The Best and the BrightestThe Best and the Brightest
Score Classic
What it's about
David Halberstam asks how the brilliant men who came to Washington with John F. Kennedy, confident, well-educated and sure of themselves, led America into the disaster of the Vietnam War. He follows Robert McNamara, McGeorge Bundy, Dean Rusk and others through the decisions, mistakes and self-deceptions of the 1960s.
Why it's worth reading
It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list and is a classic of political history. Its title has become a phrase for clever leaders who get things badly wrong.
You'll love it if you liked
The Years of Lyndon Johnson
Dispatches
The SympathizerGood to know
It's very long and dense with names. It was written while the war was still going on.
By the numbers
- Readers88 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics59 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller26 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
More by David Halberstam
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Quick answers
Is The Best and the Brightest worth reading?
Yes. It spent weeks at #1 on the New York Times list and is a classic of political history. It ranks #316 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 81.1 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Best and the Brightest about?
David Halberstam asks how the brilliant men who came to Washington with John F. Kennedy, confident, well-educated and sure of themselves, led America into the disaster of the Vietnam War. He follows Robert McNamara, McGeorge Bundy, Dean Rusk and others through the decisions, mistakes and self-deceptions of the 1960s.
How long does it take to read The Best and the Brightest?
About 15 hours (610 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Best and the Brightest?
If you liked it, try The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert A. Caro, Dispatches by Michael Herr or The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen.