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The Luckiest Man: Life with John McCain
A DEEPLY PERSONAL AND CANDID REMEMBRANCE OF THE LATE SENATOR JOHN McCAIN FROM ONE OF HIS CLOSEST AND MOST TRUSTED CONFIDANTS, FRIENDS, AND POLITICAL ADVISORS.
More so than almost anyone outside of McCain's immediate family, Mark Salter had unparalleled access to and served to influence the Senator's thoughts and actions, cowriting seven books with him and acting as a valued confidant. Now, in 'THE LUCKIEST MAN', Salter draws on the storied facets of McCain's early biography as well as the later-in-life political philosophy for which the nation knew and loved him, delivering an intimate and comprehensive account of McCain's life and philosophy.
Salter covers all the major events of McCain's life - his peripatetic childhood, his naval service - but introduces, too, aspects of the man that the public rarely saw and hardly knew. Woven throughout this narrative is also the story of Salter and McCain's close relationship, including how they met, and why their friendship stood the test of time in a political world known for its fickle personalities and frail bonds.
Through Salter's revealing portrayal of one of our country's finest public servants, McCain emerges as both the man we knew him to be and also someone entirely new. Glimpses of his restlessness, his curiosity, his courage, and sentimentality are rendered with sensitivity and care - as only Mark Salter could provide. The capstone to Salter's intimate and decades-spanning time with the Senator. 'THE LUCKIEST MAN' is the authoritative last word on the stories McCain was too modest to tell himself and and influential life not soon to be forgotten.
KINDLE AND HARCOVER ⇒ 608pps.
AUDIBLE RUNNING TIME ⇒ 23hrs.
©2020 Mark Salter. All rights reserved. (P)2020 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.
More so than almost anyone outside of McCain's immediate family, Mark Salter had unparalleled access to and served to influence the Senator's thoughts and actions, cowriting seven books with him and acting as a valued confidant. Now, in 'THE LUCKIEST MAN', Salter draws on the storied facets of McCain's early biography as well as the later-in-life political philosophy for which the nation knew and loved him, delivering an intimate and comprehensive account of McCain's life and philosophy.
Salter covers all the major events of McCain's life - his peripatetic childhood, his naval service - but introduces, too, aspects of the man that the public rarely saw and hardly knew. Woven throughout this narrative is also the story of Salter and McCain's close relationship, including how they met, and why their friendship stood the test of time in a political world known for its fickle personalities and frail bonds.
Through Salter's revealing portrayal of one of our country's finest public servants, McCain emerges as both the man we knew him to be and also someone entirely new. Glimpses of his restlessness, his curiosity, his courage, and sentimentality are rendered with sensitivity and care - as only Mark Salter could provide. The capstone to Salter's intimate and decades-spanning time with the Senator. 'THE LUCKIEST MAN' is the authoritative last word on the stories McCain was too modest to tell himself and and influential life not soon to be forgotten.
KINDLE AND HARCOVER ⇒ 608pps.
AUDIBLE RUNNING TIME ⇒ 23hrs.
©2020 Mark Salter. All rights reserved. (P)2020 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.
608 pages, Hardcover
First published October 13, 2020
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November 16, 2020
Last week Donald Trump lost his bid for reelection no matter what conspiracy theory he employs or how many lawsuits he implements to overturn the results. One reason he may have lost rests on the state of Arizona which went blue for the first time in decades. Trump’s commentary concerning Senator John McCain before his passing arguing during the 2016 campaign that the senator was not a hero but a loser because he was captured after being shot down over North Vietnam does not seem to have sat well with the Arizona electorate. McCain, the self-proclaimed maverick when it came to legislation and politics and former POW emerged once again in the 2020 election as his wife, Cindy, and daughter Meghan emerged as a driving force to defeat Trump. McCain’s life story is a complex one due to the storied military history of his family, his personality, and his fervent belief in honor and standing up for the United States world-wide. Mark Salter, friend and senatorial aide has offered a wonderful look inside McCain’s approach to life, beliefs, career, and the author’s relationship with him in THE LUCKIEST MAN: LIFE WITH JOHN MCCAIN.
