Im talking with former secretary of defense, robert gates, whose brand new book, a pasion for leadership, is out, and hes on a book tour, and im very grateful for the time hes given us today to talk about this. Former defense secretary robert gates interview with npr full transcript of unedited interview with morning editions steve inskeep. Robert gates, former defense secretary, offers harsh critique of. Bush administration 20062009, the obama administration 20092011, the afghan war, and the iraq war. No doubt, some of the key players during gates tenure as secretary, dec. Robert gates has just written a new book about the time he spent serving as defense secretary under george bush and barack obama called duty. Memoirs of a secretary at war robert michael gates. Memoirs of a secretary at war by former secretary of defense robert m. Republican robert m gatess account of his years in the bush and obama administrations is sometimes catty yet full of insights, writes dan roberts. Exdefense secretary robert gates new memoir has eyeopening revelations. Gates received a call from the white house, he thought hed long left washington politics behind. Memoirs of a secretary at war made waves around washington, d.
Gates book stirs debate on bidens foreign policy creds. Robert gates and his wife becky took a road trip last summer, driving from their home in skagit county to glacier national park in montana. The political universe is all a twitter over the former secretary of defense, robert gatess new book, duty. Like just about everybody else in washington and many across the country, ive been reading the excerpts from former defense secretary robert gates book duty.
A direct, clinical examination of the time that robert gates spent as secretary of defense under bush and obama, narrated by gates himself, this book provides the reader with outstanding and. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. The quiet fury of robert gates bush and obamas secretary of defense had to wage war in iraq, afghanistanand todays washington. Memoirs of a secretary at war paperback may 12, 2015 by robert m. From the former secretary of defense, a strikingly candid, vividly written account of his experience serving presidents george w. Former secretary of defense robert gates spoke about his memoir, duty. The release of former secretary of defense robert m. I think he has been wrong on nearly every major foreign policy and national security issue over the past four decades, former defense secretary robert gates says of vice president joe biden in. Memoirs of a secretary at war, robert gates says the president was unsure the afghan surge would work and was.
With iraq in a profound downward spiral and many believing that afghanistan could be next, the legacy of robert m. Former secretary of defense robert gates sits down with rita braver in his first television interview since the publication of his new book. Robert gates book portrays obama as a different kind of. Bush and as secretary of defense 200611 in the administrations of presidents george w. He served as defense secretary under presidents obama and george w. Gatess new memoir is the first describing the obama administrations policy deliberations written from inside the cabinet. Gates has much to teach about the practical idealism. Former secretary of defense robert gates discusses his book a passion for leadership, which examines the failures of large institutions and how smart leadership can improve them. Former defence secretary robert gates is quoted as saying in his memoirs that us tried to eject afghan president in 2009. The time period is from 2006 to 2011, and includes the george w. Gates, who served as secretary of defense under presidents george w. Us tried to oust hamid karzai by manipulating afghan. Bush and barack obama during the wars in iraq and afghanistan.
His objective was to make transformation changes in all 3 institutions. Former defense secretary robert gates, in his upcoming memoir, has harsh words for president obamas leadership style and commitment to the afghanistan war. Gates book emphasizes the ways more than the whys of. The gates book comes out next week the white house disputes claims by former defense secretary robert gates that president obama has lost faith in his afghanistan policy. Interview with charlie rose robert gates, former secretary of defense discusses his book duty. He was an officer in the united states air force and worked for more about robert m.
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. Robert gates thinks joe biden hasnt stopped being wrong. Memoirs of a secretary at war 2014 was a yes, i was in charge, but hundreds of people were key and this is who they are and what they did book, not an ego trip. Gates has bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees in history, and memoirs of a secretary at war 2014 was written with a historians eye for complex detail and accuracy. Exdefense secretary gates takes aim at obama in new book. Memoirs of a secretary at war is a nonfiction book written by robert m. He served as secretary of defense under presidents george w. Here are a few items from the book that may surprise readers. Memoirs of a secretary at war, is the most peculiar book of its kind that ive read in a long time, maybe ever. Gates was nominated by republican president george w.
