Counsel to the President: A Memoir

Presidential adviser Clifford had a hand in the launching of the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, the birth of the present national security system and other seminal events in the post-WW II era. He served as President Kennedy's personal lawyer, was Lyndon Johnson's closest adviser during the Vietnam war and succeeded Robert McNamara as secretary of Defense. Though he has much of interest to say about the presidencies of Johnson and Carter in particular, Clifford's re-creation of the Truman years (about a fourth of the book) is most memorable and deeply felt. His admiration for Harry Truman as a chief executive and as a man is profound. Written with former assistant secretary of State Holbrooke, Clifford's memoir is a treasure of historical information, vivid anecdotes and sharp insights into Washington politics and policy over the past four and a half decades. Photos. (June)