According to Salter, McCain was the consummate practitioner of an honorable life. Whether refusing an early release as a POW by Hanoi to remain in captivity until all his men were released, a commitment to political reform particularly when it came to came to campaign finances, immigration, or his ability to work across the aisle with the likes of liberals, Ted Kennedy, or Russ Feingold, McCain remained consistent. Though some would argue that during the 2008 presidential campaign he became less of a maverick a more of a traditional Republican once he was defeated he assumed the moniker of maverick once again as is evidenced by his vote to kill Republican attempts to destroy the Affordable Care Act while he was slowly dying of cancer, which added to the ire of President Trump. Salter’s book is not a traditional biography as it focuses on the author’s friendship and working relationship with the senator bringing forth numerous disagreements and sharp insights into McCain’s personality and beliefs.
Salter was in an excellent position to explore McCain’s life. He co-wrote seven books with the senator and acted as a valued confidant for over thirty years. The narrative provides in depth coverage of the most important aspects of McCain’s work, leaving certain gaps and chapters that can stand by themselves. Salter describes a man with many foibles who dealt with them with a quick wit and a joking manner. According to Salter he was a man whose “public persona, for most people, most of the time, he kept it real to a degree unusual for a politician. And most people seemed to appreciate it.”
The book is a cacophony of anecdotes, many of which are humorous, but apart from the levity Salter delves into McCain’s serious nature, his moral core, and his political and personal beliefs. Since reading Robert Timberg’s mini-biography of McCain contained in his book THE NIGHTENGALE’S SONG I had always looked forward to a more in depth examination of McCain’s life and Salter provides it. Among the many important aspects of the narrative is Salter’s discussion of McCain’s family background that was so impactful for him. Salter catalogues the military careers of McCain’s father and grandfather and their impact on naval history and on him personally. “The late John McCain’s paternal line was touched by a kind of tragic greatness. The senator’s grandfather, “Slew” McCain, a brilliant and courageous admiral in the Pacific during World War II, dropped dead four days after the Japanese surrender; he was only 61 but, after years of high stress and hard drinking, looked far older. His son, John S. McCain Jr., a celebrated submarine commander during the war, rose to command the entire Pacific fleet during the Vietnam War. But an inner anguish, no doubt exacerbated by his own son’s imprisonment in North Vietnam for five years, drove Jack McCain, as he was known, to a debilitating illness.” McCain had a complicated relationship with his father as he felt that he loved the navy more than him, apart from the fact he was a binge drinker as a tool to deal with combat. His grandfather, Admiral John S. McCain, Sr. and his father are considered war heroes in their own right and it is obvious from Salter’s retelling they both helped foster McCain’s worldview, behavior, and sense of duty to one’s country. McCain’s father assumed he would pursue a naval career which he resented and in part explains why he did so poorly at the naval Academy. In a sense McCain was more like his mother who imparted his sense of humor, curiosity, candor, and lively intellect that required constant stimulation. At Annapolis, McCain developed his antipathy to bullies, particular upper classmen and his entire life he refused to accept that type of behavior which helps explain his attitude toward President Trump.
From the outset of his political career McCain showed that he had the ability to attract Democrats and Independents. In office he would cross the divide to work with Democrats on important issues. Among the men who greatly impacted him early on was Congressmen Mo Udall of Arizona, the chair of the House Interior Committee who would become a close friend and taught him about the people, culture and history of Arizona. Later he would work on campaign finance reform with Minnesota Senators Russ Feingold and Paul Wellstone, and Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy on immigration reform. Not only did he work with members from the other side of the aisle they would become his friends. McCain was a proponent of “big government conservatism,” with Theodore Roosevelt as his role model. McCain believed in improving the country through pragmatic problem solving rather than the “drown-government-in-a-bathtub goal of libertarian conservatism, achieved in part by restoring the public’s faith in the credibility and capabilities of government.”
