Worth the Fighting For: The Education of an American Maverick, and the Heroes Who Inspired Him
Author: John McCain
In 1999, John McCain wrote one of the most acclaimed and bestselling memoirs of the decade, Faith of My Fathers. That book ended in 1972, with McCain’s release from imprisonment in Vietnam. This is the rest of his story, about his great American journey from the U.S. Navy to his electrifying run for the presidency, interwoven with heartfelt portraits of the mavericks who have inspired him through the years—Ted Williams, Theodore Roosevelt, visionary aviation proponent Billy Mitchell, Marlon Brando in Viva Zapata!, and, most indelibly, Robert Jordan. It was Jordan, Hemingway’s protagonist in For Whom the Bell Tolls, who showed McCain the ideals of heroism and sacrifice, stoicism and redemption, and why certain causes, despite the costs, are . . .
Worth the Fighting For
After five and a half years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, naval aviator John McCain returned home a changed man. Regaining his health and flight-eligibility status, he resumed his military career, commanding carrier pilots and serving as the navy’s liaison to what is sometimes ironically called the world’s most exclusive club, the United States Senate. Accompanying Senators John Tower and Henry “Scoop” Jackson on international trips, McCain began his political education in the company of two masters, leaders whose standards he would strive to maintain upon his election to the U.S. Congress. There, he learned valuable lessons in cooperation from a good-humored congressman from the other party, Morris Udall. In 1986, McCain was elected to the U.S. Senate, inheriting the seat of another role model, Barry Goldwater.
During his time in public office,McCain has seen acts of principle and acts of craven self-interest. He describes both ex-tremes in these pages, with his characteristic straight talk and humor. He writes honestly of the lowest point in his career, the Keating Five savings and loan debacle, as well as his triumphant moments—his return to Vietnam and his efforts to normalize relations between the U.S. and Vietnamese governments; his fight for campaign finance reform; and his galvanizing bid for the presidency in 2000.
Writes McCain: “A rebel without a cause is just a punk. Whatever you’re called—rebel, unorthodox, nonconformist, radical—it’s all self-indulgence without a good cause to give your life meaning.” This is the story of McCain’s causes, the people who made him do it, and the meaning he found. Worth the Fighting For reminds us of what’s best in America, and in ourselves.
Publishers Weekly
McCain, with help from his administrative assistant Salter, picks up where the bestselling Faith of My Fathers left off, after his release from a North Vietnamese POW prison. After two decades in Congress, he has plenty of stories to tell, beginning with his first experiences on Capitol Hill as a navy liaison to the Senate, where he became friends with men like Henry "Scoop" Jackson and John Tower. (The latter friendship plays a crucial role in McCain's account of the battle over Tower's 1989 nomination for defense secretary.) He revisits the "Keating Five" affair that nearly wrecked his career in the early '90s, pointedly observing how the investigating Senate committee left him dangling for political reasons long after he'd been cleared of wrongdoing. There's much less on his 2000 presidential campaign than one might expect; a single chapter lingers on a self-lacerating analysis of how he lost the South Carolina primary. (He admits, "I doubt I shall have reason or opportunity to try again" for the White House, and may even consider retiring from the Senate.) Self-criticism is a recurring motif, as the senator berates himself for speaking recklessly or letting his temper get the best of him. He nevertheless takes pride in his status as a maverick and pays tribute to inspirational figures like Theodore Roosevelt, Ted Williams and Robert Jordan, the fictional protagonist of Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls. Luckily for McCain, he's such an engaging storyteller most readers will readily accept these digressions from his own remarkable history. (Sept. 24) Forecast: Though McCain is less in the national eye now, the respect he's earned should mean bestseller status again for him.
