Faith of My Fathers
by: John McCain, Mark Salter
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Amazon.com Review:
Books by politicians are not often worth reading, but JohnMcCain's Faith of My Fathers is an astonishing exception to therule. The Republican senator from Arizona has a remarkable story totell--better than just about any of his peers--and he tells it well,with crisp prose and an unexpected sense for narrative pacing. Thefirst half of the book concerns his naval forbears: his grandfathercommanded an aircraft carrier in the Second World War, while hisfather presided over all naval forces in the Pacific during theVietnam War. They were the first father-son admirals in Americanhistory. Young John McCain knew he had enormous shoes to fill andrebelled against many of the expectations set for him. At the NavalAcademy, he was nearly expelled, graduating fifth from the bottom ofhis class. He never became an admiral, but achieved fame another way:as a naval aviator in 1967, he was shot down over North Vietnam andspent several years in POW camps, where he was beaten, tortured, andnearly allowed to die. McCain describes the awful details of hisimprisonment and tells how he stayed mentally strong during seeminglyendless months of solitary confinement and how he communicated in codewith fellow captives. Faith of My Fathers concludes withMcCain's release and contains no information about his subsequentpolitical career. It is, nonetheless, a complete and compelling memoirof individual heroism--one that will interest both political andmilitary 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.
Books by politicians are not often worth reading, but JohnMcCain's Faith of My Fathers is an astonishing exception to therule. The Republican senator from Arizona has a remarkable story totell--better than just about any of his peers--and he tells it well,with crisp prose and an unexpected sense for narrative pacing. Thefirst half of the book concerns his naval forbears: his grandfathercommanded an aircraft carrier in the Second World War, while hisfather presided over all naval forces in the Pacific during theVietnam War. They were the first father-son admirals in Americanhistory. Young John McCain knew he had enormous shoes to fill andrebelled against many of the expectations set for him. At the NavalAcademy, he was nearly expelled, graduating fifth from the bottom ofhis class. He never became an admiral, but achieved fame another way:as a naval aviator in 1967, he was shot down over North Vietnam andspent several years in POW camps, where he was beaten, tortured, andnearly allowed to die. McCain describes the awful details of hisimprisonment and tells how he stayed mentally strong during seeminglyendless months of solitary confinement and how he communicated in codewith fellow captives. Faith of My Fathers concludes withMcCain's release and contains no information about his subsequentpolitical career. It is, nonetheless, a complete and compelling memoirof individual heroism--one that will interest both political andmilitary 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
Average Rating:
Rating: 
- The Real McCain!
It has become commonplace for Presidential (and, yes, Vice Presidential) candidates to have a published book in the bookstores at some point in the campaign for the Oval Office. Barack Obama has two memoirs published, Senator McCain has three books out, Joe Biden has his book out, and even Governor Palin has at least two books out about her (though, admittedly, not written by her). Among Senator McCain's published books is Faith of My Fathers, a family memoir that is entirely not about politics. ... Read More
Rating: 
- A Legendary Family
A painfully honest family story.Much of this book focuses on John McCain's father and grandfather, both of whom had significantly more successful military careers.
McCain clearly admired his father/grandfather and wanted to follow in their footsteps.He seemed to be cut from a different cloth and fate delivered a very different set of life experiences.The stories regarding his treatment in North Vietnam showed him to be a person who could endure great hardship and still retain ... Read More
Rating: - Sad that America Could Have done Better with this Great Man.
Reading this Book, It is so sad, that America Made such a Bad Choice, And that the Media was in the tank the whole time for the other candidate despite so much controversy surrounding the other candidate. You have to Admire a Man Like Mccain what He did For His Country, and Continues to do so. He is not Perfect, But His Experience could have helped us so much, Sadly Hollywood and other Extreme elements did not Think so. This Book Is Great, Revealing of A Great Man Who Sadly Could have been, As a 26 ... Read More
Rating: - 60% of it is surprisingly enticing.
Oh John McCain, I do feel very bad that you've gone through so much.Perhaps you should have told Mr. Salter (the ex-security guard turned novelista) to focus more on that and less on the near one hundred pages of exposition touting your father and his father's accomplishments and quirky views on life.Everyone's familiar with the little piece of Americana that is the perpetually is-he-or-isn't-he-drunk father, and that exposition displays it in spades.However, we the readers would probably rather ... Read More
Rating: - Compelling!!!
I've had Faith of My Fathers on my shelf for a while, having previously lightly skimmed select portions of the book.In the wake of the recent election, however, I decided to go back and read the book cover to cover.I'm glad I did because I was enthralled throughout, though not in the traditional sense of a suspenseful mystery novel.To be honest, some of the early chapters which lay the foundation of his life and motivations are a bit of a grind to get through.What was undeniable, however, is that ... Read More
- The Real McCain!It has become commonplace for Presidential (and, yes, Vice Presidential) candidates to have a published book in the bookstores at some point in the campaign for the Oval Office. Barack Obama has two memoirs published, Senator McCain has three books out, Joe Biden has his book out, and even Governor Palin has at least two books out about her (though, admittedly, not written by her). Among Senator McCain's published books is Faith of My Fathers, a family memoir that is entirely not about politics. ... Read More
- A Legendary FamilyA painfully honest family story.Much of this book focuses on John McCain's father and grandfather, both of whom had significantly more successful military careers.
McCain clearly admired his father/grandfather and wanted to follow in their footsteps.He seemed to be cut from a different cloth and fate delivered a very different set of life experiences.The stories regarding his treatment in North Vietnam showed him to be a person who could endure great hardship and still retain ... Read More
- Sad that America Could Have done Better with this Great Man.Reading this Book, It is so sad, that America Made such a Bad Choice, And that the Media was in the tank the whole time for the other candidate despite so much controversy surrounding the other candidate. You have to Admire a Man Like Mccain what He did For His Country, and Continues to do so. He is not Perfect, But His Experience could have helped us so much, Sadly Hollywood and other Extreme elements did not Think so. This Book Is Great, Revealing of A Great Man Who Sadly Could have been, As a 26 ... Read More
- 60% of it is surprisingly enticing.Oh John McCain, I do feel very bad that you've gone through so much.Perhaps you should have told Mr. Salter (the ex-security guard turned novelista) to focus more on that and less on the near one hundred pages of exposition touting your father and his father's accomplishments and quirky views on life.Everyone's familiar with the little piece of Americana that is the perpetually is-he-or-isn't-he-drunk father, and that exposition displays it in spades.However, we the readers would probably rather ... Read More
- Compelling!!!I've had Faith of My Fathers on my shelf for a while, having previously lightly skimmed select portions of the book.In the wake of the recent election, however, I decided to go back and read the book cover to cover.I'm glad I did because I was enthralled throughout, though not in the traditional sense of a suspenseful mystery novel.To be honest, some of the early chapters which lay the foundation of his life and motivations are a bit of a grind to get through.What was undeniable, however, is that ... Read More
