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In Retrospect: The Tragedy and Lessons of Vietnam Paperback – March 19, 1996

by Robert S. McNamara (Author), Brian VanDeMark (Author)

4.4 373 ratings

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#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER. The definitive insider's account of American policy making in Vietnam.

"Can anyone remember a public official with the courage to confess error and explain where he and his country went wrong? This is what Robert McNamara does in this brave, honest, honorable, and altogether compelling book."—Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.

Written twenty years after the end of the Vietnam War, former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara's controversial memoir answers the lingering questions that surround this disastrous episode in American history.

With unprecedented candor and drawing on a wealth of newly declassified documents, McNamara reveals the fatal misassumptions behind our involvement in Vietnam. Keenly observed and dramatically written, In Retrospect possesses the urgency and poignancy that mark the very best histories—and the unsparing candor that is the trademark of the greatest personal memoirs.
Includes a preface written by McNamara for the paperback edition.

Print length

518 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Vintage Books
Publication date

March 19, 1996
Dimensions

5.2 x 1.24 x 7.98 inches
ISBN-10

0679767495
ISBN-13

978-0679767497
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Former Secretary of Defense McNamara's controversial indictment of American policy in Vietnam was a PW bestseller for 12 weeks.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Inside Flap

nal bestseller--an indispensable document for anyone interested in the Vietnam War. McNamara's controversial book tells the inside and personal story of America's descent into Vietnam from a unique point of view, and is one of the most enlightening books about government ever written. This new edition features a new Foreword by McNamara. of photos. (Military History)

From the Back Cover

The #1 national bestseller--an indispensable document for anyone interested in the Vietnam War. McNamara's controversial book tells the inside and personal story of America's descent into Vietnam from a unique point of view, and is one of the most enlightening books about government ever written. This new edition features a new Foreword by McNamara. of photos. (Military History)

About the Author

Robert S. McNamara was secretary of defense under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, president of the Ford Motor Company, and president of the World Bank. After leaving the World Bank he was active in economic development efforts across the globe and in the arms control and non-proliferation movements. He died in 2009.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

from the Preface

This is the book I planned never to write.

Although pressed repeatedly for over a quarter of a century to add my views on Vietnam to the public record, I hesitated for fear that I might appear self-serving, defensive, or vindictive, which I wished to avoid at all costs. Perhaps I hesitated also because it is hard to face one's mistakes. But something changed my attitude and willingness to speak. I am responding not to a desire to get out my personal story but rather to a wish to put before the American people why their government and its leaders behaved as they did and what we may learn from that experience.

My associates in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations were an exceptional group: young, vigorous, intelligent, well-meaning, patriotic servants of the United States. How did this group—"the best and the brightest," as we eventually came to be known in an ironically pejorative phrase—get it wrong on Vietnam? That story has not yet been told.

But why now? Why after all these years of silence am I convinced I should speak? There are many reasons; the main one is that I have grown sick at heart witnessing the cynicism and even contempt with which so many people view our political institutions and leaders.

Many factors helped lead to this: Vietnam, Watergate, scandals, corruption. But I do not believe, on balance, that America's political leaders have been incompetent or insensitive to their responsibilities and to the welfare of the people who elected them and to whom they are accountable. Nor do I believe they have been any worse than their foreign counterparts or their colleagues in the private sector. Certainly they have shown themselves to be far from perfect, but people are far from perfect. They have made mistakes, but mostly honest mistakes.

This underscores my own painful quandary about discussing Vietnam. I know that, to this day, many political leaders and scholars in the United States and abroad argue that the Vietnam War actually helped contain the spread of Communism in South and East Asia. Some argue that it hastened the end of the Cold War. But I also know that the war caused terrible damage to America. No doubt exists in my mind about that. None. I want to look at Vietnam in hindsight, not in any way to obscure my own and others' errors of judgment and their egregious costs but to show the full range of pressures and the lack of knowledge that existed at the time.

I want to put Vietnam in context.

We of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations who participated in the decisions on Vietnam acted according to what we thought were the principles and traditions of this nation. We made our decisions in light of those values.

