First published 2008
John McCain examines how three generations of his family shaped American naval history. His grandfather, nicknamed Slew and Popeye, commanded aircraft carriers in the Pacific during World War II while drinking bourbon and rolling cigarettes with one hand. His father served as a submarine commander in the same war and later directed all Pacific forces during Vietnam. McCain himself flew naval missions until North Vietnamese forces shot him down over Hanoi in 1967. Prison guards discovered his father commanded American forces fighting their country. They offered McCain early freedom to embarrass the United States. McCain refused and spent five years in solitary confinement facing torture. McCain traces how lessons from his grandfather and father sustained him through captivity. He shows how military tradition passes between generations and how honor guides men through impossible choices. The book ends before McCain enters politics, focusing entirely on family legacy and wartime service.
Genres: 20th-century, non-fiction, biography-memoir, military-history, naval-history, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: family-drama, military-service
Setting: Hanoi, Pacific, Vietnam
Period: World War II, Vietnam War
368 pages · Hardcover · Random House
Content warnings: torture, war