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

Senator John McCain learned about life and honor from his grandfather and father, both four-star admirals in the U.S. Navy. Faith of My Fathers is about how their lessons enabled McCain to survive the greatest challenge of his life—when, as a naval aviator, he was shot down over Hanoi in 1967, seriously wounded, and imprisoned for more than five years.

Told with humility, grace, and humor, it is a story of three imperfect men who faced adversity—and emerged with their honor intact.

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 hear about the gritty, mind-numbingly foreign Hanoi Hotel and how you managed to stay sane (and proudly patriotic) in a situation that not many can even dare to sympathize with.

I was required to read this book for a college class (in one of the more moderate to extreme liberal universities in New York), and was pleasantly surprised at the better portions of the book. The writing is done well for what it is, descriptive in the same way a dictionary is. At times, it feels as if the prose should have a bit more "oomph". I mean, if you're going into detail about how fellow prisoners stayed sane through inhuman torture, then give credit where credit's due. Salter makes water torture sound like frying eggs for breakfast on a sleepy Thursday morning.

All in all a good read. A wonderful story, but sadly, probably less enticing now that the election's over. Second place is the first loser after all. Probably not worth buying in hard copy, too. Oh, and the cover is nice. (Is that bleached hair John is sporting in the 70's? How fierce.)

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 the pace picked up as the presentation of the candid and inspirational chronicle of McCain's life unfolded. While perhaps not riveting prose, it is clearly a compelling story of honor, duty, and principle. I'm thankful I went back and finally read the entire book.

I really loved this book. What an American hero John McCain was and still is. How he served our country should have been enough for the American people to vote for him as our next president. He is a strong spirit. I highly recommend this book.

Partly in an effort to better understand the presidential candidates in the 2008 election, I ordered this book on tape. Although it was a little tough getting through the technical military equipment descriptions (not having a military background myself}, it was great to hear it read by John McCain. When finished, I felt I had a much better insight into the man, his family and his service to this nation. There is no doubt in my mind he is a true American hero deserving of our respect and gratitude. Apparently, enough American voters decided they were willing to take their chances on someone else, that I will never know if John McCain would have stood by his principles as President. That saddens me, really, because McCain would have been in a unique position to "clean house" in Washington, D. C. with the help of a proven reformer at his side. However, I would definitely recommend Faith of My Fathers - particularly to those who served in the Navy or are military buffs.

Even as a woman, I enjoyed reading Mr. McCain's book about his military career and his imprisonment in Vietnam POW camps. He is an extraordinary man. He is not the only war hero, but anyone who could endure what he went through has my respect and admiration. I like SPUNKY!!