Nmcnamara book on vietnam

An interesting fact about the book and you cant blame him for this, because hes just adopting the. Just when we thought we had heard it all about the war in vietnam, along comes a new book that shines a spotlight on a little known but tragic aspect of the war. Mcnamara s legacy mired in vietnam debacle despite robert mcnamara s efforts to rehabilitate his legacy in later life, none could have erased or even much eased what is destined to be historys. A guide to assist with researching the topic robert s. Mcnamara has 22 books on goodreads with 5502 ratings. Robert mcnamara s laudable goal, to put the past behind us, will only be achieved by understanding history, not by rewriting it. It was the height of the vietnam war, and i had volunteered for service in the u.

Mcnamara and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle. The ultimate judgment of mcnamaras role in the vietnam war must be a harsh one, less because he presided over the early stages of americas military. Continue to earn recognition as the agent that gets the job done. About 25 years ago, when i was working on the book that became the. Vietnam was a manufactured war, many know that now the gulf of. Mcnamara, secretary of defense for presidents kennedy and johnson, helped lead america into vietnam. Your memorandum of 21 september 1963 2 directed that general taylor and secretary mcnamara proceed to south vietnam to appraise the military and paramilitary effort to defeat the viet cong and to consider, in consultation with ambassador lodge, related political and social questions. The story behind mcnamaras morons, vietnam wars cruel. What mcmaster gets wrong about vietnam politico magazine. This book filled in some of the blanks about the mismanagement of the vietnam war not found in previous readings.

Robert mcnamara, by noam chomsky excerpted from class. Physically, the mcnamara line ran across south vietnam from the south china sea to the laotian border along the vietnamese demilitarized zone dmz. Project 100,000 was an illfated initiative designed to get more troops to the vietnam war and help the impoverished by lowering military eligibility requirements. The tragedy and lessons of vietnam, published by times books. Mcnamara was an american business executive and the eighth u. Even more than mcnamara, draper misrepresents how we went to war with north vietnam. I have two memories of my father before he went off to vietnam. They correspond to conclusions reached previously in the books on vietnam cited in. Mcnamara, characteristically statistical, points to 11 major causes for our disaster in vietnam in a chapter called the lessons of vietnam. Foreign relations of the united states, 19611963, volume iv. Written with brian vandemark, the controversial book was a bestseller.

Vietnam was a manufactured war, many know that now the gulf of tonkin has been exposed as a. Jul 06, 2009 mcnamara s legacy mired in vietnam debacle despite robert mcnamara s efforts to rehabilitate his legacy in later life, none could have erased or even much eased what is destined to be historys. The vietnam war is understood by few, although many books have been written and movies made, most of it is bunkum created by men who never saw combat and spent their time far from the front lines, the greatest danger they faced were the venereal diseases of vietnamese prostitutes. As a history of the vietnam war, robert mcnamaras memoir is bound to. Among the most positive is an abundance of topnotch books, many written by veterans of the conflict. Mcmaster, at the time a major in the united states army he subsequently became national security advisor in 2017 after having risen in rank to lieutenant general. Always fascinated by things nautical, he found a summer job in 1944 as a deckhand working on the last coalburning tugboat on the hudson river and erie canal new york state barge canal. The wrong kind of loyalty mcnamaras apology for vietnam. Oct 14, 2011 mcnamara sends johnson memo critical of vietnam, oct. Project 100,000 was initiated by defense secretary robert mcnamara. Mcnamara s folly is heartbreaking to read, but it tells a story that most americans have never heard and that should be remembered far more widely than it is. As much as any other individual, secretary of defense robert s. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. In typical mcnamara style, its extremely technical, scholarly, and well referenced, and he doesnt meander into much speculation in the least without having solid evidence to back himself up.

Jul 07, 2009 the failure of robert mcnamara martin woollacott. Learn about mcnamara s role in vietnam and test yourself with a quiz. Mcnamara writes vietnam mea culpa the washington post. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading mcnamara s folly. The vietnam center and sam johnson vietnam archive. If like most liberals, they tended to have a shotgun marriage to the cold war and left when vietnam got messy. Mcnamara believed that the fight against communism in asia was worth the sacrifice of american lives, and yet he eventually came to believe that the war was, in fact, unwinnable. High government leaders arent generally known for flaunting their errors. Robert mcnamara believes that american leaders acted out of honorable principles, as he argued in his 1995 book, in retrospect. Mcnamaras folly by hamilton gregory vietnam veterans of. Robert mcnamara 1916 during the late 60s, many americans change their opinion of the vietnam war, gradually becoming opposed to the policies they once supported. Johnson, mcnamara, the joint chiefs of staff, and the lies that led to vietnam mcmaster, h.

