Dereliction of duty

Dereliction of Duty 1S a groundbreaking analysis of how and why the United States became involved in an all-out and disastrous war in Southeast Asia. Meticulously researched, based on transcripts and personal accounts of crucial meetings, confrontations, and decisions, it is the only book that fully re-creates what happened and why. McMaster pinpoints the policies and decisions that got the United States into the morass and reveals who made these decisions and the motives behind them, disproving the published theories of other historians and excuses of the participants.

A page-turning narrative, Dereliction of Duty focuses on a fascinating cast of characters: President Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, General Maxwell Taylor, McGeorge Bundy, and other top aides who deliberately deceived the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the U.S. Congress, and the American public. McMaster’s only book, Dereliction of Duty 1S an explosive look at the controversy concerning the United States involvement in Vietnam.

” A devastating indictment of Johnson and his principal civilian and military advisers.”
– RONALD SPECTOR, NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW