I was impressed with John McCain's life, and his service to his country. His life is a shinning example of courage and honor. My life by contrast is more self serving. It was something for me to think about while reading this book.

McCain's father and grandfather were in the military and were role models for him. John's mother, who is still alive is also a role model for him as well. I believe John gets his social skills from his mom, who can be quite charming. McCain makes friends easily.

I enjoyed his sense of humor and his willingness to admit his mistakes.

The time he spent as a POW was suspenseful. It was gut wrenching to read about torture and the inhumane conditions in prison. The small acts of kindness between the other POW's were touching.

It was interesting to learn about Vietnam from Senator McCain. For instance the fedreal government and the military had different viewpoints on how to fight this war. McCain explains briefly how President Johnson, and how President Nixon handled the war.McCain's father helped led the war effort in Asian, so McCain has some in side information.

The book was well written. I was disappointed that it ended so abruptly.
He came home from Vietnam when he was thirty eight, but didn't write about his adjustment to civilian life or his time in the senate. I wonder if this book was written after he decided to run for president? The first edition was published in 1999.

Perhaps John McCain will write another book, and hopefully I can find ways to be more of service to others.

I spend the weekend reading this book. I was impressed with John McCain's life, and his service to his country. His life is a shinning example of courage and honor. My life by contrast is more self serving. It was something for me to think about while reading this book.

McCain's father and grandfather were in the military and were role models for him. John's mother, who is still alive is also a role model for him as well. I believe John gets his social skills from his mom, who can be quite charming. McCain makes friends easily.

I enjoyed his sense of humor and his willingness to admit his mistakes.

The time he spent as a POW was suspenseful. It was gut wrenching to read about torture and the inhumane conditions in prison. The small acts of kindness between the other POW's were touching.

It was interesting to learn more about this war from McCain. For example the government and the military had different ideas on how to fight this war. McCain explains briefly how President Johnson, and how President Nixon handled the war.

The book was well written. I was disappointed that it ended so abruptly. He didn't talk about how he adjusted to civilian life after the war or his time in the senate. I wonder if this book was written after he decided to run for president? The first edition was published in 1999.

Perhaps John McCain will write another book, and hopefully I can find ways to be more of service to others.

I am not 100% behind McCain's politics. I think he is a great American but a terrible Republican. Though I admit, his character amazes me. He has suffered so much and has done a lot for the United States. His father and grand fathers have done a lot for the country and haven't asked for much. I am amazed. This book is also a lot about American military since Sen McCain comes from a remarkable family with a long history of military involvement. When I think of his daily beatings at the hands of N. Vietnamese, it makes me support him more than ever. He's a true hero while his opponent is a zero. Put a Liberal in Hanoi Hilton for 48 hours and see how they would act. I am not sure if a Leftie could endure as much as a purpose driven, faithful and strong Conservative like McCain did. I salute Senator McCain and wish him success in this campaign. This book is highly recommended to every one especially young people.

No doubt, McCain will go about the usual business of feverishly "sacrificing" Americans at the black altar of an immoderate patriotism. McCain recounts how his father oversaw the U.S. Pacific Command during Vietnam, a war supposedly fought to stop the domino effect of communism in the east. Yet in his campaign, McCain maintains that "the Cold War was won without firing a shot." Tell that to the millions of dead Vietnamese. Tell that to the 700,000 people slaughtered in Indonesia in 1965 at the hands of the U.S.-backed, anti-Soviet dictator Suharto. Even under Reagan, there were Cold War casualties in Afghanistan, Nicaragua, etc. There's a long list of "third world" countries that the two empires used as proxy war zones. The faith of McCain's fathers was a dark faith full of deception, mass murder, and hypocrisy. Witness Walter Bedell Smith writing to Dwight D. Eisenhower, confessing the nation's fundamental duplicity at the end of WWII: "The difficulty under which we labor is that in spite of our announced position, we really do not want nor intend to accept German unification" (December 10, 1947). Here is another faithful patriot confessing the deepest guilt imaginable: "the use of this barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war against Japan. The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender...In being the first to use it, we adopted an ethical standard common to the barbarians of the Dark Ages...Wars should not be won by destroying women and children (Admiral William D. Leahy, "I Was There: The Personal Story of the Chief of Staff to Presidents Roosevelt and Truman," p. 441. Aside from having been chief of staff to both presidents, Leahy, a five star admiral, presided over the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Combined American-British Chiefs of Staff). President Dwight D. Eisenhower himself confessed America's secret guilt: "Japan was already defeated. Dropping the bomb was completely unnecessary..I thought that our country should avoid shocking world opinion by the use of a weapon whose employment was, I thought, no longer mandatory as a measure to save American lives. Japan was, at that very moment, seeking some way to surrender with a minimum loss of 'face'" (Dwight D. Eisenhower, "Mandate for Change," pp.312-13). Warmongers like McCain hide behind the word "faith." It is an insult to all that is fair and just. As for authorship, it looks like the old man did the talking, and Mr. Salter did the writing.

