries. Through the Conflict Forum which he co-founded, he brought scores of American diplomats, think tankers and intelligence officials to meet with leaders of Hezbollah, Hamas, and various Lebanese political factions. This gave the participants a human depth of insight that is so difficult to convey without person-to-person contact.
Mark earned the trust of many American military leaders because of his honesty and integrity. He gave voice to their views without spin or embellishment and as the result, he was always in a unique position to give his timely and informed insights during many wonderful breakfast and lunch get-togethers at the Tysons Corner Silver Diner or Summers at Courthouse Square in Arlington.
Mark was always open to learning. When he was writing his biography of General Douglas MacArthur, he admitted that he went into the project with a bias against MacArthur, but after spending enormous time reading through the MacArthur archives, he came away with a totally different view, which he brilliantly presented. This book followed his groundbreaking biography of Marshall and Eisenhower–Partners in Command.
No one can claim to understand the complexities of the Iraq War without reading his Talking With Terrorists, a polemical title of a book that was half history and half memoir about his own active work with the Palestinians going back to his unique relationship with Yasser Arafat.
Mark was such a talent that his analytical pieces were published in a wide range of places, from Politico, Foreign Policy, Quincy Institute, to The American Conservative. He will be sorely missed by family, friends, and the millions of people he touched through his writings.
Donate
Browse by category
Recent Comments
- Eric Newhill on Syrian rebels take control of most of Aleppo city
- Yeah, Right on Trump threatens BRICS nations with 100 percent tariffs
- Eric Newhill on Trump threatens BRICS nations with 100 percent tariffs
- Eric Newhill on Trump threatens BRICS nations with 100 percent tariffs
- leith on Syrian rebels take control of most of Aleppo city
Browse archives
- December 2024
- November 2024
- October 2024
- September 2024
- August 2024
- July 2024
- June 2024
- May 2024
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- April 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
- December 2005
- November 2005
- October 2005
- September 2005
- August 2005
- July 2005
RSS
- Trump threatens BRICS nations with 100 percent tariffs
- Syrian rebels take control of most of Aleppo city
- Thanksgiving in the Field – 1863 from “Death Piled Hard”
- “La Grande Fete de Merci Donnant” – Buchwald
- Testing the waters?
- “Peak Oil Demand is Coming Soon!”
- “Russia reportedly launches intercontinental ballistic missile against Ukraine — what we know so far”
- “Biden approves antipersonnel mines for Ukraine, undoing his own policy”
- Starship launch scheduled for tomorrow afternoon
- “How long-range missiles striking Russia could affect Ukraine war”
Meta
Thank you very much for this reference. Mark Perry is not an uncommon name, and so the copyright office has 127 entries. Published works that may apply to him include: Grant and Twain: The story of a Friendship that Changed America. Four Stars. The Most Dangerous Man in America. The Pentagon’s Wars. Partners in Command: George Marshall and Dwight Eisenhower in War and Peace. Talking to Terrorists. A Fire in Zion: The Israeli-Palestinian Search for Peace. Eclipse: The Last Days of the CIA. There may be others, including what looks like a Rand Corporation study.
Sorry for your loss!
Sounds like he lived a great life.
Will add his works to my reading list.
Be well, Harper,
my condolenses to friends, as you, and family. Mark was my age, slightly younger month-wise.
Curt Mills, American Conservative:
https://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/death-of-an-american-original-mark-perry-1950-2021/