John S. McCain, the proud naval aviator who climbed from despair as a tortured prisoner of war during the Vietnam War to become one of the most powerful leaders in American politics. He served as the Republican congressman and senator from Arizona and a two-time contender for the presidency. He died on Saturday at his home in Arizona after suffering from a malignant brain tumor, called a glioblastoma, for which he had been treated with radiation and chemotherapy since its discovery in 2017.
He had a distinguished naval career and penned several books about his experiences in the prison camp. McCain is also the author of many other books reflecting on his life and the political history of his time. You can search for books by and about John McCain at this link. His final book: The restless wave : good times, just causes, great fights and other appreciations, published in May 2018 is available in print, large print, ebook, and audiobook.
Our eSource Biography in Context also features information on his life as well as audio clips from his various speeches.
His daughter Meghan published a touching remembrance: "I was with my father at his end, as he was with me at my beginning, In the thirty-three years we shared together, he raised me, taught me, corrected me, comforted me, encouraged me, and supported me in all things. He loved me, and I loved him. He taught me how to live. His love and his care, ever-present, always unfailing, took me from a girl to a woman -- and he showed me what it is to be a man." (ABC News)
Ernest Hemingway was McCain's favorite and often quoted author. Robert Jordan, the main character in For Whom the Bell Tolls was a hero that McCain cited to his co-writer Mark Salter. So it is no surprise says Salter, that on the final full page of his final chapter, after talking about how lucky he has been to have known great passions, fight in war and make peace, McCain quotes Jordan, his hero.
"The world is a fine place and worth fighting for and I hate very much to leave it."
Originally Posted by LindaD on August 27, 2018