“I believe former senior officials have virtually an obligation to explain what they did while in government.… It is jarringly apparent to government veterans that those who have never been ‘inside’ find it difficult, if not impossible, to understand what goes on and why. Press accounts and ‘instant histories’ are far too often lacking in insight and understanding of the government in operation. Accordingly, memoirs are critical to parting the curtain for the uninitiated, as Gates does.