No doubt, McCain will go about the usual business of feverishly "sacrificing" Americans at the black altar of an immoderate patriotism, particularly now that the military includes so many non-citizens, ex-felons, and other undesirables. McCain recounts how his father oversaw the U.S. Pacific Command during Vietnam, a war supposedly fought to stop the domino effect of communism in the east. Yet in his campaign, McCain maintains that "the Cold War was won without firing a shot." Tell that to the millions of dead Vietnamese. Tell that to the 700,000 people slaughtered in Indonesia in 1965 at the hands of the U.S.-backed, anti-Soviet dictator Suharto. Even under Reagan, there were Cold War casualties in Afghanistan, Nicaragua, etc. There's a long list of "third world" countries that the two empires used as proxy war zones. The faith of McCain's fathers was a dark faith full of deception, mass murder, and hypocrisy. Witness Walter Bedell Smith writing to Dwight D. Eisenhower, confessing the nation's fundamental duplicity at the end of WWII: "The difficulty under which we labor is that in spite of our announced position, we really do not want nor intend to accept German unification" (December 10, 1947). Here is another faithful patriot confessing the deepest guilt imaginable: "the use of this barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war against Japan. The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender...In being the first to use it, we adopted an ethical standard common to the barbarians of the Dark Ages...Wars should not be won by destroying women and children (Admiral William D. Leahy, "I Was There: The Personal Story of the Chief of Staff to Presidents Roosevelt and Truman," p. 441. Aside from having been chief of staff to both presidents, Leahy, a five star admiral, presided over the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Combined American-British Chiefs of Staff). President Dwight D. Eisenhower himself confessed America's secret guilt: "Japan was already defeated. Dropping the bomb was completely unnecessary..I thought that our country should avoid shocking world opinion by the use of a weapon whose employment was, I thought, no longer mandatory as a measure to save American lives. Japan was, at that very moment, seeking some way to surrender with a minimum loss of 'face'" (Dwight D. Eisenhower, "Mandate for Change," pp.312-13). Warmongers like McCain hide behind the word "faith." It is an insult to all that is fair and just. As for authorship, it looks like the old man did the talking, and Mr. Salter did the writing.

No doubt, McCain will go about the usual business of feverishly "sacrificing" Americans at the black altar of an immoderate patriotism, particularly now that the military includes so many non-citizens, ex-felons, and other undesirables. McCain says that the Cold War was won without firing a shot. Tell that to the 700,000 people slaughtered in Indonesia in 1965 at the hands of the U.S.-backed, anti-Soviet dictator Suharto; tell that to the countless many who died in Afghanistan, Nicaragua, and all the other "third world" countries that the two empires used as proxy war zones. This faith of his fathers was a dark faith full of deception, murder, and hypocrisy. Witness Walter Bedell Smith writing to Dwight D. Eisenhower, confessing the nation's duplicity: "The difficulty under which we labor is that in spite of our announced position, we really do not want nor intend to accept German unification" (December 10, 1947). Here is another faithful father confessing the deepest guilt imaginable: "the use of this barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war against Japan. The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender...In being the first to use it, we adopted an ethical standard common to the barbarians of the Dark Ages...Wars should not be won by destroying women and children (Admiral William D. Leahy, "I Was There: The Personal Story of the Chief of Staff to Presidents Roosevelt and Truman," p. 441. Aside from having been chief of staff to both presidents, Leahy, a five star admiral, presided over the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Combined American-British Chiefs of Staff). Dwight D. Eisenhower himself confessed America's secret guilt: "Japan was already defeated. Dropping the bomb was completely unnecessary..I thought that our country should avoid shocking world opinion by the use of a weapon whose employment was, I thought, no longer mandatory as a measure to save American lives. Japan was, at that very moment, seeking some way to surrender with a minimum loss of 'face'" (Dwight D. Eisenhower, "Mandate for Change," pp.312-13). Warmongers like McCain hide behind the word "faith." It is an insult to all that is fair and just. As for authorship, it looks like the old man did the talking, and Mr. Salter did the writing.

