Tour of Duty - by Douglas Brinkley (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

One of our most acclaimed historians explores the decorated military service of one of America's most intriguing politicians--the leading Democratic presidential candidate for 2004--and its profound effects on his career and life.

In Tour of Duty, Brinkley explores Senator John Kerry's career and deftly deals with such explosive issues as U.S. atrocities in Vietnam and the bombing of Cambodia. Using new information acquired from the recently released Nixon tapes, Brinkley reveals how White House aides Charles Colson and H.R. Haldeman tried to discredit Kerry. Refusing to be intimidated, Kerry started running for public office, eventually becoming a U.S. Senator from Massachusetts.

Covering more than four decades, this is the first full-scale definitive account of Kerry's journey from war to peace. In writing this riveting, action-packed narrative, Brinkley has drawn on extensive interviews with virtually everyone who knew Kerry well in Vietnam. Kerry also relegated to Brinkley his letters home from Vietnam and his voluminous “war notes” journals, notebooks, and personal reminiscences written during and shortly after the war. This material was provided without restriction, to be used at Brinkley's discretion, and has never before been published.

Based on exclusive access to Kerry's personal war journals and letters, Tour of Duty provides a definitive account of a soldier's transformation:

• From Decorated Hero to Peace Advocate: Follow Kerry's journey from a decorated Swift boat skipper in Vietnam to becoming a leading voice for the Vietnam Veterans Against the War.
• Exclusive Access to War Journals: For the first time, Brinkley draws on Kerry's never-before-published letters, journals, and personal war notes to construct this definitive military biography.
• The Nixon Administration's Secret War: Discover how the Nixon tapes reveal a White House campaign by aides like Charles Colson to discredit Kerry after his explosive testimony to Congress.
• Combat in the Mekong Delta: An action-packed narrative of riverine warfare, detailing the explosive issues of U.S. atrocities and the bombing of Cambodia through the eyes of a young officer.

From the Back Cover

Covering more than four decades, this is the first full-scale, definitive account of Kerry's journey from war to peace. Brinkley has drawn on extensive interviews with virtually everyone who knew Kerry in Vietnam. Kerry also relegated to Brinkley his letters home from Vietnam, voluminous "war notes" journals and personal reminiscences written during and shortly after the war. This material was provided without restriction, to be used at Brinkley's discretion, and has never before been published.

Throughout, Brinkley deftly deals with issues such as U.S. atrocities in Vietnam and the bombing of Cambodia. Using information from the newly released Nixon tapes, Brinkley reveals how White House aides Charles Colson and H. R. Haldeman tried to discredit Kerry. Refusing to be intimidated, Kerry ran for public office, eventually becoming a Senator from Massachusetts. But he never forgot his fallen comrades returning to Vietnam numerous times to look for MIAs and POWs. When President Clinton officially recognized Vietnam in 1995, at long last Kerry's thirty-year-long tour of duty ended.

Review Quotes

"Kerry's story is impressive.... Kerry's extensive diaries...are at the least insightful and at best arresting." - New York Times Book Review

"A serious book.... Tour of Duty richly details how wrenchingly transformative an effect the Vietnam War had on the man who could become the next president." - Los Angeles Times Book Review