The Color of Truth: McGeorge Bundy and William Bundy: Brothers in Arms

Amazon.com

This dual biography of the brothers who were top aides to Presidents Kennedy and Johnson is an outstanding study of the mindset that allowed the United States to become slowly ensnared in the Vietnam War. Both McGeorge Bundy, a national security advisor, and William Bundy, a senior official at the Pentagon and State Department, were liberal anti-Communists trying to balance American interests in Southeast Asia between what they considered the dangerous extremes of both Left and Right. They came under enormous criticism for their roles, but author Kai Bird argues that newly declassified documents "show that the Bundys and other decision-makers registered deep doubts about the American enterprise in Vietnam and did so far earlier than most historians had thought." This hardly exonerates them, in Bird's view: "They knew how badly the war was going as early as 1964-65, yet they found a way to persist in folly." Their tale didn't end in the 1960s. McGeorge Bundy, for instance, went on to head the Ford Foundation for 13 years, where he played an enormously important role in shaping modern liberalism. Bird, a Guggenheim Fellow and contributing editor to The Nation, tells the Bundys' story with great clarity and sound judgment; The Color of Truth is a surprisingly absorbing book. --John Miller

Book Description

"Grey is the color of truth."

So observed Mac Bundy in defending America's intervention in Vietnam. Kai Bird brilliantly captures this ambiguity in his revelatory look at Bundy and his brother William, two of the most influential policymakers of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. It is a portrait of fiercely patriotic, brilliant and brazenly self-confident men who directed a steady escalation of a war they did not believe could be won. Bird draws on seven years of research, nearly one hundred interviews, and scores of still-classified top secret documents in a masterful reevaluation of America's actions throughout the Cold War and Vietnam.

Customer Reviews:

Extremely slanted against JFK and towards the Bundys.......2007-06-12

According to this book everything President Kennedy did was sinister and hawk-like and everything the Bundy boys did was well intentioned and high-minded. It's so blatantly slanted it's disgusting.

In addition, it doesn't even address major questions about the behavior of McGeorge Bundy. For example it mentions that the night before the Bay of Pigs invasion Bundy called Richard Bissell of the CIA and canceled the planned dawn airstrikes that JFK had authorized. JFK did not authorize the cancellation of the airstrikes; Bundy just did it on his own. WHY? Kai Bird never explains why, and never even expresses curiosity. This is a glaring omission in a book supposedly showing what made the Bundy boys tick.

But as another reviewer noted, Kai Bird writes for The Nation, the faux "left"/establishment left publication. So that makes it clear why an author of theirs would try to paint the Bundys as "liberal" and JFK as a hawk, which is exactly backwards.

I gave it a star because the book still has some interesting history and insights.

Engaging Dual Biography.......2006-09-15

Without hesitation I've put this book on my short list of recommendations for anyone who wants to learn more about the Vietnam War. Not at the top simply because it assumes some prior knowledge about many of the players involved and the historical events described but it should be included, (I think), with books by Halberstam, Sheehan, etc. Why? The Bundy brothers were at the center of most if not all the policy and military decisions concerning Vietnam made during the Kennedy and Johnson administrations - McGeorge as Special Assistant to the President on National Security Affairs to both presidents and William working under McNamara, (Defense) and then Dean Rusk, (State). This book/author does an excellent job of putting these decisions in the context of the Bundy brothers' background, upbringing, education, intellect, loyalty and sense of duty, i.e. all the things a biography should do. Will the reader agree with all the decisions the Bundys made? ...Of course not. In fact one may disagree with every decision each or both of them did make but this book gives the reader an appreciation or at least an understanding as to how and why they came about. (As an aside, most of the questions/doubts concerning Vietnam policy made in hindsight, were raised contemporaneously by one or both of the Bundys -just another piece to this overly complex puzzle) Regarding the book's perspective/objectivity, I have no complaints and found the author admirably evenhanded - Although there are some anecdotes concerning peripheral individuals, (i.e. Henry Kissinger), which do not show them in the most positive light and may even raise a smirk from the reader. Finally although this review has centered on the Bundys and Vietnam this book chronicles much more, both before and after the Vietnam War - Henry Stimson, military service, the CIA, McCarthyism and the Cold War, Harvard and Yale, Cuba, the Ford Foundation - but in the interest of brevity I hope I've made my point.

