Robert S. McNamara, the star of both John Kennedy’s and Lyndon Johnson’s cabinets, led a double life as both a fierce proponent and a secret opponent of the Vietnam War, contributing to a tragic outcome for himself and for his country. We will discuss why and how as well as lessons of his life and career for today.
Who: William Taubman, Author, Bertrand Snell Professor of Political Science Emeritus at Amherst College, &
Philip Taubman, Author, Center for International Security and Cooperation, Stanford University
When: Wednesday September 10, 2026 | Reception: 5:30pm | Presentation: 6:00pm
Where: TBD
About the Speakers:
William Taubman is the Bertrand Snell Professor of Political Science Emeritus at Amherst College. His book, Khrushchev: The Man and His Era, won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award. He is also the author of McNamara at War: A New History and Gorbachev: His Life and Times. He lives in Amherst, Massachusetts.
Philip Taubman, a former New York Times reporter, is affiliated with Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation. He is the author of In the Nation’s Service: The Life and Times of George P. Shultz.