Duty

Memoirs of a Secretary at War

Summary:
After serving six presidents in both the CIA and the National Security Council, Robert M. Gates believed that he had left Washington politics behind for good. However, when he received the call from the White House in 2006 to help a nation mired in two wars, he answered what he felt was the call of duty. Forthright and unsparing, "Duty" is Gates's behind-the-scenes account of his nearly five years as Secretary of Defense at war: the battles with Congress, the two presidents he served, the military itself, and the vast Pentagon bureaucracy; his efforts to help George W. Bush turn the tide in Iraq; his role as a guiding (and often dissenting) voice for Barack Obama; and, most importantly, his ardent devotion to and love for American soldiers. Offering unvarnished appraisals of our political leaders, including Dick Cheney, Joe Biden, and Hillary Clinton, "Duty" tells a powerful and deeply personal story, giving us an unprecedented look at two administrations and the wars that have defined them.

From the author:
Robert M. Gates served as Secretary of Defense from 2006 to 2011. He also served as an officer in the United States Air Force and worked for the Central Intelligence Agency before being appointed director of the agency by President George H. W. Bush. He was a member of the National Security Council staff in four administrations and served eight presidents of both political parties. Additionally, Gates has a continuing distinguished record in the private sector and in academia, including currently serving as chancellor of the College of William and Mary. He holds a Ph.D. in Russian and Soviet history from Georgetown University.