Halberstam, The Best and the Brightest (1972)

David Halberstam.
The Best and the Brightest.
New York: Ballantine Books (Random House), 1993.
First published: New York: Random House, 1972.

Book Information: Publisher; Wikipedia; Google Books; Amazon.com.

David Halberstam, "The very expensive education of McGeorge Bundy," Harper's Magazine, July 1969.

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Author Information:

• David Halberstam (1934–2007), Wikipedia.
• I collected more information about David Halberstam in my post for his book The Fifties (1993).

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Video: David Halberstam

• David Halberstam and Stanley Karnow, "Vietnam: A Television History; Interview with David Halberstam, 1979 [part 1 of 5]," WGBH Media Library & Archives, 16 January 1979.
  [part 2 of 5]; [part 3 of 5]; [part 4 of 5]; [part 5 of 5].
• David Halberstam and Clete Roberts, "David Halberstam Talks About Vietnam," Vietnam Reconsidered: Lessons from the War conference, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, February 1983.
  • Clete Roberts (1912–1984), Wikipedia.
• David Halberstam and Ben Bradlee, "The Best and the Brightest," The Washington Post, Washington, D.C., BookTV, C-SPAN.org, 25 January 2005.
  (The introductions end at time 13:30.)
  • Ben Bradlee (1921–2014), Wikipedia.
  • Max Frankel. High Noon in the Cold War: Kennedy, Khrushchev, and the Cuban Missile Crisis. New York: Presidio Press (Random House), 2004.
    [Publisher; Google Books; Amazon.com.]
• David Halberstam, "Vietnam War and the Presidency: Keynote Address," John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, Boston, C-SPAN.org, 10 March 2006.
  • Another Video of this Talk, WGBH Forum, YouTube.
  • Event Information and Transcript, John F. Kennedy Library and Museum.
  • Allen Weinstein, Marilyn B. Young, George C. Herring, Robert D. Schulzinger, "Vietnam and the Presidency - How We Got In: The United States, Asia, and Vietnam," John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, 10 March 2006.
    C-SPAN.org video.
    • Marilyn B. Young. The Vietnam Wars 1945-1990. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1991.
      [Publisher; Google Books; Amazon.com.]
    • George C. Herring. America's Longest War: The United States and Vietnam, 1950-1975, Fifth Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill Education, 2013.
      [Publisher; Google Books; Amazon.com.]
    • Robert D. Schulzinger. A Time for War: The United States and Vietnam, 1941-1975. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.
      [Publisher; Google Books; Amazon.com.]
  • Sharon K. Fawcett, David E. Kaiser, Timothy J. Naftali, Jeffrey P. Kimball, Vietnam and the Presidency - Vietnam and Presidential Tapes, John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, 10 March 2006.
    C-SPAN.org video.
  • Caroline Kennedy, Brian Williams, Jimmy Carter, Vietnam and the Presidency - Introduction by Caroline Kennedy and Interview with President Jimmy Carter, John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, 11 March 2006.
    C-SPAN.org video (time 0:00 - 36:00).
    • Jimmy Carter (b. 1924), Wikipedia.
    • Caroline Kennedy (b. 1957), Wikipedia.
    • Brian Williams (b. 1959), Wikipedia.
  • Ted Sorensen, Jack Valenti, Henry Kissinger, Alexander Haig, Brian Williams, Vietnam and the Presidency - Inside the White House, John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, 11 March 2006.
    C-SPAN.org video (time 36:00 - 2:25:00).
    • Alexander Haig (1924–2010), Wikipedia.
    • Henry Kissinger (b. 1923), Wikipedia.
    • Ted Sorensen (1928–2010), Wikipedia.
    • Jack Valenti (1921–2007), Wikipedia.
  • Frances FitzGerald, Dan Rather, Stephen S. Bell, John Fisher Burns, Brian Williams, Vietnam and the Presidency - The Media and the Role of Public Opinion, John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, 11 March 2006.
    C-SPAN.org video.
    • Frances FitzGerald (b. 1940), Wikipedia.
    • Dan Rather (b. 1931), Wikipedia.
    • Steve Bell (b. 1935), Wikipedia.
    • John Fisher Burns (b. 1944), Wikipedia.
    • Frances FitzGerald. Fire in the Lake: The Vietnamese and the Americans in Vietnam. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1972.
      [Publisher; Wikipedia; Google Books; Amazon.com.]
  • Wesley Clark, Chuck Hagel, Bob Herbert, Pete Peterson, Brian Williams, Vietnam and the Presidency - Lessons Learned, John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, 11 March 2006.
    C-SPAN.org video.
    • Wesley Clark (b. 1944), Wikipedia.
    • Chuck Hagel (b. 1946), Wikipedia.
    • Bob Herbert (b. 1945), Wikipedia.
    • Pete Peterson (b. 1935), Wikipedia.

