Historian Brinkley presents an in-depth account of John Kerry's experiences in the Navy during the war in Vietnam, and shows how these experiences shaped his character. Kerry, a Yale graduate who had enlisted, rose to the rank of lieutenant, saw action, and received the Purple Heart three times. After the war, Kerry was active in the organization Vietnam Veterans Against the War. Brinkley has uncovered documents relating to a campaign by Nixon aides to discredit Kerry, who later became a United States senator from Massachusetts.