Unwilling to fill the ranks through politically risky policies such as drafting college students or deploying large numbers of. Just before the fall of saigon, thieu fled to taiwan. This subject guide includes links to numerous resources both online and physical on this topic. The use of lowiq troops in the vietnam war infinity publishing, 2015. During kennedys administration, mcnamara supported the presidents decision to increase american involvement in vietnam. The film was directed by errol morris and features an original score by philip glass. Johnson, mcnamara, the joint chiefs of staff, and the lies that led to vietnam. Mcnamara sends johnson memo critical of vietnam, oct. Opinion rethinking mcnamaras war the new york times. Robert mcnamara and the ghosts of vietnam the new york times. The draft, the war, and the vietnam generation, lawrence m.

Secretary of defense robert mcnamara published in retrospect, the first of his three books dissecting the errors, myths and miscalculations that led to the vietnam war, which he now believes was a serious mistake. The failure of robert mcnamara martin woollacott opinion. These are among the questions that robert mcnamara and his collaborators ask in argument without end, a book that will stand as a major contribution to what we know about the vietnam war. Mcnamara is a 2003 american documentary film about the life and times of former u. As secretary of defense during the escalation of the vietnam war, robert mcnamara shaped the wars trajectory significantly. Robert mcnamara discusses viet cong casualties and the need of north vietnam to. Robert mcnamara noam chomsky excerpted from class warfare, 1995. Readers weighed in on the best books about the vietnam war. The result was a list which was included, with only minor modifications, in the final chapter of in retrospect.

Mcnamara recalls, and regrets, vietnam the new york times. Salvaging the deficient for the war effort the vva veteran. Mcnamaras morons vietnam was war for profit, american. I have read extensively about this war with most finding fault with why it was undertaken and a few finding it a necessary war. The book also addresses a separate but related issue. Mcnamara, once a champion of the escalation of the vietnam war, says in a memoir to be published in the coming week that he has now concluded that the united states could and should. Mcnamaras folly by hamilton gregory is informative, thoroughly researched, wellwritten and readable. Speaking about his book on television, he openly wept as he talked about vietnam. By the time mcnamaras project ended in december 1971, 354,000 formerly ineligible men had been inducted into the army which had 71 percent of.

Mcnamara writes vietnam mea culpa merpofrs break silence on war ia 11, by thomas w. There have been many books on the vietnam war, but none that examines so closely and intensively how lyndon johnson, robert mcnamara, and maxwell. A key adviser to the president during the cuban missile crisis, mcnamara is most famousor infamoustoday as the prime architect of the disastrous american intervention in the vietnam war. He was a strong believer in americas fight against communism, and thought it was his patriotic duty to serve. He was the cando man in the cando society in the cando era, david halberstam wrote in the best and the brightest, and during the kennedy and early johnson years, he managed americas expanding involvement almost as if he were a desk officer. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Mcnamara, and thus inevitably called mcnamara s 100,000, the project was a way to meet the manpower demands of an escalating war. Natasha mcnamara has 1,225 photos and videos on their instagram profile. Mcnamaras controversial book tells the inside and personal. President clinton, for one, told cnns wolf blitzer that writing the book was a courageous thing for him to do. Mcmaster, at the time a major in the united states army. Whatever the difficulties of the moment, he exuded a certainty that promised ultimate success. The list was prefaced with the description 11 major causes for our disaster in vietnam.

Jul 06, 2009 robert mcnamara on doubts, and vietnam former defense secretary robert mcnamara died monday. During the vietnam war, thieu maintained a powerful role in the south vietnamese government under president nguyen cao ky. Project 100,000 also mcnamara s 100,000, also known as mcnamara s folly, mcnamara s morons and mcnamara s misfits, was a controversial 1960s program by the united states department of defense dod to recruit soldiers who would previously have been below military mental or medical standards. The cover of the book is a slickly contemporary minimalist design. Americas wars have inspired some of the worlds best literature, and the vietnam war is no exception.

In 1967, he replaced ky and remained president of south vietnam until the final days of the war against the north. Known as the architect of the war in vietnam, robert mcnamara also. Washington, april 9 former defense secretary robert mcnamara, who argued successfully to escalate american involvement in the vietnam war, now says in a new book. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. The mcnamara line, an operational strategy employed by the united states in 19661968 during the vietnam war, aimed to prevent infiltration of south vietnam by nva forces from north vietnam and laos.

