Rating: 
Summary: Reflects the effects and scars of McNamera's poor choices
Review: This book focuses on McNamera, his journey to the Pentagon, and the effects of his, at first, well intentioned chioces gone bad. Mr. Hendrickson has done a find job of capturing the histories and emotions of several people (from different facets) involved with or affected by the war. These are stories of betrayal, pain, forgiveness and moving on. Being my first book the Vietnam War, Mr. Hendrickson has left me with a strong desire to search out more on the people who were left with physical as well as emotional scars by the war. I now feel that I have a personal attachment to those soldiers, the people who peacefully tried to bring attention to this travisty and and anyone with a single thread of emotion towards to unjust piece of history.
Rating:
Summary: THE LIVING and the dead
Review: This book offers a great perspective on how Robert McNamara's decisions affected the lives of five ordinary people who consequently find themselves in unordinary situations. I think these stories, in conjunction with other historical texts, masterfully articulate some of the features of the clouded tapestry that we call Vietnam.
Rating: 
Summary: A Powerful but flawed book
Review: This book packs real emotional punch along with some excellent reporting and analysis. Hendrickson has caught the basic rhythm of the Vietnam War through his account of the intertwined lives of former SecDef Robert McNamara and a young Martha's Vineyard artist, a Marine helicopter crew chief, a Quaker who burned himself to death in protest of the Vietnam war, a young Catholic who went off to become a combat nurse, and a Vietnamese family torn apart by the war and the victory of the Communists. In addition, two other characters play prominent roles, the author himself and, in a shadowy way, McNamara's son.This structure allows Hendrickson to develop considerable dramatic impact as he cuts back and forth between the events of McNamara's life, and his foolish and fateful decisions, and the lives of those who were effected by McNamara and his decisions. There is great drama and illumination in the contrast between what was happening on the ground in Vietnam, or in the lives of ordinary Americans and Vietnamese, and the remorseless but curiously blind lurching forward of the Kennedy and then Johnson/McNamara war machine. Another reviewer has noted, and disapproves of, the centrality of the Quaker Norm Morrison's self-immolation virtually under McNamara's Pentagon window. This is, in many ways, the true heart of the book. Hendrickson seems to connect best with Morrison's life, and with his surviving family. Morrison's example is also a powerful challenge to any reader to think through the practical implications of his personal beliefs. In the end, however, Hendrickson seems to miss the deepest implications of his own research. He is less good with the other lives: the marine and the nurse are portrayed as earnest but ineffectual people caught up in the horror and pity of war, the sufferings of the Tranhs and the nurse are seen as inexplicable but not, finally, very interesting. The author seems most drawn to the Morrisons, the artist, and to McNamara himself. Hendrickson then ultimately lets McNamara off the hook in a muddy and curiously vain epilogue. The inner nature of McNamara's crime, the moral cowardice that could not be more sharply contrasted with Morrison's death, has a form familiar to us from Hitler's Germany. Wehrmacht General officers refused to act against their obviously criminal commander in chief because--yes, this is true--of the oath of loyalty they had sworn to Hitler. McNamara's self-justification rests on the same avowal, the same twisted and ultimately cowardly and evil misplacement of loyalty, and Hendrickson never really probes the inhumanity lurking below McNamara's ability to do so. The reporting, which overall is excellent, on these matters belies the analysis itself, the flaws of which are sometimes concealed under the author's engaging but occasionally over-the-top rhetoric. This book remains vivid and powerful, one that points the way forward and is very rewarding in itself, but which cannot be considered, despite its many excellences, the final word on the man McNamara or his war.
Rating:
Summary: A Powerful but flawed book
Review: This book packs real emotional punch along with some excellent reporting and analysis. Hendrickson has caught the basic rhythm of the Vietnam War through his account of the intertwined lives of former SecDef Robert McNamara and a young Martha's Vineyard artist, a Marine helicopter crew chief, a Quaker who burned himself to death in protest of the Vietnam war, a young Catholic who went off to become a combat nurse, and a Vietnamese family torn apart by the war and the victory of the Communists. In addition, two other characters play prominent roles, the author himself and, in a shadowy way, McNamara's son. This structure allows Hendrickson to develop considerable dramatic impact as he cuts back and forth between the events of McNamara's life, and his foolish and fateful decisions, and the lives of those who were effected by McNamara and his decisions. There is great drama and illumination in the contrast between what was happening on the ground in Vietnam, or in the lives of ordinary Americans and Vietnamese, and the remorseless but curiously blind lurching forward of the Kennedy and then Johnson/McNamara war machine. Another reviewer has noted, and disapproves of, the centrality of the Quaker Norm Morrison's self-immolation virtually under McNamara's Pentagon window. This is, in many ways, the true heart of the book. Hendrickson seems to connect best with Morrison's life, and with his surviving family. Morrison's example is also a powerful challenge to any reader to think through the practical implications of his personal beliefs. In the end, however, Hendrickson seems to miss the deepest implications of his own research. He is less good with the other lives: the marine and the nurse are portrayed as earnest but ineffectual people caught up in the horror and pity of war, the sufferings of the Tranhs and the nurse are seen as inexplicable but not, finally, very interesting. The author seems most drawn to the Morrisons, the artist, and to McNamara himself. Hendrickson then ultimately lets McNamara off the hook in a muddy and curiously vain epilogue. The inner nature of McNamara's crime, the moral cowardice that could not be more sharply contrasted with Morrison's death, has a form familiar to us from Hitler's Germany. Wehrmacht General officers refused to act against their obviously criminal commander in chief because--yes, this is true--of the oath of loyalty they had sworn to Hitler. McNamara's self-justification rests on the same avowal, the same twisted and ultimately cowardly and evil misplacement of loyalty, and Hendrickson never really probes the inhumanity lurking below McNamara's ability to do so. The reporting, which overall is excellent, on these matters belies the analysis itself, the flaws of which are sometimes concealed under the author's engaging but occasionally over-the-top rhetoric. This book remains vivid and powerful, one that points the way forward and is very rewarding in itself, but which cannot be considered, despite its many excellences, the final word on the man McNamara or his war.
Rating:
Summary: Moving, made me want cry for the 60,000 dead
Review: This book, along with "Dereliction of Duty," should be required reading, especially for those who believe the Vietnam War was winnable. The JCS knew it from the start. LBJ and McNamara refused to listen to those who had to do the fighting, and listened to their own egos. If it weren't for Norman Morrison and other protesters of that war, who knows how many more names would have been on "The Wall"?
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent concept, terrible writing
Review: This is a fascinating concept and involves fascinating research. The writing is terrible, almost unreadable. The material is very strong stuff, perhaps it overwhelmed the author. Where was the editor on this book? I would have to say that they were asleep at the wheel.This is a particular waste because so much first hand information seems to have been entrusted to the author.
Rating:
Summary: Riveting! The book on tape is excellent.
Review: This was fascinating after reading McNamaras own book. the author did endledss research and it shines brilliantly. If anyone would like to buy my copy- Audio book on tape, 4 cassetts, please contact me. At half price! :)
Rating: 
Summary: Who edits, who censors?
Review: Why is it that there are no reviews after Nov. 30, 1999?
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