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Some videos I included in my post for Halberstam's The Fifties (1993) follow below:

• David Halberstam, David McCullough, George Will, Brian Lamb, "Political Historians' Roundtable," Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C., C-SPAN.org, 22 June 1994.
  • Folger Shakespeare Library.
  • Henry Clay Folger (1857 – 1930), Wikipedia.
  • David Halberstam. The Fifties. New York: Villard Books (Random House), 1993.
    [Publisher; Wikipedia; Google Books; Amazon.com.]
  • David McCullough. Truman. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1992.
    [Publisher; Wikipedia; Google Books; Amazon.com.]
    My post on Truman is here.
  • George Will (b. 1941), Wikipedia.
  • George F. Will. Restoration: Congress, Term Limits and the Recovery of Deliberative Democracy. New York: Free Press, 1992.
    [Publisher; Google Books; Amazon.com.]
  • Cecil Woodham-Smith. The Reason Why: The Story of the Fatal Charge of the Light Brigade. London: Constable, 1953. London: Penguin Books, 1991.
    [Publisher; Google Books; Amazon.com.]
• David Halberstam, "America: The Last 50 Years," George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, C-SPAN.org, 01 February 1995.
• David Halberstam and Susan Swain, "In Depth with David Halberstam," BookTV, C-SPAN.org, 04 November 2001.
• David Halberstam, "America Then and Now," Westminster Town Hall Forum, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 27 April 2006.
  • America Then and Now, Westminster Town Hall Forum, 27 April 2006.
  • Westminster Town Hall Forum.
• Orville Schell and Brian Lamb, "David Halberstam, 1934-2007," Washington Journal, C-SPAN.org, 27 April 2007.
  • Orville Schell (b. 1940), Wikipedia.

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Other Video:

• Vietnam: A Television History, WGBH, 1983.
  • Vietnam: A Television History, Wikipedia.
  • Search YouTube for: Vietnam A Television History.
  • Note that Vietnam: A Television History was originally broadcast in 1983 in 13 episodes. In 1997 a re-edited version of the series was broadcast as part of the PBS American Experience series in 11 episodes; episodes 2 ("The First Vietnam War") and 13 ("Legacies") of the original series were omitted from the 1997 version. I think one should preferentially view the 1983 version which was distributed on VHS tape.
  • Stanley Karnow (1925–2013). Vietnam: A History, Second Revised and Updated Edition. New York: Penguin Books, 1997.
    [Publisher; Google Books; Amazon.com.]
  • Raw video of the interviews (often quite long and detailed), from which brief excerpts were used in the documentary, is available at WGBH Open Vault: The Vietnam Collection, WGBH Media Library & Archives.
    For example:
    • Henry Cabot Lodge, 01 January 1979;
    • Maxwell Taylor, 30 January 1979;
    • Edward Lansdale, 31 January 1979;
    • J. Lawton Collins, 29 April 1981;
    • Paul M. Kattenburg, 07 May 1981;
    • Roger Hilsman, 11 May 1981;
    • George W. Ball, 18 May 1981.

