The book deals with his life and career as a public servant, focusing on his role as the secretary of defense from 1961 to 1968 during the johnson and kennedy administrations. Mcnamara is a 2003 american documentary film about the life and times of former u. The tragedy and lessons of vietnam, the recent memoir of the vietnam war by robert mcnamara, the american secretary of. Mcnamara personified the american commitment in vietnam. As a history of the vietnam war, robert mcnamaras memoir is bound to disappoint. Even more than mcnamara, draper misrepresents how we went to war with north vietnam. Kennedy administration of 19611963, robert mcnamara had important influence on the early escalation in. Robert mcnamara believes that american leaders acted out of honorable principles, as he argued in his 1995 book, in retrospect.
In a 1995 interview with terry gross, mcnamara reflects on vietnam and admits his serious doubts about us policy and the decisionmaking that. In a 1995 interview with terry gross, mcnamara reflects on vietnam and admits his serious doubts about. Defense book takes a deeper look at robert mcnamara the. Oct 14, 2017 on this day in 1966, defense secretary robert mcnamara sent a topsecret memorandum to president lyndon b.
Mcnamara, in full robert strange mcnamara, born june 9, 1916, san francisco, california, u. Defense secretary robert mcnamara had a plan to get them. 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. Written twenty years after the end of the vietnam war, former secretary of defense robert mcnamaras controversial memoir answers the lingering questions that surround this disastrous episode in american history. Jul 06, 2009 former defense secretary robert mcnamara died monday. Mcnamara was an american business executive and the eighth u. Unwilling to fill the ranks through politically risky policies such as drafting college students or deploying large numbers of. Known as the architect of the war in vietnam, robert mcnamara also.
During the vietnam war, mcnamaras morons as they were called, were barely literate, or could not read or write, or did not speak english. Mcnamara illustrating his observations of the nature of modern warfare. Mcnamaras book reminds us that they even repeated the litany in memos to their presidents, to inoculate them against any temptation to retreat from vietnam. The documentary about robert mcnamaras views, expressed in this book. Mcnamara, in turn revered and reviled, may yet be redeemed as an icon of management. At various times in its history, the us military has recruited people who measured below specific mental and medical standards. He also stated later that his support of the war was given out of loyalty to administration policy. There is, as with most cliches, at the center of this one a kernel of truth. Robert strange mcnamara june 9, 1916 july 6, 2009 was an american business executive and the eighth secretary of defense. He wrote several books, most notably in retrospect. Mcnamara, and thus inevitably called mcnamaras 100,000, the project was a way to meet the manpower demands of an escalating war.
Mcnamaras morons vietnam was war for profit, american. It will first take a brief look at this books purpose, main ideas and. Robert strange mcnamara june 9, 1916 july 6, 2009 was an american business executive and former united states secretary of defense. Mcnamara recalls, and regrets, vietnam the new york times. The book deals with his life and career as a public servant, focusing on his. 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. Mcnamaras controversial book tells the inside and personal story of. 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. Mcnamaras controversial book tells the inside and personal. His career was a journey toward managerial wisdom and mirrors the very evolution of management as a. Nixon, mcnamara came to represent the war in peoples minds. Robert mcnamara simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Robert mcnamara noam chomsky excerpted from class warfare, 1995. This is what robert mcnamara does in this brave, honest, honorable, and altogether compelling book.
Mcnamaras 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. President lyndon johnson, robert mcnamara, general maxwell taylor, mcgeorge bundy and other top aides who deliberately deceived the joint chiefs of staff, the u. At mcnamaras urging, americas involvement in vietnam grew from thousands of american soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines to almost half a million. The life and times of robert mcnamara, the former secretary of defense emerges as a man who, despite decades of public service, is unable to out the damned spot of vietnam. The use of lowiq troops in the vietnam war infinity publishing, 2015. He is best known for helping lead the united states into the vietnam war. Johnson expressing his disillusionment with the war effort in vietnam. 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. Nov 29, 2016 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 writes vietnam mea culpa the washington post. Apr 16, 1995 mcnamara, characteristically statistical, points to 11 major causes for our disaster in vietnam in a chapter called the lessons of vietnam. 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. The list, set out in barely two pages toward the end of the book, is broadly.
Mcnamara has 22 books on goodreads with 5497 ratings. The death toll climbed, the protests grew louder, and alongside johnson and later richard m. Robert mcnamara simple english wikipedia, the free. The book deals with his life and career as a public servant, focusing on his role as the secretary of defense from 1961 to 1968. On 8 march 1964, mcnamara visited south vietnam to report to. Former defense secretary robert mcnamara died monday. Mcnamara, characteristically statistical, points to 11 major causes for our disaster in vietnam in a chapter called the lessons of vietnam. The vietnam center and sam johnson vietnam archive.
After being an executive at ford motor company, mcnamara served as defense secretary from 1961 to 1968, during the vietnam war under presidents john f. On this day in 1966, defense secretary robert mcnamara sent a topsecret memorandum to president lyndon b. Robert strange mcnamara, one of the most recognizable and controversial figures of the vietnam war, served as the secretary of defense under both john f. Aug 25, 2017 a telephone conversation between president kennedy and secretary mcnamara. This book gives mcnamaras, views on war and peace in the nuclear age based on his experience as secretary of defense from 1961 to 1968 under presidents kennedy and johnson and his service as a staff officer to general curtis lemay during wwii. 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. 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. The film was directed by errol morris and features an original score by philip glass. 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 that both the kennedy and. Signin to download and listen to this audiobook today. Robert mcnamara and five lives of a lost war, published by alfred a. Mcnamaras book on the vietnam was should have mentioned that excerpts appear in this weeks issue of newsweek.
Jul 07, 2009 driven, cerebral and pugnacious, robert s. Lyndon johnson, robert mcnamara, the joint chiefs of staff, and the lies that led to vietnam is a 1997 book written by h. 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. As much as any other individual, secretary of defense robert s. High government leaders arent generally known for flaunting their errors. Jfk tapes hes a goddmn liar robert mcnamara youtube. Mcnamara stresses in his book that the sources of all us failures in vietnam were. The tragedy and lessons of vietnam, published by times books. The tragedy and lessons of vietnam and millions of other books are available for instant access. A telephone conversation between president kennedy and secretary mcnamara. Mcnamaras legacy mired in vietnam debacle despite robert mcnamaras efforts to rehabilitate his legacy in later life, none could have erased or even much eased what is.
In 1966, with american involvement in the vietnam war rapidly escalating, president lyndon b. Get this book free when you sign up for a 30day trial. May 02, 2014 robert strange mcnamara june 9, 1916 july 6, 2009 was an american business executive and the eighth secretary of defense. Robert mcnamara, by noam chomsky excerpted from class. His policies changed the way that the military operated and also shaped the strategy of the vietnam war.
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. In it, mcnamara stated that he had sought to get the united states to withdraw from vietnam beginning. 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 have withdrawn from south vietnam in late 1963 after the assassination of president ngo dinh diem or a year or so later. During kennedys administration, mcnamara supported the presidents decision to increase american involvement in vietnam. How robert mcnamara came to regret the war he escalated. Mcnamara was the preeminent policymaker behind the massive buildup of american forces in vietnam between 1964 and 1968.
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