Faith of My Fathers
New York: Random House, 2008. 208 Random House Edition [stated]. Fourth Printing [stated]. Hardcover. xi, [1], 349, [7] pages. Illustrations. Slight wear to DJ edges. Bookplate signed by the author (John McCain). The author was the son and grandson of four-star Naval admirals. In this memoir he discusses his family background, and his imprisonment as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. John Sidney McCain III (born August 29, 1936) was an American politician serving as the senior United States Senator from Arizona, a seat he was first elected to in 1986. He was the Republican nominee for President of the United States in the 2008 election, which he lost to Barack Obama. McCain graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1958 and followed his father and grandfather—both four-star admirals—into the U.S. Navy. He became a naval aviator and flew ground-attack aircraft from aircraft carriers. While McCain was on a bombing mission over Hanoi in October 1967, he was shot down, seriously injured, and captured by the North Vietnamese. He was a prisoner of war until 1973. McCain experienced episodes of torture and refused an out-of-sequence early repatriation offer. The wounds left him with lifelong physical disabilities. In 1982, McCain was elected to the United States House of Representatives, where he served two terms. He entered the U.S. Senate in 1987 and easily won reelection five times, most recently in 2016. Derived from a Kirkus review: A candid, moving, and entertaining memoir by the US senator from Arizona. Aided by Salter, his legislative assistant since 1989, McCain writes of growing up with his sister and brother as navy “brats,— constantly moving from school to school as their devoted mother filled in the educational cracks at home. He was strongly influenced by his father and grandfather, both four-star admirals, honest, brave, and loyal men with normal human imperfections. An individualist to the core, McCain chafed under the discipline of the US Naval Academy, constantly challenging petty rules he considered unnecessary in the making of an officer. Shot down and captured near Hanoi, McCain suffered more than five years of beatings and torture. Feisty as ever, the POW made it worse for himself by resisting his captors as much as he could, holding onto the steely resolve of his role models, —the faith of his fathers.— He still regrets his single breakdown under severe pain; he feels that Vietnam matured him, strengthened his confidence, and forced him to look at his failures, while seeing opportunities for redemption. Impressive and inspiring, the story of a man molded by fire who served his country in a time of suffering and challenge. Condition: Very good / very good.
Keywords: Memoirs, Naval, WWII, Submarines, Vietnam, POW, John McCain, Prisoners of War, Naval Aviator, Torture, Senator, Military Family, Military Officer, Code of Conduct
ISBN: 0375501916
[Book #55209]
Price: $125.00