John McCain: An American Odyssey

Robert Timberg

Simon and Schuster, 1999 - Biography & Autobiography - 235 pages

From the Naval Academy to the POW camps of Vietnam to Capitol Hill and possibly to the White House -- one of America's most remarkable men

In 1998, at the dedication of the National Prisoner of War Museum in Andersonville, Georgia, former Attorney General Griffin Bell, a Democrat, introduced Senator John McCain, the featured speaker and a Republican, with these words: "We often hear people now say, where are our heroes, where have all our heroes gone? Well, Senator McCain is an authentic, living American hero."

So begins Robert Timberg's gripping and penetrating biography of Senator John McCain, the man who may someday be President of the United States. In "John McCain: An American Odyssey, " Timberg provides a riveting account of McCain's remarkable life -- from his rambunctious childhood and his madcap escapades as a U.S. Naval Academy midshipman to his grim experiences as a combat pilot and POW in Vietnam, where he was held prisoner by the North Vietnamese for five and a half years. Most importantly, the author illuminates Senator McCain's postwar evolution into one of our country's most distinguished political leaders and a formidable presidential candidate. Inspired by the success of "The Nightingale's Song" (selected by "The New York Times" as a "Notable Book of the Year" in 1995 and by "Time" as one of that year's five best nonfiction books), "John McCain: An American Odyssey" probes more deeply into the life of this hugely colorful, straight-talking American original. It is a rich and captivating portrait of one of America's most fascinating and provocative public figures -- a man who has captured the imagination of millions of Americans and who will continue to be a most prominent figure on the American political landscape.

Contents

• Authors Note: 9
• I: 10
• THE PUNK: 17
• IHTFP: 35
• HALOS AND HORNS: 45
• FIELDS OF FIRE: 57
• FIRE AT SEA: 66
• THE CROWN PRINCE: 77
• Do You WANT TO Go HOME?: 90
• Tis THE SEASON TO BE JOLLY: 98
• LONG TALL SALLY: 103
• THE CANDIDATE FROM HANOI: 137
• THE WHITE TORNADO: 151
• HALOS AND HORNS REDUX: 168
• THE ROAD BACK: 184

About the author

Robert Richard Timberg was born in Miami Beach, Florida on June 16, 1940. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1964. He served with the First Marine Division in Vietnam starting in 1966. At the age of 26, an explosion destroyed his armored personnel carrier and disfigured his face. He underwent 35 reconstructive operations. This experience was recounted in his memoir Blue-Eyed Boy. After his discharge from the Marines, he received a master's degree in journalism from Stanford University in 1969. He began his journalism career at The Evening Capital in Annapolis before joining The Baltimore Evening Sun in 1973. After studying at Harvard under a Nieman fellowship, he returned to cover Congress for The Sun. He retired in 2005 as deputy Washington bureau chief. He wrote several books during his lifetime including The Nightingale's Song. He died of respiratory failure on September 6, 2016 at the age of 76.

Bibliographic information

• Title: John McCain: An American Odyssey; Touchstone book
• Author: Robert Timberg
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Simon and Schuster, 1999
• ISBN: 068486794X, 9780684867946
• Length: 235 pages
• Subjects: Biography & Autobiography / General; Biography & Autobiography / Military; Biography & Autobiography / Political; Political Science / History & Theory; Political Science / Political Process / Campaigns & Elections