What is the theme in The Best and the Brightest by David Halberstam?

The Cold War mentality prevails throughout the book. The Cold War developed in the years following World War II when many countries in the world were divided between the West and the East. It was an era of paranoia and the escalation of the arms race. Due to it, many situations, like the situation in Indochina, were viewed in the wrong way and the result was a lot of decisions were made in the improper context.