The most compelling aspect of the narrative was McCain’s description of his treatment after he was captured and imprisoned after he was shot down over Hanoi. Broken shoulder, leg, arm etc. and the lack of medical treatment, interrogation, and torture was gut wrenching. For McCain, his later embarrassment and anger at himself for appearing weak is palatable, particularly the forced confession he provided. Later during the Abu Ghraib crisis during the Iraq War McCain would become a thorn in the side of the Bush administration as he was angered by “enhanced interrogation” techniques that violated the Geneva Convention. For McCain, waterboarding and other aspects of CIA techniques hit home for him and he refused to allow his country to stoop to those levels.
Another aspect of the narrative that is important was McCain’s attitude and untiring work to normalize relations with Vietnam and his approach to his former enemy is fascinating. He experienced many trips to Vietnam, and he came to see the country as a “beautiful and exotic place with enterprising people who were unexpectedly friendly toward him.” He was greatly involved in negotiations with Hanoi over POWs and MIAs and other issues that eventually led to normalization. It was a rocky path and McCain was involved throughout. He would argue with colleagues and many in America who believed that POWs and MIAs remained in Vietnam, but McCain came to believe that no American remained in Vietnam. He felt that these issues were kept alive by conspiracy theorists who were fools. During contentious Senate hearings in 1991 McCain felt the truth needed to be accepted so normalization could proceed.
Salter provides complete analysis of and the course of McCain’s two presidential runs, 2000 and 2008. It is clear that the Bush people feared losing to McCain in the 2000 South Carolina primary which may have cost them the presidential nomination by resorting to the Roger Stone/Charlie Black/ Karl Rove school of politics with lies and distortions to defeat McCain. Later McCain who said the actions of the Bush organization was just politics, but on issues relating to Donald Rumsfeld, Abu Ghraib, the leadership, and the need for a “surge” in Iraq in 2004-5 McCain would get his revenge or support moves he felt were better off for his country. The campaign in 2008 is examined where it seemed McCain moved toward traditional Republican politics and away from reform but be that as it may it was clear that there was little, he could do to defeat the Obama phenomenon.
What sets Salter’s work apart is his exceptional access to McCain personally as well as his relationship with the family. At times it appears that Salter has written an ode to McCain. He recounts many positive accomplishments during McCain’s career. But he also includes certain negative aspects of his subject’s personality; his ability to anger easily and even chastise colleagues on the Senate floor in vituperative language, his sometimes petulance, and his mistakes including the Keating Five scandal, and the selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate in 2008. However, McCain’s love of country, humility, honor code, and empathy for others outweigh any negatives of McCain’s persona. To sum up McCain’s life Salter’s comment is best, he was a politician who wanted to be a hero, but he didn’t take himself too seriously.
According to Salter, McCain was the consummate practitioner of an honorable life. Whether refusing an early release as a POW by Hanoi to remain in captivity until all his men were released, a commitment to political reform particularly when it came to came to campaign finances, immigration, or his ability to work across the aisle with the likes of liberals, Ted Kennedy, or Russ Feingold, McCain remained consistent. Though some would argue that during the 2008 presidential campaign he became less of a maverick a more of a traditional Republican once he was defeated he assumed the moniker of maverick once again as is evidenced by his vote to kill Republican attempts to destroy the Affordable Care Act while he was slowly dying of cancer, which added to the ire of President Trump. Salter’s book is not a traditional biography as it focuses on the author’s friendship and working relationship with the senator bringing forth numerous disagreements and sharp insights into McCain’s personality and beliefs.
