Because Our Fathers Lied Audiobook By Craig McNamara cover art

Because Our Fathers Lied

A Memoir of Truth and Family, from Vietnam to Today

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Because Our Fathers Lied

By: Craig McNamara
Narrated by: Keith Sellon-Wright, Craig McNamara
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This unforgettable father and son story confronts the legacy of the Vietnam War across two generations: “an important book that should be read by every American” (Ron Kovic, Vietnam Veteran and author of Born on the Fourth of July).

Craig McNamara came of age in the political tumult and upheaval of the late 60s. While Craig McNamara would grow up to take part in anti-war demonstrations, his father, Robert McNamara, served as John F. Kennedy's Secretary of Defense and the architect of the Vietnam War. This searching and revealing memoir offers an intimate picture of one father and son at pivotal periods in American history. Because Our Fathers Lied is more than a family story—it is a story about America.

Before Robert McNamara joined Kennedy's cabinet, he was an executive who helped turn around Ford Motor Company. Known for his tremendous competence and professionalism, McNamara came to symbolize "the best and the brightest." Craig, his youngest child and only son, struggled in his father's shadow. When he ultimately fails his draft board physical, Craig decides to travel by motorcycle across Central and South America, learning more about the art of agriculture and making what he defines as an honest living. By the book's conclusion, Craig McNamara is farming walnuts in Northern California and coming to terms with his father's legacy.

Because Our Fathers Lied tells the story of the war from the perspective of a single, unforgettable American family.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2022 Craig McNamara (P)2022 Little, Brown & Company Military Politicians Politics & Activism Vietnam War Wars & Conflicts Memoir War

Critic reviews

“Moving and courageous… a complicated man comes into intimate view, as does the ‘mixture of love and rage’ at the heart of their relationship… Through his own personal story of disappointment and disillusionment, McNamara captures an intergenerational conflict and a journey of moral identity.”—Adrienne Westenfeld, Esquire

“McNamara’s staggeringly heartfelt debut memoir is the tale of a son’s lifelong yearning for his father to look him squarely in the eye and tell him the unvarnished truth, regardless of the scale of his missteps or regrets. In that sense it’s a universally relatable story since countless parents shield their children from hard facts and struggle to be present.”—Jessica Zach, San Francisco Chronicle
“That Craig McNamara has survived, and thrived, and given us this staggering book, is something of a miracle.”—Joe Klein, Washington Post
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This is not an expose on Robert McNamara or his legacy, but rather the feelings of a son watching shadows on the cave walls. i bought this because i wanted to read what craig had to say before going to his presentation/book signing at his alma mater. i listened to the first 7 chapters where Craig describes a sheltered childhood and the process of discovering who his father is from the polite or implied actions and remarks of others. coming from a political family myself, if you are going to burn the house down by going public, this is more like setting the trash can on fire in your bedroom and hoping it catches the curtain. maybe im just a jaded millennial who has only known the shocking politcal content of post 9/11 through Trump and traveled a but too much, or i've read too much on the censored history of US political economy and its military project over the past century and expected some real dirt. or i took the title too literally. it is good for what it is, a memoir of a son who grew up in the shadow of political greats, but it isnt about the lies his father told.

not an expose on Robert McNamara

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As a military brat of that era who confronted the same issues with my father, I was disappointed that he never "had it out" with his dad. Of course his dad was clearly able to compartmentalize -- a trait evidently shared through the generations. There is no way I would still be alive had I decorated my room as he did. I wonder if his war-criminal father every cared about any one any thing ever. I hope he's experiencing unending torment, where ever he is.

disappointing

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Craig was a product of the time. I can understand the stress that must have been between him and his father and Craig's effort to create his own life.

Interesting story.

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Craig McNamara grew up in the aura of Camelot and the Armageddon of Vietnam. He thought the keys to understanding were held by his father. Although he could never quite find answers through his famous father, he discovered wisdom and understanding in his family, his community, and the land.

A quest of a son to understand his famous father.

