Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War facts for kids
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| Author | Robert M. Gates |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Presidency of George W. Bush, Presidency of Barack Obama, Afghan war, Iraq War |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
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Publication date
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January 2014 |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 618 |
| ISBN | 978-0307959478 |
| OCLC | 857234147 |
| 355.6092 B | |
| LC Class | E897.4.G37 A3 2014 |
Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War is a nonfiction book written by Robert M. Gates, a former U.S. Secretary of Defense. It was published in January 2014 by Alfred A. Knopf. The time period is from 2006 to 2011, and includes the George W. Bush administration (2006–2009), the Obama administration (2009–2011), the Afghan war, and the Iraq War.
Narrated in first person point of view, this record of events characterizes Secretary Gates' personal interactions with the U.S. Congress, the Pentagon's management structure, some military bureaucrats and the White House staff under President Obama. This memoir is also the first to recount the Obama administration's policy discussions and debates during Cabinet meetings.
Gates's background
Gates came to the Obama Administration as a "respected professional and veteran of decades at the center of American foreign policy". As a Republican, he also represented President Obama's policy of bipartisanism. Over time, however, his relationship with Obama and his staff devolved. Protracted policy disagreements with Vice President Joe Biden, Tom Donilon (National Security Advisor), and U.S. Army Lieutenant General Douglas E. Lute (Afghan policy) are additionally recounted.
