Faith of My Fathers | 
| Authors: John Mccain, Mark Salter
Publisher: Random House
Category: Book
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Avg. Customer Rating:  231 reviews
Sales Rank: 27875
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 368
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.4
Dimensions (in): 9.4 x 6.1 x 1.5
ISBN: 1400067928
Dewey Decimal Number: 973.90922
EAN: 9781400067923
ASIN: 1400067928
Publication Date: March 3, 2008
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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
Product Description
John McCain is one of the most admired leaders in the United States government, but his deeply felt memoir of family and war is not a political one and ends before his election to Congress. With candor and ennobling power, McCain tells a story that, in the words of Newsweek, "makes the other presidential candidates look like pygmies."
John McCain learned about life and honor from his grandfather and father, both four-star admirals in the U.S. Navy. This is a memoir about their lives, their heroism, and the ways that sons are shaped and enriched by their fathers.
John McCain's grandfather was a gaunt, hawk-faced man known as Slew by his fellow officers and, affectionately, as Popeye by the sailors who served under him. McCain Sr. played the horses, drank bourbon and water, and rolled his own cigarettes with one hand. More significant, he was one of the navy's greatest commanders, and led the strongest aircraft carrier force of the Third Fleet in key battles during World War II.
John McCain's father followed a similar path, equally distinguished by heroic service in the navy, as a submarine commander during World War II. McCain Jr. was a slightly built man, but like his father, he earned the respect and affection of his men. He, too, rose to the rank of four-star admiral, making the McCains the first family in American history to achieve that distinction. McCain Jr.'s final assignment was as commander of all U.S. forces in the Pacific during the Vietnam War.
It was in the Vietnam War that John McCain III faced the most difficult challenge of his life. A naval aviator, he was shot down over Hanoi in 1967 and seriously injured. When Vietnamese military officers realized he was the son of a top commander, they offered McCain early release in an effort to embarrass the United States. Acting from a sense of honor taught him by his father and the U.S. Naval Academy, McCain refused the offer. He was tortured, held in solitary confinement, and imprisoned for five and a half years.
Faith of My Fathers is about what McCain learned from his grandfather and father, and how their example enabled him to survive those hard years. It is a story of three imperfect men who faced adversity and emerged with their honor intact. Ultimately, Faith of My Fathers shows us, with great feeling and appreciation, what fathers give to their sons, and what endures.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 226 more reviews...
 "...though the happy pursuits and casual beauty of youth prove ephemeral, something better can endure, and endure until our last November 20, 2008
moment on earth. And that is the honor we earn and the love we give if at a moment in our youth we sacrifice with others for something greater than our self-interest."
Whatever ones politics, it'd be difficult to argue with the contention that John McCain is, militarily, a man of honor. He followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, both well-respected Admirals whose career highlights he recounts in the first fourth of the book, by choosing service in the U.S Navy. McCain's own military path was a bit rocky. His performance at the US Naval Academy, which earned him a spot near the rock bottom of his graduating class, can be summed up by his feelings about one of the (many) unsavory experiences students were subjected to as Plebes (p 121) "We were ordered to supply encyclopedias of obscure information to any silly son of a [female dog] who asked a question." After (his Class of 1958) graduation, he became a pilot. Of that period in his life, he writes, (p 153) "I drove a Corvette, dated a lot, spent all my free hours at bars and beach parties, and generally misused my good health and youth." But faced with heading off to the (eventually) most unpopular war involving the States, he didn't flinch, (p 162) "I wanted to go to Vietnam, and to keep faith with the family creed."
At the age of thirty-one, on October 26, 1967, his plane was shot down over Vietnam. After ejecting, he parachuted down, landing mere blocks from a POW camp. Compounding his already severe injuries, his captors supplied a few of their own. In the last half of the book he writes about his one thousand, nine hundred and sixty-one days spent in captivity, including: details about the monotony of daily life (he spent two years in solitary confinement), interactions with other POWs, and mistreatment by the guards. Although he readily admits that due to his importance as a potential tool of propaganda and political bargaining chip, he likely received less severe torture than some of his fellow POWs, he received some of the worst punishment after refusing an offer of early release. That same day his father (p 238) "assumed command of all U.S. forces in the Pacific." On March 14, 1973, at age thirty-six, he was released.
Faith of My Fathers is a painfully honest "family memoir" about a defiant, nonconformist, imperfect man, two of his famous forefathers (of whom he was plainly proud), and those things that helped him get by during his years as a POW in Vietnam: the courage and strength of his fellow prisoners, his faith, and (I believe) his desire to uphold the McCain (military) family honor. Also good: The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien, Flyboys by James Bradley, The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara, and 1776 by David McCullough.
 Poor start, but hooks you later October 31, 2008
This book is a great review of McCain's life up to the point where he gets over the huge conflict of being a POW. The beginning of the book was very slow and uninteresting, but as you move further on he really gets his voice. Actually, only a few of the stories about his grandfather and father were really worth reading. When the story got down to McCain's life then it really got interesting. He definitely was a hellion throughout his childhood: A true leader of the rebellious crowd. Don't get me wrong, he also demonstrates that he has a knack for leadership and skilled in many aspects of the military lifestyle. The story truly begins when he gets shot down over Hanoi. His descriptions of the events that follow him landing in the lake are enthralling. It is an amazing story that I am sure affects a lot of his actions to date. I only wished it gave a little more detail about his life after the affects of being a POW.
 High recommendation October 31, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This book is an inspiring read that is both honest and open as well as compelling. I highly recommend it as a reminder of the sacrifice made by so many who serve our nation in the military, as well as a door by which to better understand what make Sen. John McCain who he is. It is one of those books that you don't want to put down.
Faith of My Fathers: A Family Memoir October 27, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I probably would not have read this book had John McCain not run for the presidency this year. This is a fascinating book detailing McCain's grandfather's and father's careers in the Navy. His grandfather was a Naval pilot in World War II and his father was a commander of the Pacific navel fleet in the Vietnam War. McCain also details his career starting at the Naval Academy where his reputation as a maverick was begun. As a Naval pilot he was shot down and taken prisoner by North Vietnam. He was tortured in ways few have ever had to endure for years before his release. He had a resolve unlike anything I have ever read. Whether your politics are the same as John McCain's or not, you have to admit that he is a true American hero. This book is well written and I was so engrossed, I could not put it down. "Faith of My Fathers" is highly recommended.
Awesome Written Experience October 24, 2008
This was an awesome historical peek into the McCain military history as well as an insight into Sen. McCain's life experience. Senator McCain, Thank you for allowing us to enter your realm and see what honor, respect, & devotion to duty truly mean.
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