Yet we were wrong, terribly wrong. We owe it to future generations to explain why.

I truly believe that we made an error not of values and intentions but of judgment and capabilities. I say this warily, since I know that if my comments appear to justify or rationalize what I and others did, they will lack credibility and only increase people's cynicism. It is cynicism that makes Americans reluctant to support their leaders in the actions necessary to confront and solve our problems at home and abroad.

I want Americans to understand why we made the mistakes we did, and to learn from them. I hope to say, "Here is something we can take away from Vietnam that is constructive and applicable to the world of today and tomorrow." That is the only way our nation can ever hope to leave the past behind. The ancient Greek dramatist Aeschylus wrote, "The reward of suffering is experience." Let this be the lasting legacy of Vietnam.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Vintage Books; First Edition (March 19, 1996)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 518 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0679767495
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0679767497
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.2 x 1.24 x 7.98 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #406,666 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #286 in Southeast Asia History
- #703 in Vietnam War History (Books)
- #2,304 in Political Leader Biographies

Customer Reviews:
4.4 373 ratings

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Customer reviews

373 global ratings

How customer reviews and ratings work

Customers say

Customers find the book excellent, valuable, and informative. They also find the conduct of the war insightful, interesting, and full of lessons for today. Readers describe the pacing as well-written and easy to read.

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Readability Insight Pacing

15 customers mention "Readability"15 positive0 negative

Customers find the book excellent, valuable, and informative. They say it keeps their attention.

"Really great book that offers a unique vantage point from which to assess the Vietnam war...." Read more

"...sides of this man that he presents, but this is still valuable and informative reading to those interested in trying to understand this era." Read more

"A bit dry in delivery but filled with information and citations. Invaluable reading of you wish to gain a complete historical understanding of the..." Read more

"...Also gives a brief background of himself, good book for anyone who wants more inside information of what led us to Vietnam" Read more

14 customers mention "Insight"14 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful and full of lessons for today's problems. They say it's scholarly, well-referenced, and filled with information. Readers also mention that the book is honest and engrossing.

"...typical McNamara style, it’s extremely technical, scholarly, and well referenced, and he doesn’t meander into much speculation in the least without..." Read more

"Incredible insight to an extremely complex and trying period in our history...." Read more

"...It's probably as honest a self-appraisal as we are likely to see from such a prominent figure of the period...." Read more

"...Interesting contrasts and comparisons. I find McNamara easy to read and as honest and open as one can be about themselves and their history...." Read more

4 customers mention "Pacing"4 positive0 negative

Customers find the book well-written, easy to read, and honest. They also say the author is an excellent writer and the book keeps their attention.

"...Interesting contrasts and comparisons. I find McNamara easy to read and as honest and open as one can be about themselves and their history...." Read more

"McNamara writes in a very readable style that doesn't get bogged down with verbiage...." Read more

"McNamara is an excellent writer. This book keeps the readers attention...." Read more

"well written" Read more

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Amazon Customer

A deeply insightful look into Vietnam

Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2018

Verified Purchase

Really great book that offers a unique vantage point from which to assess the Vietnam war. In typical McNamara style, it’s extremely technical, scholarly, and well referenced, and he doesn’t meander into much speculation in the least without having solid evidence to back himself up. The lessons to be drawn from the book, both from an organisational/geopolitical/executive point of view, as well from an introspective and self reflecting point of view, cannot be understated. In my opinion, it’s truly admirable the extent to which he admits error in this book, and I’m sure it was not an easy journey to arrive at this point. Well worth the read for anyone with an interest on the subject

4 people found this helpful

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D

The book is about how politics effect military operations.

Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2023

Verified Purchase

Liked the way Macnamara tried to excuse his part in the Vietnam War.

2 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

A thorough understanding of Mcnamara's feeling about Viet Nam

Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2023

Verified Purchase

It would appear McNamara did as thorough a review as his conscience would require and allow. However, I would suggest that before reading his (confession?), that in order to get a balanced evaluation, one should read possibly "Dereliction of Duty", by H.R. McMaster.
There is another side!