Library Journal
More inspirational stories from McCain, following his Faith of My Fathers. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
Table of Contents:
Go to: Whole Grain Cookbook or Migraine Cookbook
The President's Table: 200 Years of Dining and Diplomacy
Author: Barry H Landau
THE PRESIDENT'S TABLE: 200 Years of Dining & Diplomacy, by Barry H. Landau, is a sweeping visual history of the American Presidency, as seen through Presidential entertaining from George Washington to George W. Bush. Landau is a presidential historian and one of the foremost collectors of presidential memorabilia and artifacts. He has served eight Presidents and worked with every White House since Lyndon Johnson planning historic events, and has been a frequent network commentator on matters relating to the Presidency and White House protocol.
In this lavishly illustrated history of Presidential dining, Landau brings the back-story of the American Presidency to life. Interweaving stories of dining and diplomacy, he creates a spellbinding narrative from the early days of provincial entertaining in the capital, through the golden era of sumptuous state banquets, to the modern White House dinners of today.
For the very first time, THE PRESIDENT'S TABLE will present the names of every Presidential and White House chef, cook, chief usher and steward. The book will take the reader inside the White House kitchens and reveal an exclusive first time glimpse into the President's personal refrigerator. The magnificent menus and invitations shown on the pages of this book are true works of art done on silk, leather, copper, silver and gold. Landau's collection presented in this unique manner for the first time acknowledges the printers, engravers, and artists who masterfully designed the art of the President's table.
With more than 300 never before seen illustrations from Landau's personal collections, THE PRESIDENT'S TABLEprovides an insightful and entertaining look at our dining habits as the nation grew through social and economic change. The book reveals the parallel growth of the United States and its Chief Executives and the diplomatic and political interests served along with Presidential meals.
"Landau moves on the axis that spins between Washington, New York, and Hollywood," says Larry Bird, a curator at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, "using his social connections to build the most extensive collection of Presidential memorabilia outside of the Smithsonian, the National Archives or the Presidential libraries."
THE PRESIDENT'S TABLE will fascinate anyone with an interest in American history and politics.
Lisa A. Ennis - Library Journal
An avid collector and student of the realia of presidential history, Landau offers up reproductions of hundreds of pieces from his own collection of menus and related artifacts documenting presidential entertaining at the White House, from the first George to the current one. The rich narrative and illustrations result in an opulent and intimate approach to presidential history by a man who has consulted on matters of protocol and entertaining with many presidents. The book is divided into three parts: Washington to Lincoln, Andrew Johnson to McKinley, and Theodore Roosevelt to George W. Bush. Each president receives his own chapter, offering highlights of the dining and the diplomacy that took place hand in hand. The result is an eclectic and novel look at our chief executives and the evolving trends in presidential protocol and politics-not to mention the food! While the book is fascinating and visually appealing-the customized menus for White House dinners have always been special, and here Landau cites their artists, engravers, and printers-its greater appeal will be as a coffee-table offering than a history book: historians will be frustrated by the lack of notes or an index. The book does include a list of suggested further reading, however, as well as a full compilation-apparently the first ever- of all presidential chefs, cooks, chief ushers, and stewards. Recommended for public libraries.
What People Are Saying
Arthur Schlessinger Jr.
"The President's Table offers menus that serve as storytellers of a young nation rife with social and economic change, while reflecting the growth and expansion of a burgeoning American Presidency. Barry Landau weaves these previously missing links of Presidential history into a fascinating tapestry and narrative of Presidential lore."
Henry A. Kissinger
"Landau escorts the reader to the Head Table at State Dinners, from George Washington to George W. Bush, and provides a social history that is great fun to read."
Mike Wallace
"The President's Table brings to life an intriguing backstory of the American Presidency: how our Presidents and First Ladies have traditionally mixed diplomacy with dining. Barry Landau presents a unique perspective on American history and presidential politics."
Henry Haller
"The President's Table presents the reader with historical Presidential menus, some of which I have prepared during my twenty-two years as executive chef at the White House. Barry Landau's collection reflects the changing entertaining styles of each Presidential administration. It is interesting to see how the menus have changed over the years."
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