McCain will no doubt go about the usual business of "sacrificing" Americans at the black altar of patriotism, particularly now that the military includes so many non-citizens, ex-felons, and other undesirables. McCain actually says that the Cold War was won without firing a shot. Tell that to the 700,000 people slaughtered in Indonesia in 1965 at the hands of the U.S.-backed, anti-Soviet dictator Suharto; tell that to the countless many who died in Afghanistan, Nicaragua, and all the other "third world" countries that the two empires used as proxy war zones. The faith of his fathers was a dark faith full of deception, murder, and hypocrisy. Witness Walter Bedell Smith writing to Dwight D. Eisenhower, confessing the nation's hypocrisy: "The difficulty under which we labor is that in spite of our announced position, we really do not want nor intend to accept German unification" (December 10, 1947). Here is another faithful father confessing the deepest guilt imaginable: "the use of this barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war against Japan. The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender...In being the first to use it, we adopted an ethical standard common to the barbarians of the Dark Ages...Wars should not be won by destroying women and children (Admiral William D. Leahy, "I Was There: The Personal Story of the Chief of Staff to Presidents Roosevelt and Truman," p. 441. Aside from having been chief of staff to both presidents, Leahy, a five star admiral, presided over the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Combined American-British Chiefs of Staff). Dwight D. Eisenhower himself confessed America's secret guilt: "Japan was already defeated. Dropping the bomb was completely unnecessary..I thought that our country should avoid shocking world opinion by the use of a weapon whose employment was, I thought, no longer mandatory as a measure to save American lives. Japan was, at that very moment, seeking some way to surrender with a minimum loss of 'face'" (Dwight D. Eisenhower, "Mandate for Change," pp.312-13). How dare warmongers like McCain hide behind the word "faith." It is an insult to all that is good and just. By the way, the term "author" can only be applied loosely. Most likely the old man did the talking, and Mr. Salter did the writing.

I was moved to tears while reading this book. This is a man that loved his country so much he suffered many years of physical, medical, and psychological torture at the hands of the enemy, even when they asked him if he wanted to be released. He put his fellow POW's first as well as his country. Certainly a better fit for commander-in-chief than any other candidate. Slow moving at first, but interesting just the same. He is a genuine patriot!!!!

