The Best and the Brightest

David Halberstam

October 26, 1993

The Best and the Brightest is a non-fiction book by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist David Halberstam. It is an extensive account of the authorship of the Vietnam War, focusing on the leadership and advisors that helped to create and maintain the U.S.'s involvement in the conflict. After doing extensive research and interviewing many of those involved, Halberstam paints the picture of a group of intellectuals that were so enamored with the ideals of American policy they helped to aggravate and extend a war they knew could not be won.The book begins by examining the character of President Kennedy and the team he assembled that led to the eventual commitment to Vietnam. Halberstam looks closely at the ideas and personalities of McGeorge Bundy, Robert McNamara, and Dean Rusk, among others, in order to analyze how their decisions shaped the American involvement and US policies during the war. The book then delves into the socioeconomic conditions of the period and how they affected individual leaders. Ultimately, The Best and the Brightest serves as an indictment of the conditions that allowed the Vietnam War to continue despite the fact that it would not be contained or won. Halberstam expertly reveals the flaws in the historical events and policy decisions that resulted in the tragedy. His sympathetic and eloquent writing style lend it to a strong read, and the thorough and in-depth analysis of the escalations result in a valuable source of information for readers interested in American history, and specifically the Vietnam War.