The word among admired government executives is, bob gates is one of the good guys. He is due to begin a publicity tour to promote the book next week. Gates downplays obama criticism by saying how much obama. The white house sought to contain the damage wednesday from former defense secretary robert gatess memoir, insisting that behindthescenes clashes were by design and president obama was always. Gates has written an informative, comprehensive book that is enjoyable to read. To judge from the pages of his book, many of his expressions of outrage were indeed motivated by selfserving bureaucrats or members of congress who. He assumed the presidency of the landgrant, seagrant and spacegrant university on august 1, 2002. Robert anderson knows his sheep and caprinae and has spent a lifetime gathering modern and historic photos and stories about the worlds most coveted game animals. I particularly liked the way he assessed characters, not just events. Now that robert gates has a book to shill, and now that he has bob woodward sitting on his knees, mouthing nonsense while gates drinks a glass of water, its important to remember that bob gates. It is easy to read and paints a deeply personal picture of mr.
Robert graham rated it really liked it jul 17, 2017. Former secretary of defense robert gates has harsh words for vice president joe bidens foreign policy judgement in his soontobereleased memoir. To my great surprise, instead of a three to fourpage foreword, kennedy wrote a twelvepage foreword. Trying to make both countries democracies may be unrealistic. 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 by a keen sense of historical context, but also by. Huck has been led to believe it would be sinful to help his friend jim, a runaway slave. View cnn fast facts to learn more about former cia director and former secretary of defense robert gates.
Laurell dowling there was a part in the book where gates talked about the us having too high of expectations for iraq and afghanistan. National security archive electronic briefing book no. Gates is a wonderful storyteller who weaves his powerful characters into compelling discussions of the problems of the world. Robert gates has served up a harsh judgment of the president who asked. The president had great admiration for france and its people but he did. As for gates stinging criticism of congress, the source said gates had the most disdain for the house foreign affairs committee, though he didnt give specific names of lawmakers.
Former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff colin powell, in his book it worked for me, writes. I have asked to be buried in section 60, where so many of the fallen from iraq and afghanistan have been laid to rest. With robert gates book, loyaltys short shelf life returns. The top 10 book chosen by 125 top writers from the book the top 10 edited by j. Gates served as secretary of defense from 2006 to 2011. He skillfully posits solutions and resultant actions within those discussions. Conspiracy theorists misrepresent bill gates funding of vaccination and digitalidentity research as evidence of a nefarious global surveillance plan foretold in the book of revelations.
Gates provides revelations about major decisions made from late 2006 to 2011. Here you will find excerpts and first chapters from the latest books. Mr gates himself has not commented publicly since excerpts of the book were published on tuesday and met with explosive reaction. Frank ruscetti, one of the founders of the field of human retrovirology, this is a behind the scenes look at the issues and egos which will determine the future health of humanity. Many selections address music, from blackface minstrelsy to punk and hiphop, artists from lead belly to patti smith, and fellow critics from ellen. Once the book is out, the person said, gates views will be more clear.
Memoirs of a secretary at war was preceded by his publishers brilliant public relations campaign hyping the book with tantalizingly provocative excerpts. Big mistake to push key intelligence, military leaders out of security council principals committeethe former secretary of defense. And when you look as you know, former defense secretary gates has a book out now that weve seen the excerpts and will soon be up for sale. Republican robert m gatess account of his years in the bush and.
Drawing on his access to classified information and toplevel involvement in policy decisions, gates lays bare the hidden wars and operations the. Obama echoed gatess comments in a july 10, 2010, interview for my book obamas wars. With robert gates book, loyaltys short shelf life returns to the. Gates appeals to readers on both sides of the great partisan divide, though. In an interview aired sunday on cbs news face the nation, gates. Clintons account is the lowsalt, lowfat, lowcalorie offering with vanilla pudding as the. Ive taken some of my favorite phrases or statements from that book, and created this short document. Expert reporting, current news, provocative columnists, your source for original reporting from progressive journalists that digs.
I think one of the things you take away, at least from the. You can use the genres below to navigate to genrespecific titles in fantasy, romance, nonfiction and more. And he decided to make plague of corruption the inaugural book in his childrens health defense imprint at skyhorse publishing. Former secretary of defense robert gates insisted late last week that, book excerpts notwithstanding, he actually had a great rapport with president obama. Secretary of defense robert gates speaks at his final press conference at. The irancontra scandal, 1991 confirmation hearings, and excerpts from new book safe for democracy. Shauna levinson rated it it was amazing oct 25, 2014. In his memoir duty, the former defense secretary robert m.
Defense secretary mattis discusses his favorite books, and why general james mattis has accumulated perhaps one of the largest personal libraries of an activeduty military officer. 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. Hegel remarks somewhere that all great worldhistoric facts and personages appear, so to speak, twice. Some leaders understand that new ideas can benefit everybody. Robert gates book some things to remember about robert gates. Trying to make both countriesmore there was a part in the book where gates talked about the us having too high of expectations for iraq and afghanistan. Pentagon too, as the special warfare community pressed for greater control. As the only person to rise from entrylevel analyst to director of the cia and to serve on the white house staffs of four presidents, robert gates is uniquely qualified to tell the unprecedented inside story of the cold war.
Exdefense secretary robert gates new memoir has eyeopening revelations in addition to the afghanistan debate. Gates, in full robert michael gates, born september 25, 1943, wichita, kansas, u. Wind, dust, and snow ii hunting sheep, markhor, tur, and ibex in asia by robert anderson. Former white house press secretary robert gibbs defended mr. The greatest honor possible would be to rest among my heroes for all eternity. Gates book had lots of spice, which is always part of even a wellfunctioning foreign policy team. The book is long, at almost 600 pages and contains numerous color photos. Book excerpts readers read book news and resources. Bush and as secretary of defense 200611 in the administrations of presidents george w. Im no peacenik, he fondly quotes obama telling him. According to the new york times, which obtained an early copy of the memoir, gates calls biden a man of. Gates served as secretary of defense under both president george w. Here are a few items from the book that may surprise readers.
Bob gates is one of the great public figures of the last 50 years. In fact, he believes just the opposite and stands by all of it, the source said. David sanger from the new york times in his book the inheritance talks about the legacy of the iraq war with regard to iran, and he writes this. State and defense departments rarely come up with big new ideas, so almost. Robert gates book portrays obama as a different kind of. Gates, including commentary and archival articles published in the new york times. It was a little long and dry, but nevertheless entertaining. Defense secretary robert gates interview with david. Obama on nbcs meet the press on sunday and attacked mr. Knopf while his rivals at the white house, the state department and the pentagon loudly staked out their positions, gates held back. The robert gates file the national security archive. The formidable barrier to reform represented by institutional culture and traditions was well captured by the great historian jacques.
General readers will be drawn to gates meditations on power and on life at the center of great political decisions. Gates disagrees that his decision to release the book now is disloyal. Former defense secretary robert gates is calling out joe bidens national security and foreign policy credibilility and says age would be problematic for both biden and rival sen. In this chapter, huck finds his own moral compass and decides to do. Bush and barack obama gates studied european history at the college. Recounting her nearly four decades in science, including her collaboration of more than thirtyfive years with dr. However, there is more to this book than catty, if entertaining, swipes at washingtons great and. Book by bob gates is a mustread for public servants. He may not be a great author because he seems to have produced a somewhat schizophrenic book, judging by the.
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