Only a warmongering nation could want such a warmonger as its president. No doubt he'll be duly elected and go about the usual business of "sacrificing" Americans at the black altar of patriotism, especially now that the military includes so many non-citizens, ex-felons, and other undesirables. McCain actually says that the Cold War was won without firing a shot. Tell that to the 700,000 people slaughtered in Indonesia in 1965 at the hands of the U.S.-backed, anti-Soviet dictator Suharto; tell that to the countless many who died in Afghanistan, Nicaragua, and all the other "third world" countries that the two empires used as proxy war zones. The faith of McCain's fathers was a black faith full of deception, murder, and hypocrisy. Witness Walter Bedell Smith writing to Dwight D. Eisenhower, confessing the nation's hypocrisy: "The difficulty under which we labor is that in spite of our announced position, we really do not want nor intend to accept German unification" (December 10, 1947). Here is another faithful father confessing the deepest guilt imaginable: "the use of this barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war against Japan. The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender...In being the first to use it, we adopted an ethical standard common to the barbarians of the Dark Ages...Wars should not be won by destroying women and children (Admiral William D. Leahy, "I Was There: The Personal Story of the Chief of Staff to Presidents Roosevelt and Truman," p. 441. Aside from having been chief of staff to both presidents, Leahy was the five-star admiral who presided over the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Combined American-British Chiefs of Staff). Dwight D. Eisenhower himself confessed America's secret guilt: "Japan was already defeated. Dropping the bomb was completely unnecessary..I thought that our country should avoid shocking world opinion by the use of a weapon whose employment was, I thought, no longer mandatory as a measure to save American lives. Japan was, at that very moment, seeking some way to surrender with a minimum loss of 'face'" (Dwight D. Eisenhower, "Mandate for Change," pp.312-13). How dare warmongers like McCain hide behind the word "faith." It is an insult to all that is good and just. By the way, the term "author" can only be applied loosely. Most likely the old man did the talking, and Mr. Salter did the writing.

I found the first four chapters a bit boring because I was looking for more about McCain. However, as I got into it further, I realized the need for this background. I see the importance of the connections he felt with his parents, grandparents, other people as the events in the "Hanoi Hilton" unfolded and what these connections meant to fellow POW's as well as to us today. He is a true hero who puts his country and his fellow citizens above self-interest. He gives credit to many other people. He has a pattern of serving interests larger than just his self-interests. We don't need to be told. We see this in action.

I found that several emails circulating around the internet are true: support from a POW named Day, the secretive Christian encouragement, a kindness from a guard, etc. The horrors are un-nerving. How many young people today think of the Hogan's Heroes image of prison camps!

When I got to the part about John McCain in Vietnam, I could not put the book down. We see rather than are told about the importance of faith in God, family and friends, and country. He isn't a hero just because of his suffering. He is a hero because of the way he handles life and the way he connects to people!

They say one measure of character is to look at what makes the person angry. Is it petty things or important things? He has had cause to be angry about things which he feels are hurtful to our country! Even in his worst temptations, he didn't say "God damn America." He never was inspired by people who wanted to do harm to the USA.

He was not my first choice in the primaries, but now I feel secure and hopeful in voting for him. This is not just influenced by the book but this book and other books about him have helped. I've also been helped by watching him in town hall meetings, getting more understanding about his not voting for something that sounded good except for "bad strings" attached to the bill, etc.

I appreciate the insight this book provided. In spite of the seriousness of this book, there are some parts which are very funny.

Great book. Very enlightening. Enjoyed it very much and helped me to see John McCain for the loyal, trusted, patriot that he is.

This was an excellent book helping me to get to know our candidate for president. It gave me immense respect for him and his strong character and honor.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

I recently decided to read four books; one written by each candidate, and another written about each candidate. This I feel will better prepare me for the November 2008 election.

I read Faith of Our Fathers and enjoyed it. There are some sections that I found boring though, including a lengthy discussion of the McCain linneage, and lots of stories about John McCain's parents and their lives in the various places they lived.

For someone who wants to learn more about life in a Vietnamese prisoner of war camp, the book will provide a lot of good (yet scary) information.

I feel that the book gives an excellent perspective on John McCain the man. It is not a political book, so someone wanting to get a feel for McCain can peek into his psychology without the pretense associated with a book written as propaganda.

I definately did come away with understanding about John McCain's philosophies, values, and personality. I won't tell you what I think of McCain. That is the purpose of this review; to let you know that the book provides information that will allow you to understand the man. I think this book might allow you to do so better than perhaps any other source.

I give it five stars in the "now I have a real handle on John McCain" category, and 2.5-3 stars in the "gee this is a great book" category.

I bought the audio cd version of this book. To listen to John McCanin tell the story of his life, in his own words, gave me insight into this man. The inflection of words the words most important to him, was worth the price of the book.
Whether or not you agree with his politics, this tells what makes him tick.

John Sydney McCain, III, the presumptive Republican nominee for President of the United States in the upcoming 2008 presidential election, penned Faith of My Fathers: A Family Memoir, along with Mark Salter (1999). I purchased the book in March of 2008 to learn more about McCain based on his early memories.