Very Bad Wizards.......2001-11-03

Like nothing else available, Kai Bird's THE COLOR OF TRUTH demystifies liberal pragmatic centrist (the Bundy brothers were EXTREMELY difficult to categorize/pin, politically) contributions to a disastrous post-WWII U.S. foreign policy drift that continues to this day. It does re-cover best/brightest territory, but in the nicest sense of recovery, with graceful focus on key players plus perspective & freedom-of-information access impossible for Halberstam. A case of perfect historian timing? Primary sources still alive/available but no longer needing/wishing to defend/protect/fib too heavily? Bird is a contributing editor for The Nation & dedicates the book, partly, to his parents, lifelong worried opponents of brutal wars in the Middle East, but has no axe to grind, is familiar with context by virtue of previous work on John J. McCloy, appropriately begins with Henry Stimson & Harvey Bundy, father of a couple of perhaps frighteningly blessed sons.

William & McGeorge Bundy grew into decent bright academics who would indirectly destroy millions of humans, plus their own reputations, by doing exactly what bright decent academics get paid do, usually fairly harmlessly. In order to operate in the professional expert marketplace, one must learn to develop/defend theses. Neither of the brothers was a certified official Dr. Henry VIP (an easter egg the size of the Ritz is noted at the bottom of p. 407 of the hardcover) dignitary, but certain allowances can/will be made for the off-the-charts smartly impatient. These guys were good, even superb, at thesis concoction/defense. Also connected well past needing paper proof? Regardless, thesis defense can get out of hand, seriously, if/when thesis basis information turns out to be inaccurate/skewed or even flatly atrociously wrong. What can a responsible expert do? Admit erroneous basis? Revise thesis? Even, if one has accepted a government job, reverse policy? Perhaps. But this can feel mighty embarrassing, or swampy/waffling/kinetic, especially if U.S. troops have already died under prevailing false thesis conditions & elections impend? So, if one is an unusually gifted aristomandarin character, as both William &, probably even moreso, Mac were, all sorts of spinning options are open? After all, one is a professional? Execute the assignment? Indeed.

It took many to generate bloody quagmire in Vietnam. The Bundy brothers were merely essential state-of-the-art instruments (filtering network managers, the postmodern equivalent of loyal trusted Machiavellian courtiers?) humbly serving two Democratic presidents who failed to get a sane/sage grip on something set in motion by congenial Ike. McGeorge Bundy departed in 1966, just as the unreconstructed Texan in LBJ began to explode. Bill left in 1969, before the incoming Nixon plus Dick's own academic favorite, vastly less decent than either Bundy, cranked Vietnam up/down into criminally pointless/cynical brutality, or peace with honor. Bill Bundy eventually wondered, in writing, about the final five years of the futile war he had contributed to failing to curtail.

Bird's chapter on the JFK government adventurism regarding Cuba, which set a tone, is especially valuable, as is his fairly relentless harping on the bizarrely spooky nature/bias of the American electorate during the middle years of the cool quasi-war with the Evil Empire. The Bundy brothers were NOT very bad men, as gentle reader learns as Bird tells of McGeorge at the Ford Foundation or William writing up himself (plus later even more pragmatic others) for arrogant carelessness. But they WERE very bad wizards, which can/does happen when professional experts overestimate their [genius] rights/capabilities, still. Even now? Might be safer to inform/trust our own judgements, sometimes?

Fingering the Culprits.......2001-07-23

THE COLOR OF TRUTH: MCGEORGE BUNDY AND WILLIAM BUNDY, BROTHERS IN ARMS: A BIOGRAPHY is essential reading for anyone trying to understand American foreign policy in the twentieth century. This book is well-researched and full of previously-undisclosed information. It also provides two portraits of what "establishment liberalism" was, how it developed, and its consequences. In the process, some of the most fascinating moments in American history are illuminated, most of the time unfavorably.

From their respective military careers in WWII to their numerous positions in academia, government, and the non-profit sector, these two brothers were at the center of a huge web of personal and professional contacts in the American establishment. They were in many ways, the best, but also very flawed. This biography reveals those flaws, and the consequences of their failures.

This book is very dense, especially during the sections dealing with the question of Vietnam, and an acquaintance with the brothers' own corpus of work is helpful and increases the potency of the book's analytical edge. It should be required reading for anyone interested in government policy, because it reveals how decisions are made, and how human beings think.

A must read for any student of Vietnam or foreign affairs..........2000-08-21

I happened upon this book in a bookstore in New York. I'm not going to say it changed my life: it would take a lot for a biography to do that. But for what it is: a biography of two men who were raised to hold the reins of power, than did so in one of this countries most difficult periods, the book is balanced, insightful, and enlightening.

I was a bit worried going into the book that Bird, a frequent contributer to the Nation, would perform an unbalanced hatchet-job on these two men-- who must of course be seen with their redeeming qualities. And he does. This is a well-researched, well-put together book. It is a must read for anyone interested in Vietnam, the Kennedy Administration, or foreign affairs in general.

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THE COLOR OF TRUTH, MCGEORGE BUNDY AND WILLIAM BUNDY: BROTHERS IN ARMS, A BIOGRAPHY

Manufacturer: Simon and Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IAXRCK

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The Color of Truth, McGeorge Bundy and William Bundy: Brothers in Arms
Kai Bird
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K1DGLY

Book Description

Someone You Know is Maria Palotta-Chiarolli's biography of Jon, who is living with AIDS, and the story of their extraordinary friendship. Maria and Jon teach each other, hold common views, they also share secrets. The threads and entanglements of their lives come together at Jon's final gathering. Someone You Know covers the issues that AIDS makes us confront and will help all who are involved in AIDS education, research and care.

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Brain Foods for Kids: Over 100 Recipes to Boost Your Child's Intelligence
Nicola Graimes
Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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Health & Nutrition | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
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Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers

ASIN: 0553383353
Release Date: 2005-03-01

Book Description

After writing several award-winning health and nutrition titles that have had great success in the UK, Nicola Graimes makes her debut in the US market with the first book to focus on children and brain power and the foods that truly can improve intelligence and those that can hinder it. With her exciting positive twist on the link between the food that children eat and their mental development, Graimes offers parents new ways and reasons to give their children (from pregnancy through primary school) and the essential foods and nutrients they require.

BRAIN FOODS FOR KIDS includes:

-A clear and easy-to-follow introduction to the principles of good childhood nutrition and information on all the latest science on brain-boosting foods

-Practical, kid-tested advice on incorporating the essential foods into a child-friendly diet

-Special "brain-box" features to explain the health-giving, mind-boosting properties of each of the featured dishes

-Teaches how to recognize foods containing additives and pesticides, and how to choose healthy, nutritious ingredients

-Advice on using diet to control and avoid behavioral problems such as ADHD

Graimes divides the book into two sections. The first is full of advice, bursting with color photographs and helpful scientific facts as palatable for adult readers as the recipes are for their children. The second part covers more than 100 recipes for every meal of the day, parties, picnics, and plenty of delicious snacks. And the perforated at-a-glance weekly menu planner can be torn out for posting on the fridge.

Amazon.com

As many enthusiasts have discovered, it's easy to lose weight on the low-carb diet. But keeping the weight off requires an ongoing commitment--not an easy feat when faced with dieting drudgery, dinners out, holiday gatherings, and demoralizing eating binges. While many low-carb diet books offer the initial thrill of weight loss, this book is a lifelong manual, offering tips and guidance to keep readers committed for the long haul.

Author Fran McCullough starts with "secret weapons" (such as blocking sugars, cleansing the liver, and keeping a food diary), must-haves in any long-term dieter's arsenal. She also offers a valuable "Troubleshooting" section that covers commons challenges, such as dinner invitations ("Come on over for Dinner") and binge eating ("Blowing It"). She addresses the persistent snacking problem with a list of low-carb delights (including shrimp with guacamole or prosciutto and melon). She even lists alternative foods for the times when you crave disaster foods. (For example, a craving for pizza can be satisfied with grilled eggplant, mozzarella cheese, and oregano.) The second half of the book is devoted to McCullough's specialty--tasty and satisfying low-carb recipes, such as Buffalo Boys Chili and Berry and Mango Compote.

Book Description

Here is the secret to achieving long-term success on a low-carb diet. With foolproof strategies for controlling binges and cravings, invaluable tips on eating in restaurants, guidelines for dealing with sudden weight gain, and more than 175 delicious new recipes, LIVING LOW-CARB is a godsend for the millions of American dieters now dedicated to the low-carb lifestyle.

Customer Reviews:

Okay, but a little on the excessive side.......2005-09-25

I am new to low-carb dieting, and have resisted because of all of the hype. Decided to give sensible low-carb a try, and wanted a book with some, duh, sensible advice. The guidance is pretty good, some good sources for low-carb foods, but over the edge in some regards. "Practical" advice for dining out - ask for a sample of the food you're thinking of ordering, chew it up, spit it on a special stick, and if the sugar is too high, ask for something else. This is the kind of guidance you'd give to people who might die if a sugar gram accidentally passes their lips, not to those who want to get some pounds off their butt (and actually keep their friends around). The author also subscribes to a whole array of products to take to stave off those accidental carbs. This book wasn't as much practical guidance to me as it was just another over-the-edge book, but this time written by a "regular" person, not a doctor hawking his latest program.

I threw out my other low-carb book.......2004-04-22

I'm really impressed with the breadth of knowledge Fran McCullough presents in the book. I wish she'd cite her sources. One sidebar about the effects of sugar says that normal body cells require oxygen and a little sugar to function, but cancer cells require lots and lots of sugar. I was pretty impressed with that little factoid. But where'd it come from?

LIVING LOW-CARB is enjoyable to read; it's like she's right there. I find it hard to put down when I go back to review.

In a valuable section called THE LOOKING-GLASS WORLD OF FAKE SUGAR, she gives great information on all the low-carb and non-carb sweeteners on the market, as of the date the book was published. That was really, really helpful. I'm looking for an alternative to Splenda because of that section (possible health risks and the fact that she asserts that all powdered sweeteners are cut with actual sugar ... Splenda in the box contains maltodextrin as its first ingredient, which apparently does affect insulin).

Another section called DEALING WITH BREAKFAST is equally reassuring and informative. It's about how to come up with a decent low-carb breakfast on the run, which, I take it, is the bedevilment of most low-carbers' lives.

Oh, one recipe is great: corned beef and cabbage. The cabbage is really as tender and tasty and she says. The intense custard is delicious and easy to make. The root beer wiggle, on the other hand, is less than delightful. (Diet root beer and gelatine.) McCullough's tastes run a little gourmet and expensive, but not excessively so. She sure knows the market of low-carb foods, and if she weren't a gourmet, how could she give such thorough information about the market?

I'm really hoping for a new edition, because the information about products and scientific findings could be outdated by now (hint, hint). But following the principles she outlines, I am losing weight. I follow a low-carb diet with about 80 percent faithfulness, and I'm losing weight at a moderate pace (about 30 pounds in a year), which satisfies me.

Love this book.......2004-04-22

When I first started to read this book, I thought some of the author's ideas were off-base, and considered selling this book used. However, a few months later, I read about the South Beach Diet, and also bought that book. I had lots of luck w/the diet, and feel great. I then looked at this book with new eyes, and think it really compliments the South Beach regimen. McCullough's book is nice because she adds touches to recipes that are lacking from the South Beach book. She also has an infectious enthusiasm, and obviously loves food and cooking--a fellow chow hound! Generally, I've found the recipes easy to make and have most of the ingredients on hand at home. There have been a few disappointments, but those have been far outweighed by the recipes I like. I made the Mexican soup last night (it only took 30 minutes), and plan to make the walnut soup later this week. She has some amazing recipes for salmon, and unusual (and incredibly delicious) vegetable recipes, including one for zucchini. I will definitely buy other books she has written.

