This book will make you upset if you lived through the vietnam war or had loved ones who were involved. McNamara, as Kennedy's secretary of war, makes apologies in that he says now that a lot of the decisions were wrong and there was a lot of uneccessary death and destruction during those years. He tries to assuage his role and basically outlines changes that should have been implemented at the time. It does not explain how or why he, being a key player, did not get us out of vietnam sooner or make the necessary policy changes. It's a "cop out" on his part to try and clear his conscience.