Hamilton gregory, a vietnam veteran who worked with intelligence, has written a much needed book on mcnamara s socalled project 100,000 utilized beginning in 1966 and continued throughout the rest of the war to boost total inductions by relaxing the intellectual, medical, and physical standards for the armed forces. Join facebook to connect with michael mcnamara and others you may know. He is best known for helping lead the united states into the vietnam war. Robert strange mcnamara june 9, 1916 july 6, 2009 was an american business executive and the eighth united states secretary of defense, serving from 1961 to 1968 under presidents john f. Kennedy dispatched a series of factfinding missions to south vietnam to assess the situation and to recommend a plan of action. Mcnamara stuck to vietnam war despite doubts the former defense secretary went on to head the world bank but could never escape his association with vietnam. Mcnamara personified the american commitment in vietnam. Johnson and his principal civilian and military advisers for losing the vietnam war. This new edition features a new foreword by mcnamara. Mcmasters only book, dereliction of duty is an explosive and authoritative new look at the controversy concerning the united states involvement in vietnam. Mcnamara s memoir the book i planned never to write is to be published this week by the times books division of random house, coinciding with the 20th.

Mcnamara was a decent man who agonised over his role in the vietnam war for the rest of his life. Mcnamara s controversial book tells the inside and personal story of. Mcnamara illustrating his observations of the nature of modern warfare. Maxwell taylor returned from south vietnam in 1961, he proposed a seemingly simple way. Re mcnamara takes much of blame for vietnam, april 9. On this day in 1966, defense secretary robert mcnamara. Mcnamaras controversial book tells the inside and personal story of americas descent into vietnam from a unique point of view, and is one of the most enlightening books about government ever written. Francis terry mcnamara was born in troy, new york, november 2, 1927 to john f.

How did the cold war shape robert mcnamaras actions in vietnam. The use of lowiq troops in the vietnam war kindle edition by gregory, hamilton. Robert mcnamara, by noam chomsky excerpted from class warfare. One morning in the summer of 1967, i sat with more than a hundred men in a room at the armed forces induction center in nashville. Hamilton gregorys book describes in incredible detail the horror that befell those men caught up in secretary mcnamara s desire to find the troops needed to fight the vietnam war without eliminating draft deferments or calling up the national guard and reserves. Jul 23, 2010 robert mcnamara discusses viet cong casualties and the need of north vietnam to use their regular military troops. Hamilton gregory volunteered for the army, and served three years, including one in the vietnam war in military intelligence. A presentation and reading by hamilton gregory, author of mcnamara s folly.

Mcnamaras book reminds us that they even repeated the litany in memos to. Whether slogging through vietnam in army fatigues, spewing out statistics to demonstrate progress, or presiding at a press conference, map on the wall, pointer in hand, he epitomized what came to be called mcnamara s war. Locked into this fear of losing vietnam, yet deterred by fear of provoking war with china, mcnamara came to champion an inbetween course of military pressures, one that got us good and committed enraging domestic dissenters, but one with weapons and target restrictions that precluded fully committing us military power enraging critics on the right. He talks about the north vietnamese who were killed. Smart news keeping you current how robert mcnamara came to regret the war he escalated the architect of the vietnam war never formally apologized, but struggled with its consequences for the. Mcnamara, in full robert strange mcnamara, born june 9, 1916, san francisco, california, u. I do not know to this day, whether i quit or was fired. Robert mcnamara says he miscalculated our chances in vietnam. But toward the end of his life, former defense secretary robert mcnamara issued a string of candid mea culpas for misjudgments about vietnam that were made during his 196168 tenure at the pentagon, especially his delay in acting on growing doubts that the war could be won. Lyndon johnson, robert mcnamara, the joint chiefs of staff, and the lies that led to vietnam is a 1997 book written by h. Lippman washolgton post stiff wrorr afterthree decades of refusing to discuss publicly his central role in the vietnam war, former defense secretary robert s. Locked into this fear of losing vietnam, yet deterred by fear of provoking war with china, mcnamara came to champion an inbetween course of military pressures, one that got us good and committed enraging domestic dissenters, but one with weapons and target restrictions that precluded fully committing us military power enraging.

The rusk mcnamara report 1961 soon after taking office in march 1961, president john f. Really great book that offers a unique vantage point from which to assess the vietnam war. In a 1995 interview with terry gross, mcnamara reflects on vietnam and admits his serious doubts about. Thoughts engendered by robert mcnamaras in retrospect. The definitive insiders account of american policy making in vietnam. How robert mcnamara came to regret the war he escalated. These include winners of national book awards and pulitzer prizes, both fiction and nonfiction. And it recalls the thinking that led the united states to escalate the vietnam war partly on the basis of body counts, rather than basing decisions on more. Former defense secretary robert mcnamara offers a mea culpa in 1995 for the united states actions in the vietnam war. In mcnamaras situation, he was directly responsible for the same, though he went just like almost all the others. Mcnamara has 22 books on goodreads with 5497 ratings. Strauss, who were senior officials on president gerald fords clemency board, told of gus peters, who came from a broken home, dropped out of school after the eighth grade, and was unemployed for most of his teenage years. Mcnamara has written a brutally selfcritical memoir assigning himself much of the blame for. Five decades ago in vietnam, a different great, great wall.