Dereliction of Duty

A landmark work, Dereliction of Duty reexamines one of the most controversial failures in American history. It is the only book that completely recreates what happened and why, based on recently revealed transcripts and personal recollections of important meetings, confrontations, and choices. It also pinpoints the policies and actions that led the United States into the quagmire, revealing who made them and their motivations, disproving other historians' ideas about those decisions. Dereliction of Duty tells the story in a compelling narrative style, focusing on a fascinating cast of characters, including President Lyndon B. Johnson, Robert McNamara, General Maxwell Taylor, McGeorge Bundy, and other top aides who deceived the Joint Chiefs of Staff—and the entire country—about their intentions to escalate U. S. involvement in Vietnam.