The Best and the Brightest: Kennedy-Johnson Administrations (Modern Library)

Name: The Best and the Brightest: Kennedy-Johnson Administrations (Modern Library)
Price: 11.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.5 (1529 reviews)
Author: David Halberstam

by David Halberstam

Biography Memoir

4.5 (1,529)

4.5 stars from 1,529 reviews. Top 85% of Biography Memoir books we track.

1030 pages~17.2 hr readPublished by Modern LibraryPublished 2002-03-26

$11.9937% off peak

Last checked: May 8, 2026

Price history: $1.99 – $18.99

While not the biggest discount we've seen for this book, it's still a great deal and we recommend grabbing it before price returns to its normal range.

Price range: $1.99 – $18.99

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Perfect for you if...

You're interested in how power operates behind closed doors and want to understand the decisions that shaped modern America.
You enjoy narrative-driven history that reads like a thriller, with fully drawn characters and their fatal flaws.
You're curious about Vietnam or want to grasp why intelligent people can collectively make catastrophic choices.

Maybe not for you if...

You prefer uplifting stories or celebratory histories. This is a tragedy told with unflinching clarity.
You want a short, digestible overview. At 1,030 pages, this demands real commitment and patience.
You're looking for policy solutions or prescriptive answers. This is diagnosis, not remedy.

About this book

David Halberstam's account of the Kennedy-Johnson administrations examines how the United States became involved in the Vietnam War and why it lost. The book uses portraits of American policy makers and descriptions of the forces that influenced them to address this central question in recent American history. This single-volume work includes a new Foreword by Senator John McCain. The book explores the decisions, illusions, and miscalculations that led to American involvement in Vietnam, presenting a comprehensive narrative of the war's origins and course.

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Price History

Kindle price over time. Green zones = periods when the book was free.

$1.99 – $18.99

Currently on sale at $11.99 — 37% off peak. Price has dropped 18 times over the last 6 years. Goes on sale roughly every 116 days. Typically stays discounted for 5 days.

Sales Rank

Amazon sales rank: lower number = better selling book. #1 is the bestseller.

Currently #2,009 in the Kindle store — a top-10K bestseller.

Rating & Reviews

Purple line = star rating over time. Blue area = total review count growth.

Currently 4.5★ from 1,529 reviews

Gaining approximately 6 new reviews per month. Rating has remained stable at 4.5 over the tracking period.

Sale Prediction

Actual Predicted

This book is currently discounted at $11.99. It typically returns to around $18.99.

Prices shown in USD from Amazon US. We continuously pull new data to improve tracking. If dates look old, it usually means there has been no significant change since the last data point.