Duty

Memoirs of a Secretary at War

By: Robert M. Gates

Narrated by: George Newbern, Robert M. Gates

Length: 25 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

From the former secretary of defense, a strikingly candid, vivid account of serving Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

When Robert M. Gates received a call from the White House, he thought he'd long left Washington politics behind: After working for six presidents in both the CIA and the National Security Council, he was happily serving as president of Texas A&M University. But when he was asked to help a nation mired in two wars and to aid the troops doing the fighting, he answered what he felt was the call of duty.

©2014 Robert M. Gates (P)2014 Random House Audio

Engaging, but long. Very long.

Where does Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's a great book, but one of those that I have to put aside for a while, get through a couple of others, and then get back to it.

What does George Newbern and Robert M. Gates bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

George Newbern as narrator is excellent and makes it feel like it is the genuine author without trying to do so. He has a command and presence that makes it engaging.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

You can't listen to this book in one sitting.

Any additional comments?

Great to hear the behind the scenes, but it enters a level of detail that is more commitment that some listeners may be willing to make.

Robert Gates is a national treasure

I may sound like a conservative curmudgeon, but I promise I'm not. It's naive to think we'll ever be able to go back to the version of America Dr. Gates' vast experience represents, but this and his other books are vital reminders that our legacy is something we can all be proud of with a straight face. "Ours is the worst system of government except every other that has been tried."

a good book written by a good man

I may not agree with all his opinions, but Gates seems a man of integrity, intelligence, and compassion. I learned a great deal from his reflections on his many years of service.

Confirmation of the Dysfunction of U.S. Government

Would you consider the audio edition of Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War to be better than the print version?

I don't know because I ordered the print edition after I bought the audio book and the printed version has not arrived yet.

I wish Gates had narrated it, it would have been better yet.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War?

The entire book is a chronology of Gate's term as SecDef. I suppose the most memorable part of the book was Gate's objective and sober approach to the challenges that he faced in spite of having to deal with a bunch of amateurs and overconfident wonks. Gates has the comportment to be the President. It's too bad we won't see that.

Which character – as performed by George Newbern and Robert M. Gates – was your favorite?

There is only one character since this a biography.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No, it is best consumed in smaller chunks that lead to contemplation prior to venturing onward.

Any additional comments?

This is a book that clearly and systematically details what is wrong with US government from the perspective of the Secretary of Defense. That Gates was a career intelligence officer and former CIA Director was a blessing for the US because he understands the wars we are engaged in and lives in that odd world of the CIA that is neither military nor civilian but somewhere in between.

As a soldier I know first hand that his crusade to get us MRAPs saved lives. He was largely successful in implementation in spite of blowback from both civilian and military sources and leadership. I walked one of the boneyards in Iraq and can attest to the enormous survivability difference between armored HMMWVs and MRAPs and Gates should be lauded as a hero for his efforts to get that equipment into the fight.

What is less pleasant about this book is the frankness with which he delineates specific examples of utter incompetence of both civilian and military leaders at every level. Sadly, there appears to be no recourse to thwart any of them. Generals like Stan McChrystal get relieved in spite of being effective and the notion of the value of speaking truth to power seems to be risky at best and suicidal in the worst.

Gates deals with controversial leaders and political hopefuls in a very forgiving manner given some of their obvious failings; things for which he nation should hold them very accountable, but he does so because he restricts his criticism to issues of defense and seems to refuse to speculate on things outside of his lane. This is a quality that is both frustrating and refreshing because when parts of the world explode because of non-military policy, one hungers for accountability but because Gates is mature enough to comment only within the confines of his expertise he avoid the politics and makes a stronger case based upon solid facts.

In the end the nation owes Robert Gates a great deal of admiration and affection for his devotion and personal courage to deal with an entrenched and antiquated pentagon unwilling to clean up its act and trade math for strategy.

He is remarkable in that he survived two administrations populated with individuals too naive to be anywhere near the seats of power and too motivated by personal gain and political posturing to be anything but narcissists in need of institutionalization.

Read this book and respect what is said because Gates is describing the US's road to ruin and if Americans do not heed the warnings that he gives, we will have far bigger things to worry about than MRAPs or fighter jets that do not work.

This is a great book and should be required reading for all soldiers and statesmen. It will go into my hardcover collection.

Interesting Insight Into 2 Administrations

Duty is the third SecDef autobiography I've listened to in the last year, Cheney's and Rumsfeld's being the other two. Duty would place 2nd among the three. The book is well-written, and Gates is candid in his assessments of both Presidents and their relationship with DoD and military leaders. His love for the troops was clearly the central theme of his tenure. While the narrator was very good, I would have preferred that Gates narrated the book himself as Rumsfeld did. Literally hearing Rumsfeld speak the words added greatly to the story, and he was able to add emphasis when needed. I feel a bit was lost in Gates not doing the same. Overall, a worthwhile listen.

Interesting perspective with good detail

Good book given more character because it is read by the author. Gates passion comes through not just in the words but in the pitch, tone and speed with which he reads certain passages. I'm not always a fan of authors reading their own works, but this one works. Well done.

History is best told by those who eperienced it

What did you love best about Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War?

Informative, Interesting and believable; Mr. Gates' perspective makes it clear where he agreed, disagreed and made a decision to move forward. I found his interaction with Condi Rice to be of interest as it highlights their perspectives behind the scenes. This is a good read or listen... enjoy!

Very detailied and thought out.

Nararator was very good. Enjoyed ending by author. Lots of info about the wars and presidents.

26 hours is a lot , but mostly worth it

Gates is deffinately the Hero in his book. He does , indeed , have much to brag about. And he does. That said , I wonder if he would change anything now, given what we know. I doubt it.
He seems a consumant politician. The difference is , if he is to believed , one who gets things done, and , as usual , without stepping on too many of the wrong toes, at the wrong time.
Nonetheless , it is a good listen, even the parts I , personally, do not care for. That would be the kudos to those who kept him on. And a certain SOS.
Like they had any choice. If they had had anyone better than him , they would have invited him to take a long walk off a short plank. And, if he screwed up , well, you know what the response would have been.
All in all, it's a good listen. I believe he did care deeply about our men in combat , and that's rare these days.

Fascinating Insight into a Complicated Job

Robert Gates is someone many don't know and will likely never know and yet his contribution to the U.S. carries much historical significance. His role was wrought with daily impossibilties and emergencies that had life and death consequences around the world and it is admirable that he did this through numerous presidencies. This book offers great detail about U.S. decision making in multiple gulf wars as well as the political navigating that had to be done domestically. This was a very interesting inside look at his view of how everything worked.