The Fog of War: Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

When Robert Strange McNamara ran the Vietnam War as secretary of defense from 1961 to 1968, he let it be known that he had all the answers, and that those who didn't agree with him were not as smart nor as well informed as he was. After being forced to resign in 1968, McNamara refused to discuss the Vietnam War until his book, In Retrospect, was published in 1995. In that controversial apologia, he allowed that he "made mistakes" in Vietnam, but stressed that every other top official in Washington did as well and that he based his policies on incorrect information supplied by the military. McNamara (b. 1916) conveyed that same message in Errol Morris's Oscar-winning 2003 documentary The Fog of War. Brown University political scientists Blight and Lang retread McNamara's testimony in the documentary and add other archival material to look primarily at the big decisions of WW II (in which McNamara served) and the Vietnam War. The authors are not dispassionate observers. They present what amounts to a glowing assessment of McNamara and the Errol Morris film, for which they served as advisers. They speak of McNamara's "passionate concern for the human future" and his "hard work and courage." They refer to the Morris film as "an artistic triumph" and "a brilliant work of art." The authors pay lip service to McNamara's many critics from across the political spectrum, but the book feels most like strategic support for McNamara's mea culpa and for military intelligence reform generally. (May)
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Product Description

The Fog of War provides the background behind the Academy Award-winning documentary by Errol Morris. In this intriguing work, editors James G. Blight and janet M. Lang, who served as academic advisors on the film, bring together film transcripts, documents, dialogues, and essays to explore the issues raised by Robert McNamara's life and work.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.; illustrated edition edition (March 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0742542211
• ISBN-13: 978-0742542211
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #121,462 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More academic companion to the film, September 6, 2008

By	EMM (Long Beach, CA) - See all my reviews

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Good book for the academic, as follow-up to the movie. This is the equivalent of expanded footnotes to the conversations in the movie. McNamara is fascinating and wherever you stand on your opinion of him, the book provides a wealth of thought, discussion and response to his interviews in the film.
See the movie first and if you need more context, pick up this book.

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Read, April 2, 2009

By	K. Backe "Old Mapper" (Alexandria, VA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Mr. McNamara reflect back on recommendation and decisions he made, why he made them and bravely admits war-time mistake he made that cost lives. This book is an interesting reflection back on the Viet Nam war, Cuban Missile Crisis and the decisions made by leaders at that time.