Tour of Duty : John Kerry and the Vietnam War

Covering more than four decades, Tour of Duty is the definitive account of Senator John Kerry's journey from war to peace. Written by Douglas Brinkley, this is the first full-scale account of Kerry's Navy career.

Throughout the book, Brinkley deals with such explosive issues as U.S. atrocities in Vietnam and the bombing of Cambodia.

And in a series of unforgettable combat-action sequences, Brinkley recounts how Kerry won the Purple Heart three times and was awarded the Bronze Star and the Navy's Silver Star for gallantry in action.

When Kerry returned from Southeast Asia, he joined the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW), becoming a prominent antiwar spokesperson. Working with Senator John McCain, he returned to Vietnam numerous times looking for MIAs and POWs. By 1992, Kerry was the leading proponent of "normalization" of relations with Vietnam. When President Clinton officially recognized Vietnam in 1995, Kerry's three-decade-long tour of duty had at long last finally ended.