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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.
Customer reviews for 'Faith of My Fathers'
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"...though the happy pursuits and casual beauty of youth prove ephemeral, something better can endure, and endure until our last
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.
[Thursday, November 20, 2008]
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Poor start, but hooks you later
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 infanthood: 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.
[Friday, October 31, 2008]
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High recommendation
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.
[Friday, October 31, 2008]
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