7 people found this helpful

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C. H. Reinehr

An excellent read.

Reviewed in the United States on August 1, 2009

Verified Purchase

I don't have any wordy review. I doubt I can add anything that hasn't been discussed already. I just wanted to submit my five stars to Amazon. But I do want to say that Bob McNamara reminds us that the majority of elected officials are men and women who dearly love their country and act in accordance with that love. It is easy to agree upon a goal. It is much more difficult to agree upon the strategies to achieve that goal. Vietnam is a tragic example, made even more tragic by the fact that we so rarely learn from history.

One person found this helpful

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Brian Pyhel

Instantly captures the reader

Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2018

Verified Purchase

Incredible insight to an extremely complex and trying period in our history. Not many politicians have had the courage to admit their mistakes, however long after the fact it may have come. The author had a greater goal and wrote the book for the betterment of our society. Fascinating, if not terribly scary, read.
Highly recommend.

Helpful

James Konoplisky

Interesting to hear what he has to say

Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2014

Verified Purchase

I might agree with some of the critics of Mr. McNamara's confessional. Perhaps it is a bit too sanitary and proper, and perhaps he is letting himself off the hook a bit while seeming to offer contrition, I am not sure. Regardless,it is interesting to hear what such a major figure in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations has to say after all these years. Information wise there was not much here that was not in the Pentagon Papers, which he, to his credit, commissioned, but perhaps the real story, is the insight into the mind and heart of a high level "good soldier", who took and gave difficult orders, that cost so many lives, and how the political entanglements of the time prevented proper decisions being made, or mistaken decisions from being corrected. Other books show different sides of this man that he presents, but this is still valuable and informative reading to those interested in trying to understand this era.

6 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Mixed feelings about the author

Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2024

Verified Purchase

McNamara’s memoir, obviously ghost written brings back unpleasant memories of the Washington bureaucracy that killed so many of my generation.

One person found this helpful

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Otto Smoktonowicz Jr

McNamara - A failure of leadership.

Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2021

Verified Purchase

Robert McNamara was a pivotal person at the creation of the worst blunder of our democracy - Vietnam. Even though he obviously downplays his culpability, nevertheless he factually reports on our involvement. There's a major lesson to be learned by our political leaders. Only time will tell if we citizens are strong enough to enforce responsibility. If not, our democracy is in trouble.

3 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

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Harold

Très intéressant

Reviewed in Canada on October 28, 2022

Verified Purchase

Excellent livre. Compte-rendu détaillé et honnête de la part de Mr. McNamara.

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chinnu

Casues of Vietnom war

Reviewed in India on April 25, 2023

Verified Purchase

Good and unbiased work of former Secretary of Defence

RMF

Debate without end-both the main text and the must read appendices.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 18, 2022

Verified Purchase

After committing more than five hundred thousand Americans to the Vietnam war, McNamara very painfully and eloquently concludes that the war was unwinnable in military terms and that Americans needed to go home. But, history affords no do-overs and perhaps the military definition, the focus on Vietnam and 30 years’ perspective were too narrow and too soon a basis for a final judgement.

Aristotle

Fascinating high-level insight into policy formulation

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 15, 2024

Verified Purchase

Frank revelations, from an experienced insider of three USA administrations, about the gradual involvement in a totally disastrous war from which America has still not recovered emotionally. The Vietnam War was a traumatic 'turning point' in American history. The realisation that the Americans were lied to continuously, by those whom they trusted to have their best interests at heart, became came so forcefully to the fore that many families carry the scars even to today. Folks still sit around and talk about Vietnam in the same way Brits used to talk about WWII. Vietnam brought a sharp and bloody reminder that the USA is not invincible, is not sinless; filled with almost overwhelming military might but weak in the face of implacable opposition and cool determination.

Fede M.

Vietnam-Krieg History

Reviewed in Germany on January 1, 2020

Verified Purchase

Feine und präziese Geschichts-Lektion vom Vietnam-Krieg

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