I was pleased to find two especially remarkable McCain memories in this readable and rather engaging book: one at the beginning of Chapter 7 and one at the beginning of Chapter 9.

Both memories contain a number of similarities, including that both mention a naval officer. Both also reference anger, an explosion, sharing information, a surprise attack, as well as an act of war, water, the loss of control, abandonment, a reference to black, and teaching someone a lesson.

With these two memories alone, we learn a great deal about John McCain, most significantly that his worldview is anger empowers. To be sure, even as young as two-years-old, McCain is using "anger power" on himself (chapter 9), showing us the grit of a determined individual spirited enough to one day endure torture at the hands of the North Vietnamese.

We also learn that McCain was reared as a middle child - an often difficult position. In a family of three children, the second child, who once had the distinction of being the adored baby, has been dethroned and is now the middle child. This dethroned middle child suddenly discovers that he doesn't have the advantage of being older, nor does he any longer have the privilege of being the baby - resulting in a feeling of being slighted and abused. He has the impression that life and people are unfair, and he may be provocative in order to feel even more justified in his assumptions. It is well-documented that McCain has gone to great lengths to create himself as a unique person - seeming to take pride in going against the majority when possible and frequently doing the unexpected.

In addition, we learn in a second earliest memory that after a naval officer informs the family that the Japanese have bombed Pearl Harbor, McCain's father is rarely seen by his family for four years. Thus from the time McCain is in kindergarten (age 5) until the fourth grade (age 9), war is foremost in his family's mind - and in the minds of all the people with whom his family associates. In time, war becomes tolerable, even comfortable - the expected.

Throughout the book McCain lays out the pathway to his current thinking. To learn more about his memories, see Thinkwriter, a blog about earliest memories, and to understand McCain and how he will likely lead the United States if elected, read his telling book.

John Sidney McCain III is running for President, using his experience as a POW as a credential. This book, if closely read, shows exactly how poor a credential his POW experience and conduct is. Two examples (there are more): Within four days of being captured, he specifically admits that he first offered and then provided valid military information so that he could get treatment other POWs in his position didn't get. He details at last two propaganda broadcasts/interviews he gave. Both of those are in direct violation of the Military Code of Conduct that he swore to uphold (and he was not being either tortured or coerced when he did those things -- he did them of his own free will and for his own purposes).

McCain is not the hero he portrays himself as being -- at most he is just a survivor, who survived in a less-than-honorable way. The American public really needs to learn the truth about this McCain. This book, if closely read, is a good starting point. I recommend it for that purpose.

This is interesting to know John MCCain's background and the reasons for some of his actions and thoughts. It is a good read and I recommend it.

What a great story, reads like a novel. Hard to think of how any of us would handle all he did, and still he loves his country and fellow mankind. What an honor it would be to have him lead our country.

Most of us have heard the inspiring story of John McCain,
his remarkable family and his stay at the "Hanoi Hilton", but to
hear it in his own words...it packs more of a wallop and comes
to life. What he and his fellow prisoners went through! What
endurance! What absolute love and fidelity to their country.
Where did we get such men?! I listened in rapt attention.

In this autobiography, John McCain discusses the people and events that shaped his prepolitical life. The book's structure indicates his family's influence. In fact, the first half is devoted to his grandfather's military accomplishments and his relationships with his family, to his parents' personalities and his father's military career, and to McCain's upbringing and education. Both his grandfather and father were four-star admirals, and he was raised to be a Navy man. McCain devotes the rest of the book to his captivity as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. He gives a telling account of life as a POW, a horrific five years that affected him deeply and embedded his belief in duty, courage, individuality and comradeship. Readers who want to learn about McCain's political development, his years in the U.S. Congress and his policy positions will have to look elsewhere; he doesn't cover them here. Instead, via a family saga and a compelling war story, getAbstract finds that this will tell you what forces built McCain's value system - always a handy thing to know about a presidential nominee.

Book arrived very quickly after ordering. Haven't started reading it yet, but soon will while on vacation.