In his memoir called Duty, former United States Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates provides a candid look at his time serving under two Presidents who were presiding over two wars. Reflecting on his experiences at the Pentagon from 2006 until 2011, Gates provides an inside look at the decision-making process in both the Bush and Obama White Houses and the often-frustrating job of dealing with Congress, government bureaucracy, and conflicting political interests.

Robert Gates thought he had finished with government service after serving six Presidents in a wide range of roles, but when President George W. Bush asked him to consider becoming Secretary of Defense, his sense of duty took him back to Washington in late 2006. It was a tough time to take on the job as the United States was embroiled in wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan, and the public was growing weary of both. As he dealt with the complexities of military strategy on two very different fronts, Gates also found himself at war with the Pentagon itself, where deep-seated policies and habits left little sense of urgency or passion even though young men and women were dying overseas. From day one, he battled to expedite the procurement of equipment, supplies and support services for the troops as well as improving support for those who were struggling to recover from devastating injuries, but he was sustained by his growing respect and love for all those who served in uniform.

When the Bush Presidency ended and the Obama administration began, Gates found himself struggling to learn a new set of rules imposed by a White House staff bent on micromanaging every issue and with seemingly little understanding about military strategy and culture. In addition to finding a way to successfully wind down two wars, Gates was faced with a host of other issues including the hunt for Osama bin Laden, revolutions in the Arab world, European missile defense issues, tensions between Iran and Israel, and much more.

In this memoir, Gates attempts to provide a candid, detailed account of a pivotal time in United States history while weaving in his own deeply personal story.