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Wikipedia Articles, etc.:

• Historical and Political Context
• United States Strategic Bombing Survey, report released on 30 September 1945.
• Origins of the Cold War.
• Cold War.
• History of United States foreign policy: Cold War: 1947–91.
• Harry S. Truman, "Special Message to the Congress on Greece and Turkey: The Truman Doctrine," March 12, 1947. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project.
• Truman Doctrine, March 1947.
• Chinese Civil War, 1927–1937 and 1946–1950.
• NSC 68, "United States Objectives and Programs for National Security," April 1950.
• NSC 68 [PDF], Harry S. Truman Library & Museum.
• Korean War, June 1950 – July 1953.
• First Indochina War, December 1946 – July 1954.
• McCarthyism.
• Decolonization.
• Decolonisation of Asia.
• Wars of national liberation.

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• Vietnam and Events
• History of Vietnam.
• French Indochina, 1887 – 1954.
• First Indochina War, December 1946 – July 1954.
• State of Vietnam, 1949–1955.
• Bảo Đại (1913–1997), head of state (Emperor), State of Vietnam, 1949–1955.
• Ho Chi Minh (1890–1969).
• Võ Nguyên Giáp (1911–2013).
• Việt Minh.
• North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam), 1945 – 1975.
• Phạm Văn Đồng (1906–2000), Prime Minister of North Vietnam, 1955–1976; Prime Minister of Vietnam, 1976–1987.
• Lê Duẩn (1907–1986), General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, September 1960 – July 1986.
• Battle of Dien Bien Phu, March – May 1954.
• 1954 Geneva Conference, April – July 1954.
• 1954 in the Vietnam War, and articles for each succeeding year.
• Vietnam War Timeline, VietnamGear.com.
• Vietnam War, November 1955 – April 1975.
• South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam), 1955 – 1975.
• Ngo Dinh Diem (1901–1963), President of the Republic of Vietnam, October 1955 – November 1963.
• Ngô Đình Thục (1897–1984), Archbishop of Huế, Vietnam, brother of Ngo Dinh Diem.
• Ngô Đình Nhu (1910–1963), brother of Ngo Dinh Diem.
• Madame Nhu (1924–2011), wife of Ngô Đình Nhu.
• Ngô Đình Cẩn (1911–1964), brother of Ngo Dinh Diem.
• Viet Cong (National Liberation Front, NLF), founded December 1960.
• U.S. Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV), created February 1962.
• Buddhist crisis, South Vietnam, May – November 1963.
• Cable 243, 24 August 1963.
• 1963 South Vietnamese coup d'état, November 1963.
• John Prados, "JFK and the Diem Coup," National Security Archive, 05 November 2003.
• Reaction to the 1963 South Vietnamese coup.
• Nguyễn Ngọc Thơ (1908–1976), Prime Minister of South Vietnam, November 1963 – January 1964.
• Dương Văn Minh ("Big Minh") (1916–2001), Chairman of the Military Revolutionary Council, South Vietnam, November 1963 – January 1964.
• Nguyễn Khánh (1927–2013), Chairman of the Military Revolutionary Council, South Vietnam, January 1964 – February 1965.
• South Vietnam government of Thieu / Ky established in June 1965.
  • Nguyễn Văn Thiệu (1923–2001).
  • Nguyễn Cao Kỳ (1930–2011).
• Gulf of Tonkin incident, August 1964.
• Operation Pierce Arrow, U.S. response to Gulf of Tonkin incident, 05 August 1964.
• Bien Hoa Air Base: 1964 Mortar attack, 01 November 1964.
• 1964 Brinks Hotel bombing, Saigon, 24 December 1964.
• Viet Cong Attack on Camp Holloway, Pleiku, 6–7 February 1965.
• Operation Flaming Dart, U.S. response to attack at Pleiku, February 1965.
• 1965 Qui Nhơn hotel bombing, Viet Cuong Hotel in Qui Nhơn, 10 February 1965.
• Operation Rolling Thunder, began 02 March 1965.
• U.S. Marines arrive at Da Nang, 08 March 1965.
• "President Johnson's News Conference," MP550, LBJ Library, 28 July 1965.
• Battle of Ia Drang, November 1965.