Living Low-Carb.......2001-06-01

This book is a MUST HAVE for anyone trying to live a low-carb lifestyle and hoping to stay on it longterm. The tips, insights and secrets alone are more than worth the price of the book....and then there are all those great recipes! Yes, some of the ideas & ingredients are not found in your average store, but she makes sure you know how & where to find everything you need. And the recipes are not the same recipes that are in her previous book, The Low-Carb Cookbook...also a must have. I keep this book on hand, ALL the time!

A Must Have for any Low Carb Kitchen.......2001-04-18

Fran's latest book has a place of honor in our kitchen - right next to her first! Both books help you eat low-carb but with "real food". There are even recipes to fulfill my chocolate cravings! Truly a "must-have" if you plan on eating this way long-term.

Living Low-Carb: The Complete Guide to Long-Term Low-Carb Dieting

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Living Low-Carb: The Complete Guide to Long-Term Low-Carb Dieting
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Manufacturer: Little, Brown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OUB0VY

Book Description

This latest installment in the American Farriers Journal's "Farrier Classics" series relies on the time-tested advice of renowned farrier George E. Rich.

A 240-page reprint of the original book from 1887 that was updated in 1907, complete with illustrations, this book will be appreciated by novice and experienced farriers alike.

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Artistic horse-shoeing: A practical and scientific treatise
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Manufacturer: Akron Prinning [sic] Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0008C3IO0

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Artistic horse-shoeing;: A practical and scientific treatise, giving improved methods of shoeing, with special directions for shaping shoes to cure different ... faulty action in trotters, by George E. Rich
George E Rich
Manufacturer: M.T. Richardson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B00085JJ68

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Best EVER!!!

amazing

Soft Animals A to Z: Sew a Collection of 26 Realistic Toys
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Manufacturer: Krause Publications
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Every kid loves stuffed animals, and Carolyn Hall's love for children shows clearly through the time and care she's put into every realistidc animal pattern featured here. From armadillo to lion and monkey to zebra, sewers will have fun following the detailed step by step instructions for creating 26 soft, stuffed playthings for their favorite children. Each pattern was thoroughly tested to ensure that the average sewer could easily create most animals.

Customer Reviews:

Best EVER!!!.......2005-07-03

I searched for a long time in bookstores, libraries, and even online before I found the perfect patterns, and this book has them! Experimenting with materials and eye positioning to create different looks also gives you much more when it comes to your "collection." The only complaint I would have is that I can't find more books by the same author for other animals, 'coz I sure love the results from the patterns she has in this one. Really a wonderful book for anyone who wants to sew nice-looking stuff toys.

amazing.......2005-03-16

Just imagine how happy I was when I got my copy yesterday. Sometimes we don't believe the cover of a book, but Soft Animals A to Z is really great. I especially like the zebra, unicorn, and ostrich. My son asks me for the monkey. All of the 26 animal toys are lifelike. And you'll be surprised to see even xiphosura, armadillo, and iguana are included. Step-by-step illustrations are helpful. With this book, I could make great toys for my niece and nephew.

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Fasinating!!!! Must read, thought provolking...

Gaia Matrix: Arkhom & the Geometries of Destiny in the North American Landscape
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Manufacturer: Franklin Media
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Customer Reviews:

Fasinating!!!! Must read, thought provolking..........2001-10-18

Ley lines, feng shui has its chi... but what about underlying relationship of earth to man? This book really is a welcome addition to understanding relationship of life, especially the earth(land- Gaia) with man (his activities and responses). When you thought you knew it all, along comes a work that puts a whole new dimension to life. It's a great book for youth to adults. Not new age(y) -- but does put things into perspective.
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Play lets a baby know he or she is loved. This collection of over 100 games, songs and activities is organized in 3-month developmental sections with one activity per page to make play and reference easy. Traditional and contemporary suggestions. 110 pages.

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