David Halberstam's 1972 book, The Best and the Brightest, analyzes the decision-making process of the actions taken during the Vietnam War. Halberstam examines how the most powerful men in the country were responsible for escalating the conflict and how their actions led to years of suffering and heartache, ultimately ending in the defeat of America and its allies. Through intense research and interviews with key participants, Halberstam paints a vivid and compelling portrait of the individuals responsible for prolonging the war and the consequences of their decisions.
The Best and the Brightest begins with a scene of Harvard University's Lawrence Hall, where the brightest minds of the day convened to discuss the decisions that defined the Johnson and Kennedy administrations. Halberstam introduces the characters and assesses their qualifications, including Vietnam veterans such as Henry Cabot Lodge and Robert F. Kennedy. He notes how many of the 'best and the brightest' were Ivy League grads and how their outlook was heavily informed by the intellectual climate of the time.
Halberstam then drives the point home that these influential Americans, albeit highly educated, were not necessarily well-versed in the history, culture and politics of Vietnam, leading to a need to rely less on facts and more on a pure sense of confidence in their own expertise. He further emphasizes that the decisions they made, while ultimately tragic, can be put into perspective when one realizes the context they existed in.
The remainder of The Best and the Brightest chronicles many of the major consequential decisions and policies enacted by the U.S. in the Vietnam War. Halberstam blames the faulty decisions of military leaders and politicians alike, including their refusal to accept the advice of the veteran soldier generals, due to their inexperience in the politics of Vietnam. He also condemns the overly simplistic modes of analysis used to assess the military situation on the ground, and refers to the 'domino theory' of communism, which erroneously suggested that a single country 'falling' to communism could lead to the entire region doing so.
Throughout the book, Halberstam constantly reiterates how these mistakes led to a heightened sense of arrogance, with the LBJ administration believing that US military power and strategy was supreme, and thus unstoppable. In the end, these policies failed, leading to the crushing defeat of the South Vietnamese and eventual fall of the South to communism.
The Best and the Brightest is an extraordinarily well-researched and well-written book, where Halberstam carefully builds the narrative of the time, while simultaneously interpreting the errors that led to the failure of the United States in Vietnam. It serves as both a powerful indictment of the 'best and brightest' of the time, and a cautionary tale to anyone in positions of power and authority. The book serves as both a powerful read in its own right and as an important lesson in history, making it an essential read for anyone interested in the Vietnam War.
