Clark Clifford with Richard Holbrooke, in The New Yorker (May 6, 13, 20, Wise Men 1991), 20 West 43rd St., New York, N.Y. 10036.

On March 31, 1968, President Lyndon B. Johnson stunned the nation announc- ing that he would not seek another term in the White House. The surprise came at the end of a speech in which he unveiled a limited halt to the bombing of North Viet- nam and proposed peace negotiations. Was his sacrifice made in an effort to end a war that-after prodding by the fabled Wise Men o...