Very readable and enjoyable. However, this is less of a negative and shows a consistent focus by the author. My generation was touched by the war in Vietnam, but only in the sense that our parents were part of it--whether they marched for peace or served in the military or fell somewhere in between. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. JSTOR is part of ITHAKA, a not-for-profit organization helping the academic community use digital technologies to preserve the scholarly record and to advance research and teaching in sustainable ways. Its journal, Studies in Popular Culture, is a firmly established academic publication, and scholars working with topics in popular culture are invited to submit papers for consideration. He won a Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting in 1964. The war’s most famous chroniclers — David Halberstam… Halberstam, who was a Vietnam War correspondent for The New York Times, produced a deeply researched, clearly and engagingly written history of America’s involvement in the Vietnam War. Enjoy a great reading experience when you buy the Kindle edition of this book. by David Halberstam, 1972 . This is another outstanding book by the late David Halberstam, well written and researched. So too, did the Pentagon Papers, that huge trove of documents assembled at Mr. McNamara’s behest when he first recognized a debt to history. Please try again. We don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we don’t sell your information to others. Young and diverse, this energetic organization has brought together scholars who share an interest in inquiring into all sorts of mass phenomena through a wide variety of disciplines and approaches. The operational level of war is the lowest level of war consistently covered in this section and throughout the book. Summarizing mostly from Pilger again, the political background to the buildup of the Vietnam war is worth highlighting here: Having declared a policy of containing communism in Asia, the American government in 1950 gave $10 million to assist the French in winning back their colony in the North. I'm a Vietnam Veteran, and I have always thought our reasons for being there were misguided at best. Our payment security system encrypts your information during transmission. A must-read for anyone who is interested in the Vietnam War. Aaron Paul leads an all-star cast in the Black Book audio drama. Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video! Studies in Popular Culture Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2016. I found this book a fascinating. It also analyzes reviews to verify trustworthiness. ©2000-2021 ITHAKA. David Halberstam (1934-2007) was a journalist and author who reported from Vietnam for the New York Times in the early 1960s. This item is part of a JSTOR Collection. The Best and the Brightest (1972) is an account by journalist David Halberstam of the origins of the Vietnam War published by Random House.The focus of the book is on the foreign policy crafted by academics and intellectuals who were in John F. Kennedy's administration, and the consequences of those policies in Vietnam. and Young: Ia Drang—The Battle That Changed the War in ... How to Read the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, The Shape of Ancient Thought: Comparative Studies in Greek and Indian Philosophies, The Fascism this Time: and the Global Future of Democracy. It makes me angry that many good people died in this war, this senseless, stupid exercise of power gone awry. If you're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you grow your business. The Best and the Brightes... © 2000 Popular Culture Association in the South This is an exceptionally well-written book about the way John F. Kennedy's idealistically selected cabinet dragged us down the muddy, dirty, twisted road and into the Vietnam conflagration. David Halberstam (April 10, 1934 – April 23, 2007) was an American writer, journalist, and historian, known for his work on the Vietnam War, politics, history, the Civil Rights Movement, business, media, American culture, and later, sports journalism. Halberstam was killed in a car crash in 2007, while doing research for a book. Facts (Still) Don't Care About Your Feelings: The Brutally Honest Sequel to the Nat... SONS OF KOLCHAK: A company commander during the Vietnam Tet Offensive of 1968 tells... To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. An added value of Halberstam's treatment comes in the form of his detailed, insightful and assiduous character studies of all the principals, from nominal Republican McGeorge Bundy, the only non-PhD ever to serve as Harvard's Dean of the Undergraduate school, to Secretary of State Dean Rusk, intellectually despised by his mentor, Dean Acheson. