Podcast
The Ezra Klein Show
The hosts cited the title as an illustration of how well‑intentioned but overconfident advisers led to disastrous outcomes, and they described it as a valuable, well‑reported account of Vietnam decision‑making that drew eerie parallels to later conflicts. They noted that its length was excessive and some characters were slightly overdrawn, but still considered it a worthwhile read. Overall, the discussion conveyed strong endorsement of its insights.
Episode: I Keep Hoping Larry Summers Is Wrong. What if He’s...
Larry Summers said the book illustrated how wellintentioned but overconfident advisers caused disastrous outcomes.
Some would probably say I didn't get them, didn't absorb the message well enough by David Halberstam's The Best and the Brightest as an evocation of how the wellintentioned but overconfident and overly dogmatic and unwilling to hear contrary evidence led to disastrous outcomes.
Episode: The Foreign Policy Conversation Washington Doesn’t...
Ezra noted that he had been reading the book to understand Vietnam and later described it as a valuable, wellreported work despite its length.
I've been reading this book, The Best and the Brightest by David Halberstam about how he got into Vietnam.
I've been listening to, I don't read books anymore, I've been listening to while taking walks, David Halberstam's book, The Best and the Brightest. The answer is longer than was absolutely necessary. If I had been his editor, it wouldn't be the book it is. And I also think some of the characters are slightly overdrawn, but it's a really valuable, wellreported book.
Episode: The Foreign Policy Conversation Washington Doesn’t...
The host said he had been reading the book to understand how Vietnamera decisionmaking worked and noted the author's point that generals tend to downplay risks when advising on interventions.
I've been reading this book, The Best and the Brightest by David Halberstam about how he got into Vietnam.
He said that when you're deciding whether to intervene militarily, you can count on the generals to tell you everything that can go awry and stress the negative part of the picture.
Episode: The Foreign Policy Conversation Washington Doesn’t...
The book was cited as a wellreported account of the Vietnam era that draws eerie parallels to the institutional failures in Afghanistan, and was praised for its valuable reporting despite some overdrawn characters.
I've been reading this book, The Best and the Brightest by David Halberstam about how he got into Vietnam. And one thing he says is when you're deciding whether to intervene militarily, you can count on the generals to tell you everything that can go awry and stress the negative part of the picture.
I've already said that I've been listening to, I don't read books anymore, I've been listening to while taking walks, David Halberstam's book, The Best and the Brightest. The answer is longer than was absolutely necessary. If I had been his editor, it wouldn't be the book it is. And I also think some of the characters are slightly overdrawn, but it's a really valuable, wellreported book.
