Uncertain Warriors

Barrett's in-depth study of the relationship between President Lyndon Johnson and his Vietnam War advisers concentrates on three distinct periods of the war: the first half of 1965, when the president and his advisers faced the prospect of South Vietnam's collapse; the spring and summer of 1967, when the pull-back-or-escalate debate was at its hottest; and the winter and spring of 1968, which included the Tet Offensive and LBJ's announcement that he would not run for reelection. Barrett analyzes the interaction among the president and cabinet members, White House staffers, military leaders, diplomats and government elders such as Averell Harriman and Dean Acheson on the question of Vietnam policy, bringing into sharp focus what the author calls Johnson's operating style, an odd combination of openness to wide-ranging views and a strong penchant for secrecy. Barrett argues that in these conferences the president was not the temperamental twister portrayed often, but on the contrary, was a polite listener. The study clarifies LBJ's performance as war president and demonstrates that ``assertions that there must have been an irrational advisory process surrounding Johnson do not meet the test of evidence.'' Barrett teaches political science at Villanova. (Oct.)