Product Description

Senator John McCain learned about life and honor from his grandfather and father, both four-star admirals in the U.S. Navy. Faith of My Fathers is about how their lessons enabled McCain to survive the greatest challenge of his life—when, as a naval aviator, he was shot down over Hanoi in 1967, seriously wounded, and imprisoned for more than five years.

Told with humility, grace, and humor, it is a story of three imperfect men who faced adversity—and emerged with their honor intact.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #60157 in Books
• Published on: 2008-10-01
• Released on: 2008-09-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 368 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780061734953
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
Books by politicians are not often worth reading, but John McCain's Faith of My Fathers is an astonishing exception to the rule. The Republican senator from Arizona has a remarkable story to tell--better than just about any of his peers--and he tells it well, with crisp prose and an unexpected sense for narrative pacing. The first half of the book concerns his naval forbears: his grandfather commanded an aircraft carrier in the Second World War, while his father presided over all naval forces in the Pacific during the Vietnam War. They were the first father-son admirals in American history. Young John McCain knew he had enormous shoes to fill and rebelled against many of the expectations set for him. At the Naval Academy, he was nearly expelled, graduating fifth from the bottom of his class. He never became an admiral, but achieved fame another way: as a naval aviator in 1967, he was shot down over North Vietnam and spent several years in POW camps, where he was beaten, tortured, and nearly allowed to die. McCain describes the awful details of his imprisonment and tells how he stayed mentally strong during seemingly endless months of solitary confinement and how he communicated in code with fellow captives. Faith of My Fathers concludes with McCain's release and contains no information about his subsequent political career. It is, nonetheless, a complete and compelling memoir of individual heroism--one that will interest both political and military history buffs. --John J. Miller

From Publishers Weekly
As the 2000 presidential campaign heats up, Republican hopeful McCain, the senior senator from Arizona, weighs in with the most engrossing book to appear in a long time from a presidential candidate. Writing with Salter, his administrative assistant, McCain carefully avoids the pitfalls of self-promotion, knowing that he has a larger, more interesting story to tell than merely why he wants to be president. McCain is famous for the five years he endured as a prisoner in the Hanoi Hilton, the most notorious POW camp in Vietnam. Less well known are two other John McCains: his father and grandfather, both of whom served as admirals in the U.S. Navy. The military service of all three men forms the basis of this gripping, heartfelt reflection on war and naval culture. McCain's grandfather was a legendary old salt, a hard-drinking gambler who fought in WWII next to giants like Nimitz and Halsey. McCain's father was a submarine commander who rose to become commander of all U.S. forces in the Pacific during the Vietnam War. Almost half the book is devoted to McCain's grueling tenure as a POW. When he was shot down over Hanoi in 1967, he broke both arms, one shoulder and one knee. During his imprisonment, McCain was tortured repeatedly and frequently locked in solitary confinement. The faith McCain avows is a simple one: "in God, country, and each other"Aeach other being his comrades at the Hanoi Hilton and, later, his fellow citizens. McCain's memoir is too good to be dismissed as simply another campaign book. It is a serious, utterly engrossing account of faith, fathers and military tradition. (Sept.)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
This is the story of the McCains, a family with a distinguished history of naval service: John Sr. (also known as Slew or Popeye), John Jr., and John III, the author and currently the senior U.S. senator from Arizona. Senator McCain pays homage to his grandfather and father by relating tales of their significant contributions in World War II and, in the case of John Jr., Vietnam. He also relates, in very moving ways, the high moral and professional standards that these two men set for him and how he tried to emulate their lives by attending the Naval Academy and pursuing a career in the navy as a pilot. Nearly half of the book deals with the senator's five and a half years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam, captured after his plane was shot down. The reader learns in some detail the horrors inflicted on the future senator but also how he was able to remain strong during his long incarceration. As he is seriously considering a presidential run, anyone interested in learning more about John McCain would be well advised to read this book.AThomas J. Baldino, Wilkes Univ., Wilkes Barre, PA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

A True American Hero in a Self-Absorbed Age
This book contains quite a bit of military history and military details that some readers will not find interesting. I am one of those people; nevertheless, I found McCain's book delightful overall. It is inspiring to read the life story of a man who lives for something greater than himself, and has the humility to give extensive credit to his forefathers and his fellow POWS, many of whom he mentions by name. McCain tells his story with the help of a professional writer (one online reviewer, who obviously never read this book, says the book couldn't have been written by McCain because he wouldn't have had the time--and that that must be evidence of the man's inauthenticity!) In fact, Faith of My Fathers is full of credit graciously given to a vast array of friends and associates, including his ghostwriter. Today, McCain's once-athletic body still shows evidence of the abuse and torture he suffered. In a self-absorbed age with few heroes, we need to hear more from men of conviction, character and courage like John McCain. It inspires us to push on, regardless of the cost or of the disabilities with which we struggle.

Whether you love him or hate him... no question he's a hero
This is a moving and compelling account of the careers of three extraordinary American sailors. It is an exceptional look at the American soldier and the military family that makes one wonder why we don't have people like this anymore.

McCain's account of his time in a Vietnam POW camp makes one think what they would have done in a similar situation. Would I have turned down early release because other POWs had been there longer? Would I have adhered to the military code of conduct?

Politically, I don't agree with John McCain on his key issues like attacking ethanol and campaign finance reform, but this book makes me put that aside and consider supporting him for president.

It shows he is a leader who can weather the storm.

Wouldn't it be nice to have a president to look up to again?

Yesterday's pain impacts tomorrow's service to generations
Dealing with the realities of today and the promise of tomorrow we often forget yesterday. As a young army wife with a husband that served two tours in Nam and the mother of a Gulf era veteran reading this book rekindled the memories of the struggle of that horrible time. We do ourselves a dis service if we forget that war. John McCain's description of his captivity is an inspiration that will help me with my focus on our role of peackeeper in this world. I wore his bracelet and prayed for him as a POW, said a thanksgiving prayer when the POWs came home.Now I say thank you for writing a book that won't forget this war of yesterday as we pray that our sons and daughters will never face this ordeal.