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• United States in Vietnam
• Role of the United States in the Vietnam War.
• Presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower: Foreign affairs, January 1953 – January 1961.
• J. Lawton Collins (1896–1987), Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army, August 1949 – August 1953; U.S. Special Representative in Vietnam, November 1954 – May 1955; Collins lobbied for the removal of Diem during March–May 1955.
• Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG), MAAG Indochina, 1950; reorganized with creation of MAAG Vietnam, 01 November 1955.
• Presidency of John F. Kennedy: Foreign affairs, January 1961 – November 1963.
• John F. Kennedy, "Inaugural Address," 20 January 1961.
  Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project.
• Foreign policy of the John F. Kennedy administration.
• John F. Kennedy, "Commencement Address at American University in Washington," 10 June 1963.
  Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project.
• Presidency of Lyndon B. Johnson: Foreign affairs, November 1963 – January 1969.
• McGeorge Bundy (1919–1996), National Security Advisor, January 1961 – February 1966.
• Robert McNamara (1916–2009), Secretary of Defense, January 1961 – February 1968.
• Dean Rusk (1909–1994), Secretary of State, January 1961 – January 1969.
• Chester Bowles (1901–1986), Under Secretary of State, January – December 1961.
• George Ball (1909–1994), Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment, February – December 1961; Under Secretary of State, December 1961 – September 1966.
• John McNaughton (1921–1967), Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, 1964–1967.
• Frederick Nolting (1911–1989), U.S. Ambassador to South Vietnam, 1961–1963.
• Edward Lansdale (1908–1987), U.S. Air Force; CIA officer.
• Lucien Conein (1919–1998), U.S. Army; CIA officer.
• Walt Rostow (1916–2003), Deputy National Security Advisor, January 1961 – December 1961; Director of Policy Planning at Department of State, December 1961 – March 1966; National Security Advisor, April 1966 – January 1969.
• Maxwell D. Taylor (1901–1987), Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, October 1962 – July 1964; U.S. Ambassador to South Vietnam, July 1964 – July 1965.
• John A. McCone (1902–1991), Under Secretary of the Air Force, June 1950 – October 1951; Chair of the Atomic Energy Commission, July 1958 – January 1961; Director of Central Intelligence, November 1961 – April 1965.
• Paul D. Harkins (1904–1984), Commander of Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV), 1962–1964.
• John Paul Vann (1924–1972), U.S. Army.
• Michael Forrestal (1927–1989), staff member of the National Security Council, 1962–1965.
• W. Averell Harriman (1891–1986), Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, December 1961 – April 1963; Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, April 1963 – March 1965.
• William Bundy (1917–2000), Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, March 1964 – May 1969.
• Clark Clifford (1906–1998), White House Counsel, February 1946 – January 1950; Chair of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board, April 1963 – February 1968; Secretary of Defense, March 1968 – January 1969.
• Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. (1902–1985), U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, January 1947 – January 1953; U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, January 1953 – September 1960; U.S. Ambassador to South Vietnam, August 1963 – June 1964 and August 1965 – April 1967.
• Roger Hilsman (1919–2014), Director of the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (Department of State), February 1961 – April 1963; Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs, May 1963 – March 1964.
• Paul Warnke (1920–2001), Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, 1967 – 1969.
• Harry McPherson (1929–2012), White House Counsel, February 1966 – October 1967.
• Paul Nitze (1907–2004), Director of Policy Planning at Department of State, 1950–1953; Secretary of the Navy, November 1963 – June 1967; Deputy Secretary of Defense, July 1967 – January 1969.
• J. William Fulbright (1905–1995), U.S. Senator from Arkansas, January 1945 – December 1974; Chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 1959–1974.
• William Westmoreland (1914–2005), Commander of Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV), June 1964 – 1968.
• William E. DePuy (1919–1992), U.S. Army.
• Ellsworth Bunker (1894–1984), U.S. Ambassador to South Vietnam, April 1967 – May 1973.
• Nicholas Katzenbach (1922–2012), Attorney General, February 1965 – October 1966; Under Secretary of State, October 1966 – January 1969.
• Paul M. Kattenburg (1922–2004), State Department. [Obituary, The Washington Post.]

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• Presidency of Richard Nixon: Foreign policy, January 1969 – August 1974.

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In various ways The Best and the Brightest is a prequel to and a sequel to, but perhaps also the inverse or opposite of:

• Walter Isaacson and Evan Thomas, The Wise Men: Six Friends and the World They Made (1986).

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