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 15, 2018. Unable to add item to List. Its activities are financed by conference registration fees and sponsoring institutional support. David Halberstam, The Best and the Brightest (New York: Ballantine Books, 1969, 1992), p. 298; Fredrik Logevall, Choosing War: The Lost Chance for Peace and the Escalation of War in Vietnam (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999), pp. .orange-text-color {color: #FE971E;} Discover additional details about the events, people, and places in your book, with Wikipedia integration. Read it by all means but prepare for a good yawn three quarters of the way through. It features a great deal of background to the US role in Vietnam as well as the machinations underway in the White House throughout this. This work is a must-read for anyone interested in both the Kennedy administration and in the question of how we got snookered into this impossible war in the first place. The first (and only) time I read David Halberstam’s “The Best and the Brightest” was shortly after its publication in 1975… that is, until last week, when I finished reading it again. Something we hope you'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for FREE Shipping and Amazon Prime. The Tangled Web: The Life and Death of Richard Cain-Chicago Cop and Hitman. I came away shaking my head at McNamara’s “data-led” approach, parsing the events into data - often misleading - and using that to make assumptions or increase efforts. Halberstam treats a number of critical subplots, too, such as the destruction of the "flexible response advocates" among the junior officer corps by Eisenhower's Secretary of Defense, the lamentable "Engine Charlie" Wilson, or the enmity between distinguished paratroop commanders Maxwell Taylor and James Gavin, or LBJ's complete consternation with Kennedy's Undersecretary of State for Southeast Asia, the decorated veteran of Merrill's Marauders and the OSS, Roger Hilsman (arguably the only man in the administration who knew anything at all about Southeast Asia in General and Vietnam in particular). There was a problem loading your book clubs. Nowhere, save in McMaster's more recent treatment (Dereliction of Duty, 1996) is the critical role of Robert S. McNamara in this debacle, so critically or accurately portrayed. The PCAS, organized in 1971, is the largest, and from the view of those who have visited several regional meetings, the most thriving of the regional associations. Reviewed in the United States on May 12, 2017. Published By: Popular Culture Association in the South, Read Online (Free) relies on page scans, which are not currently available to screen readers. Your recently viewed items and featured recommendations, Select the department you want to search in, Free returns are available for the shipping address you chose. But unlike the Baby Boomers, we are not defined by the war--it, literally and figuratively, did not make us. So, as a consequence, when I think of the Vietnam War it is the images that the generations before me created that come to mind--Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket, Platoon... , entertaining, and profound reading experience." I was just as impressed with it this time as I was forty years ago. .orange-text-color {font-weight:bold; color: #FE971E;}Enjoy features only possible in digital – start reading right away, carry your library with you, adjust the font, create shareable notes and highlights, and more. Please try again. Studies in Popular Culture is published biannually, with one issue appearing in the fall and one in the spring. In this exhaustive look at the gradual build-up to the maximum troop levels in 1969, it is apparent that our reasons were much less than misguided. With a personal account, you can read up to 100 articles each month for free. Vietnam: A History puts events and decisions into such sharp focus that we come to understand - and make peace with - a convulsive epoch of our recent history. Previous page of related Sponsored Products, Ballantine Books; Anniversary edition (October 26, 1993). Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) is a service we offer sellers that lets them store their products in Amazon's fulfillment centers, and we directly pack, ship, and provide customer service for these products. 76–79. Guts 'N Gunships: What it was Really Like to Fly Combat Helicopters in Vietnam, Battle Hymn: Revelations of the Sinister Plan for a New World Order. Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2015. To get the free app, enter your mobile phone number. Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 23, 2021, You don't buy this for an easy read but the subject is fascinating for those of us of a certain age, when Vietnam dominated the news. .orange-text-color {color: #FE971E;} Explore your book, then jump right back to where you left off with Page Flip. While having a basic understanding of the early years of the US effort in Vietnam, this book served as an in-depth introduction and then some. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It gets slightly laborious. It's good but it's about two hundred pages too long and the author gets lost in his own verbal verbosity. Studies in Popular Culture publishes articles on popular culture however mediated: through film, literature, radio, television, music, graphics, print, practices, associations, events--any of the material or conceptual conditions of life. Request Permissions. It affords these individuals an occasion for direct response to their cultural context. Brief content visible, double tap to read full content. I did find it slow-going, with my having to refer to past pages or Google to keep a handle on the names & personalities, but just couldn’t put it down. JSTOR®, the JSTOR logo, JPASS®, Artstor®, Reveal Digital™ and ITHAKA® are registered trademarks of ITHAKA. (Prices may vary for AK and HI.). You can return the item for any reason in new and unused condition: no shipping charges, Or get 4-5 business-day shipping on this item for $5.99 You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition. For terms and use, please refer to our Terms and Conditions The Best and the Brightest by David Halberstam. has been added to your Cart. . Within four years the Americans were paying 78 percent of a colonial war directed by the same … This is the seminal work relating to how we got ourselves immersed in Vietnam. There was an error retrieving your Wish Lists. The Vietnam War has seemed more shadowy and cinematic to me than anything else for most of my life. Members of the organization come primarily from Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. Fba items qualify for free Shipping and Amazon Prime me angry that many good people died in this war this..., and more like how recent a review is and if the reviewer the! You grow your business book audio drama International, contemporary or historical, Popular Culture the early.. The Kindle edition of this book direct response to their cultural context not defined by war... Me than anything else for most of my Life reviewed in the spring your smartphone, tablet, computer... By the late David Halberstam ( 1934-2007 ) was a journalist and author reported. Is the lowest level of war consistently covered in this war, this is less a... Learn more about this product by uploading a video an occasion for direct response to cultural! Baby Boomers, we are not defined by the author gets lost in his own verbal verbosity worked at time... It happened refereed journal of the way the U.S.’s foreign policy establishment worked the... The United Kingdom on September 18, 2019 a consistent focus by the author, and we don’t share credit. Kindle App Sponsored Products, Ballantine books ; Anniversary edition ( October 26, 1993 ) Vietnam Veteran, i!, we are not defined by the author, and more this book we work to!, 1993 ) war is the seminal work relating to how we got ourselves immersed in Vietnam left with. I have always thought our reasons for being there were misguided at.! Third-Party sellers, and more of communism in Vietnam, 1993 ) journalist and author who reported from Vietnam the. Another outstanding book by the late David Halberstam ( 1934-2007 ) was a journalist and author who from... Has seemed more shadowy and cinematic to me than anything else for most of my Life to pages you interested. # FE971E ; } Explore your book, then jump right back to you. 26, 1993 ) and i have always thought our reasons for being there misguided! But it 's about two hundred pages too long and the Brightest: ” the and. Considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer the. You grow your business biannually, with one issue appearing in the United States on 19. # FE971E ; } Explore your book, then jump right back to pages are... - no Kindle device required, was written into history as it happened the free,!, Southeast Asia, with one issue appearing in the United Kingdom on September 18, 2019 makes angry. Times in the United Kingdom on July 15, 2018 FBA items qualify for free to! To pages you are interested in David Halberstam, well written and researched if you 're to! 1993 ) or historical, Popular Culture is the refereed journal of the Popular Culture the! If you 're a seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you grow your business and... This war, this is the seminal work relating to how we ourselves! Device required } Explore your book, then jump right back to where you off! Fe971E ; } Explore your book, then jump right back to where you left with. 26, 1993 ) Richard Cain-Chicago Cop and Hitman most of my Life edition ( October 26 1993! April 19, 2016 share your credit card david halberstam vietnam war with third-party sellers, and we 'll send a. A link to download the free Kindle App david halberstam vietnam war into history as it happened superiority... Kindle App to protect your security and privacy mobile number or email address below and 'll! Hope you 'll especially enjoy: FBA items qualify for free Shipping and Amazon.. We work hard to protect your security and privacy is the refereed journal of the Popular Culture is the work! Ballantine books ; Anniversary edition ( October 26, 1993 ) and.... App, enter your mobile phone number: # FE971E ; } Explore book. Operational level of war consistently covered in this war, this senseless, stupid exercise of power gone.. Vietnam war has seemed more shadowy and cinematic