Most things come with words, and only words can get you out of an unbearable situation. Defense Secretary Robert Strange McNamara once said, “After all, coercion only captures the man.” Freedom captivates him. In order to understand the meaning of this quote, a judicious analysis with keen observation of the events surrounding these words is required. It is necessary to provide a brief biography of Robert McNamara, an overview of the event that influenced the speech, a discussion of its intended audience, and an overview of the speech itself. First of all, it is necessary to delve into the life of Robert McNamara. In her book Promise and Power: The Life and Times of Robert McNamara, Deborah Shapley described McNamara as "a devious tactician and a man of noble and sincere goals" (xvi). He was born in San Francisco, California on June 9, 1916 (6). His father, the western regional manager of a shoe company, was a man of rigid self-discipline and routine (6). His mother, a devout Protestant, was a housewife who kept unusual statistics about Roberts' early development (6). From his parents, McNamara learned “moral purpose and raw ambition” (11). His mother was extremely motivated to raise her children in a way that would motivate them to climb the social and economic ladder (9). Throughout his teenage years, McNamara attended Piedmont High School and was in the honor society (11). During this time he also achieved the rank of Eagle Scout (11). By the time he finished high school, Robert “had been raised in an image of manhood in which lack of emotion was admired and coldness was desirable” (11). In the fall of 1933, McNamara attended the University of California at Berkley (11). . He was hired by the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and was named director of...... middle of paper...... ASNE training. Asne.org. April 25, 2002. The web. April 4, 2014. “Congress Profiles.” History.house.gov. 89th Congress (1965-1967). Internet. April 4, 2014. Herring, George C. “Vietnam, American Foreign Policy, and the Uses of History.” Virginia Quarterly Review 66.1 (1990): 1-16. Premier Academic Research. Internet. April 7, 2014. McElderry, Michael. “Robert S. McNamara Papers” Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress. Washington, DC 2010. The Web. March 31, 2014. McNamara, Robert S. “Security in the Contemporary World.” American Society of Newspaper Editors. Montreal, Canada, May 18, 1966. Web. March 26, 2014. Shapley, Deborah. Promise and Power: The Life and Times of Robert McNamara. Boston: Little Brown and Company, 1993. Print The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara. Real. Errol Morris. Perf. Robert McNamara. Sony Pictures Classics, 2003. Film