Former defense secretary gates blasts obama in new book. In duty, on the other hand, robert gates gives us a pretty solid and fair account of his time in office as secretary of defense. Lawmakers question timing of robert gates memoir cbs news. Robert michael gates born september 25, 1943 is an american statesman, scholar, intelligence analyst, and university president who served as the 22nd united states secretary of defense from 2006 to 2011. Brian finke from his earliest days as secretary of defense, robert gates kept a little countdown clock in his briefcase. Former secretary of defense robert gates has given republicans something to wave around in 2016, with new revelations about president obamas war rationale and hillary clintons preference for. When robert gates, the only secretary of defense to have served in two successive administrationsone republican, one democraticpublished a memoir of his experiences in january, the. Former secretary of defense robert gates on his new book. Im going to come back to acquisition in a second, secretary gates, but you brought up north korea. From the former secretary of defense, a strikingly candid, vivid account of serving presidents george w. Gates began his career serving as an officer in the united states air force but. Bush but was retained for service by president barack obama. It is a non academic book about how to eliminate bureaucracy in the private and public sectors. For many, that would be a typical summer vacation, but.
Robert michael gates born september 25, 1943 is an american statesman, scholar. He scores several points above the selfseekers out there. B ased on the early excerpts of former secretary of defense robert gates memoir, duty, it is obvious that he has written a nuanced account of washington in the bush and obama years. The place to start is gates recently published book, duty. Gates received a call from the white house in 2006, he thought hed left washington politics behind. Gates stands by statement that biden has been wrong on. Former defense secretary robert gates is out defending his tellall book to all comers this week, gamely strapped into a neck brace that holds his head high and straight ahead. Forthright and unsparing, duty is gatess behindthescenes account of his nearly five years as a secretary of defense at war. He also served as an officer in the united states air force and worked for the central. Former defense secretary robert gates slams obamas. Gates gives us a forthright, impassioned, sometimes conflicted account of his four and a half years as defense secretary in his fascinating new memoir duty, a book that is highly revealing about decision making in both the obama and bush white houseshis writing is informed not only.
The simple reason is that i wrote a biography of a senior pentagon official that gates fired in 2008 see circle of service. In a new memoir, former defense secretary robert gates unleashes harsh judgments about president obamas leadership and his commitment to. The president wishes secretary gates well as he recovers from his recent injury, and discusses his book. Former defense secretary robert gates is slamming president obama in a new memoir, accusing him of lacking enthusiasm for the afghan war. Gates provides a candid look at his time serving under two presidents who were presiding.
After working for six presidents in both the cia and the national security council, he was. Gates, who served so influentially as secretary of defense during the crucial years 20072011, deserves critical examination. He broke a vertebra in his neck after falling at home a couple of weeks ago, and that appears to have restricted his peripheral vision. Memoirs of a secretary at war kindle edition by robert michael gates author visit amazons robert michael gates page. Thats not to say that gates is just trying to get the facts out there. Robert gates, who served as defense secretary for the obama administration, paused for a moment and said i dont know in an interview sunday when asked if he thinks former vp joe biden would be. In his new book, former defense secretary robert gates talks about how leaders can make what he calls transformational change in their organizations, the kind of change that sometimes puts them at. That evidently is a fertile frame of mind in which to write a book like this one.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle questioned the decision by former defense secretary robert gates to publish a behindthescenes memoir that is highly critical of the obama administration. Bret baier of fox news described the book as a, scathing criticism of president obama, questioning the presidents leadership and commitment to the afghanistan and iraq wars evidently, there are several revelations in the gates book. Gates served as secretary of defense from 2006 to 2011. Is former defense secretary robert gates doing his duty. Gates is the author of duty, and a passion for leadership. Secretary of defense from december 2006 to july 2011.
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