The Beltway reacted strongly [to criticisms of President Obama in the book Duty], asking, “Are you trashing the president?” What do you make of that?I think the narrative of the book was hijacked in the early reporting. Most people hadn’t read the book. There was some narrative put out there that this is an anti-Obama book, a book that takes issues with his strategy and everything in Afghanistan. And it’s just completely wrong. I’m very clear in the book—I supported every single one of the president’s decisions on Afghanistan from the day he took office until the day I left office. It’s not exactly wrong in that they do have quotes from the book that are accurate, but they’re out of context.
What Gates has to say about his book:
The Beltway reacted strongly [to criticisms of President Obama in the book Duty], asking, “Are you trashing the president?” What do you make of that?I think the narrative of the book was hijacked in the early reporting. Most people hadn’t read the book. There was some narrative put out there that this is an anti-Obama book, a book that takes issues with his strategy and everything in Afghanistan. And it’s just completely wrong. I’m very clear in the book—I supported every single one of the president’s decisions on Afghanistan from the day he took office until the day I left office. It’s not exactly wrong in that they do have quotes from the book that are accurate, but they’re out of context.
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-01-16/robert-gates-on-his-criticism-of-obama-in-the-book-duty