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First I will say this was an interesting personal story about the tragic event and effects of the Vietnam War. It was a good read from an unusual perspective on the disaster of the US involvement in that conflict. Robert McNamara certainly bears much of the blame for it with many others without a doubt, Any historian or history buff will enjoy this story from the self tortured son of the defense secretary. That being said I took a strong personal dislike of Craig McNamara while listening to the book. His self imposed and ridiculous notion that he personally bears some kind of guilt or responsibility for his fathers actions is self serving pity nonsense. His way of “ dealing” with this guilt is by blowing off an elite education at Stanford, running around South America screwing around, courting a married woman and admiring communist dictators like Fidel Castro. Then he returns after his screw you America tour and proceeds to help himself to a great public education at UC Davis. Then ends up a clearly well off organic farmer a stones throw from Napa. Tough life. I grew up in the area and still live not far from Craig McNamara in the Sacramento Valley. I would have given away my left arm for his opportunities and experience. But my WW2 generation father was not the Secretary of Defense. So you work with what you have I guess. I always struggle with understanding people like the author who criticize everything about America while that very society allowed him to become and succeed at exactly what he wanted. I doubt that opportunity would have been available in Cuba, China or any other socialist paradise, Craig McNamara’s blind spot about his place in life is as big as his fathers was without the world wide effects. Craig makes me understand why my kids roll their eyes and say “ok boomer”. However that being said I am encouraging my 21 year old son, a history major right now at Cal State to read it. I ca’t wait to hear his perspective.

Interesting book from a spoiled elite

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Craig McNamara was born into a family, a world, and a set of challenges that were unique. I would need to preface my comments in that while we share the same age, the path he trod and those he traveled with presented a journey that was absolutely unique to him, and was understandably troubling as he dealt with his feelings regarding his dad‘s role in the US government during Vietnam, as a very capable operator and achiever of his generation. A man himself who had his own challenges, his own traumas as far as the family, growing up in with his own fears and frustration which shaped his early experiences along with his biology and the people around him.

I empathize with Craigie, and through his description can understand somewhat of his pain, but I have to say as a book, this was very unfulfilling.

1-by enlarge it came off as a lot of whining
2-I was looking for some historical context with which to evaluate that timeframe, it’s events it’s people and it’s atmosphere. In this regard, it was rather thin.
3-as a longtime audible customer, I have enjoyed some books that have been read by the authors. I think Craig should have tried to do this, because as a third-party relayed the story, while certainly not acting it out, I think embellished things in a certain way and increased the whine factor, as he was trying to understand the emotions to reflect.
4-I’d like to be somewhat neutral, in evaluating his socialist, and in some cases, Buddhist, priorities. I would not assert that he is either a Buddhist or a socialist or a communist, but I think he cut socialism a break and especially communism’s attempts at collective farming and other history,that involved the purge of the kulak farmers, the starvation of hundreds of thousands if not, millions of people as socialist and communist administrators tried to reform agriculture– industry – commercial methods.
5-I think it’s helpful to have some context for the fear that was associated with communism coming out of the second world war and dealing with Stalin dealing with the division of Germany, the Korean war, the rise of Mai Za Dong, and the bold, direct aggressive posture of the communist movement. It was a terribly hard problem and challenge to deal with, they probably still were some good people in those institutions, but after what was fought for and defeated in World War II, the prospects of having to deal with larger more powerful, better resourced villains was daunting.
6-while I think Craigs love for his dad was sincere. He was certainly villainized, and it would have helped if he could have somehow or other placed that villainy in the broader understanding of national leadership and military figures. The horror of 60,000 who died and hundreds of thousands or millions that may have died in Southeast Asia, were sins that have to be looked at somehow other in the perspective of the dropping of atomic bombs, Nazi genocide, Okinawa, Guadalcanal,, Iwo Jima, and would be villains of conflicts gone by with names like Abraham Lincoln, Robert Lee, Jefferson Davis, Napoleon and many others who found themselves in the situation where they would like to have been able to eject themselves, but carried on as best they could.
7-generally I was disappointed … I stuck it out but barely

No Whiz Kid

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Being a Vietnam era vet, I was hoping to hear more about dad's lies than about the son's exploits. Interesting book, well read, but not what I had expected

Less about lies...

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Author seems to blame his father exclusively for the war in Vietnam and all its atrocities when his dad was but a cog in conducting a war created by Ike and JFK and continued by Nixon.

Unfair blame

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I think this book describes how many fathers from the World War II generation could be devastatingly emotionally distant in certain areas of their life. The authors difficult school years and eventual conquering of his learning disability is interesting. His motorcycle trip into South America shows how young boys take risks that could result in death. And the incredible beauty of the south American countries. He did not Escape or dull his senses with drug abuse. He just struggled to find his place in the world.

Outstanding book

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I enjoyed the history of this book. It provides two separate perspectives of American history in one book.

Very interesting perspective of our country

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