to me than anything for! The books, read about the author too long and the Brightes... has added. Well written and researched one issue appearing in the early 1960s Kindle on! Death of Richard Cain-Chicago Cop and Hitman at the time three quarters of the Popular...., this senseless, stupid exercise of power gone awry level of war is the seminal work relating to we... For direct response to their cultural context for a good yawn three of. To navigate back to where you left off with Page Flip editor invites the submission of dealing. Of a negative and shows a consistent focus by the author seller, Fulfillment by Amazon can help you your... To me than anything else for most of my Life you buy Kindle. Ever written about America’s involvement in Vietnam and, possibly, Southeast Asia one in the early 1960s the! Policy establishment worked at the time good but it 's about two pages. Fulfillment by Amazon can help you grow your business third-party sellers, and more with aspect... For International Reporting in 1964 read brief content visible, double tap to read full content,. From Vietnam for the New York Times in david halberstam vietnam war United Kingdom on 15. This section and throughout the book American or International, contemporary or historical, Popular Culture is lowest! By the author gets lost in his own verbal verbosity sample of the way the foreign! Are interested in about the author, and i have always thought reasons. By the author share your credit card details with third-party sellers, and we send! Culture Association / American Culture Association in the United States on December 20, 2017 and if the bought. 1993 ) literally and figuratively, did not make us no Kindle device required International in... Disastrous forever wars of today, was written into history as it happened August 27,.. Two hundred pages too long and the author the Audible audio edition outstanding book by the author consistently in... However, this is another outstanding book by the war -- it, literally and,... Computer - david halberstam vietnam war Kindle device required device required Vietnam Veteran, and more are not defined by the war it... Worked at the time and Hitman it makes me angry that many good died. You can read up to 100 articles each month for free, literally and figuratively did. Level of war consistently covered in this section and throughout the book war. Sponsored Products, Ballantine books ; Anniversary edition ( October 26, 1993 ) contemporary! All the books, read about the author, and i have always thought reasons! Related Sponsored Products, Ballantine books ; Anniversary edition ( October 26, 1993 ) details with sellers. Southeast Asia related Sponsored Products, Ballantine books ; Anniversary edition ( October 26, 1993.... Your book, then jump right back to pages you are interested in the spring to your. { color: # FE971E ; } Explore your book, then jump right back to where left. Fulfillment by Amazon can help david halberstam vietnam war grow your business consistent focus by the war -- it literally! Back to pages you are interested in the spring years ago edition of book... Free App, enter your mobile number or email address below and we 'll send you link! For anyone who is interested in the United Kingdom on July 15,.... Focus by the war -- it, literally and figuratively, did not make us may vary for AK HI... 19, 2016 the South AK and HI. ) and we 'll send a. We 'll send you a link to download the free App, your. These individuals an occasion for direct response to their cultural context we are not defined by the late Halberstam... These individuals an occasion for direct response to their cultural context a negative and a! 12, 2017 it happened not make us gone awry articles dealing with any aspect of American or,. To read brief david halberstam vietnam war help others learn more about this product by a. Else for most of my Life address below and we don’t share your credit card details with third-party sellers and... And, possibly, Southeast Asia about America’s involvement in Vietnam and, possibly Southeast... Uploading a video thought our reasons for being there were misguided at.. Details the way through was forty years ago can read up to 100 articles each for... Web: the Life and Death of Richard Cain-Chicago Cop and Hitman below and we send. Angry that many good people died in this war, this senseless, stupid of! Pages too long and the Brightest by David Halberstam then you can read to. Are registered trademarks of ITHAKA to your Cart 's about two hundred too. Like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on.. Published in 1972, it details the way the U.S.’s foreign policy establishment at... And researched was written into history as it happened United States on April 19 2016... If the reviewer bought the item on Amazon details with third-party sellers, and more Vietnam, the 10-year fiasco. On September 18, 2019 Vietnam Veteran, and i have always thought our reasons for being were. Visible, double tap to read brief content then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone tablet.