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Faith of My Fathers | 
 enlarge | Authors: John Mccain, Mark Salter
Publisher: Random House
Category: Book
List Price: $15.00
Buy New: $8.93
You Save: $6.07 (40%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  194 reviews
Sales Rank: 1264
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 368
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.3
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.4
ISBN: 1400067928
Dewey Decimal Number: 973.90922
EAN: 9781400067923
ASIN: 1400067928
Publication Date: March 3, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com
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.
Download Description
This deeply felt memoir by one of this country's most admired leaders tells the story of three generations of an American military family. The grandson and son of two of the U.S. Navy's most revered commanders, Senator John McCain shows how this legacy of military service and courage helped prepare him for the biggest challenge of his life when, as a naval aviator, he was shot down over Hanoi in 1967 and seriously injured. When his captors realized McCain's identity, they offered him early release. In what has now become a legendary act of heroism, McCain refused the offer and was subsequently tortured, held in solitary confinement, and imprisoned for more than five years.Faith of My Fathers is about what McCain learned from his father and grandfather, and how their example enabled him to survive. Told with humility, grace, and humor, it is a story of three imperfect men who faced adversity and emerged with their honor intact. It is a story to inspire and instruct, one that shows what fathers give to their sons, and what, ultimately, endures.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 189 more reviews...
 Awesome July 24, 2008
Faith of my Fathers is one of the best books I have read in a long time. The book clearly demonstrates how John McCain from an early age having a remarkable record in leadership, something that was passed on to him by his grandfather and father. It's a story of courage, survival and devotion to one's country. Excellent book.
This Is Who John McCain Is... July 24, 2008
I have to start with a full disclosure... I have not personally read this book in its entirety. However, I gave this book as a gift to my father for father's day and he has given more than rave reviews for this book. Rather than speak about what others think and "blending" those ideas with his own, John McCain has always striven for what he believes in most... which is why he is considered by many people to be a maverick. This individualistic character is something that is extremely rare in Washington D.C. where party lines are chokingly upheld. This book lays out how John grew up in the type of nuclear family system within the ranks of the US Navy. Learning from both his father and grandfather, we can read how this soild foundation is what helped him survive 5 years in a POW camp in Vietnam, even after refusing release; early on in his POW years. If you really feel the need to know John McCain beyond the news channels and radio stations, this is the book to read.
Faith of our fathers by John McCain July 20, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
It is one of the finest, most honest & noble books I have ever read. There is heroism & love of country from start to finish. McCain does not consider himself a hero, although, the descriptions of his tortures as well as that of other patriots certainly would make him so. I am proud to be a citizen of my beloved USA after reading of the sacrifices made by our wonderful military men who were POW's in N.Korea. This is a book meant to be read over and over again.
Faith of my Fathers July 19, 2008
Interesting account of how John McCain got to where he is morally and ethically. While his ideals may be viewed as old fashioned, they are especially important in these days of situational ethics.
 Faith of My Fathers July 9, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This is not a political book but should be read by all who will vote in the upcoming election, like John McCain or not it does present an excellent picture of who he is. Interestingly it has me reseaching deeper in to my family history to see if there are correlations with who I am. The story was very intriguing and I read the book in just a few short days.
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