Salter was in an excellent position to explore McCain’s life. He co-wrote seven books with the senator and acted as a valued confidant for over thirty years. The narrative provides in depth coverage of the most important aspects of McCain’s work, leaving certain gaps and chapters that can stand by themselves. Salter describes a man with many foibles who dealt with them with a quick wit and a joking manner. According to Salter he was a man whose “public persona, for most people, most of the time, he kept it real to a degree unusual for a politician. And most people seemed to appreciate it.”
The book is a cacophony of anecdotes, many of which are humorous, but apart from the levity Salter delves into McCain’s serious nature, his moral core, and his political and personal beliefs. Since reading Robert Timberg’s mini-biography of McCain contained in his book THE NIGHTENGALE’S SONG I had always looked forward to a more in depth examination of McCain’s life and Salter provides it. Among the many important aspects of the narrative is Salter’s discussion of McCain’s family background that was so impactful for him. Salter catalogues the military careers of McCain’s father and grandfather and their impact on naval history and on him personally. “The late John McCain’s paternal line was touched by a kind of tragic greatness. The senator’s grandfather, “Slew” McCain, a brilliant and courageous admiral in the Pacific during World War II, dropped dead four days after the Japanese surrender; he was only 61 but, after years of high stress and hard drinking, looked far older. His son, John S. McCain Jr., a celebrated submarine commander during the war, rose to command the entire Pacific fleet during the Vietnam War. But an inner anguish, no doubt exacerbated by his own son’s imprisonment in North Vietnam for five years, drove Jack McCain, as he was known, to a debilitating illness.” McCain had a complicated relationship with his father as he felt that he loved the navy more than him, apart from the fact he was a binge drinker as a tool to deal with combat. His grandfather, Admiral John S. McCain, Sr. and his father are considered war heroes in their own right and it is obvious from Salter’s retelling they both helped foster McCain’s worldview, behavior, and sense of duty to one’s country. McCain’s father assumed he would pursue a naval career which he resented and in part explains why he did so poorly at the naval Academy. In a sense McCain was more like his mother who imparted his sense of humor, curiosity, candor, and lively intellect that required constant stimulation. At Annapolis, McCain developed his antipathy to bullies, particular upper classmen and his entire life he refused to accept that type of behavior which helps explain his attitude toward President Trump.
From the outset of his political career McCain showed that he had the ability to attract Democrats and Independents. In office he would cross the divide to work with Democrats on important issues. Among the men who greatly impacted him early on was Congressmen Mo Udall of Arizona, the chair of the House Interior Committee who would become a close friend and taught him about the people, culture and history of Arizona. Later he would work on campaign finance reform with Minnesota Senators Russ Feingold and Paul Wellstone, and Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy on immigration reform. Not only did he work with members from the other side of the aisle they would become his friends. McCain was a proponent of “big government conservatism,” with Theodore Roosevelt as his role model. McCain believed in improving the country through pragmatic problem solving rather than the “drown-government-in-a-bathtub goal of libertarian conservatism, achieved in part by restoring the public’s faith in the credibility and capabilities of government.”
The most compelling aspect of the narrative was McCain’s description of his treatment after he was captured and imprisoned after he was shot down over Hanoi. Broken shoulder, leg, arm etc. and the lack of medical treatment, interrogation, and torture was gut wrenching. For McCain, his later embarrassment and anger at himself for appearing weak is palatable, particularly the forced confession he provided. Later during the Abu Ghraib crisis during the Iraq War McCain would become a thorn in the side of the Bush administration as he was angered by “enhanced interrogation” techniques that violated the Geneva Convention. For McCain, waterboarding and other aspects of CIA techniques hit home for him and he refused to allow his country to stoop to those levels.
Another aspect of the narrative that is important was McCain’s attitude and untiring work to normalize relations with Vietnam and his approach to his former enemy is fascinating. He experienced many trips to Vietnam, and he came to see the country as a “beautiful and exotic place with enterprising people who were unexpectedly friendly toward him.” He was greatly involved in negotiations with Hanoi over POWs and MIAs and other issues that eventually led to normalization. It was a rocky path and McCain was involved throughout. He would argue with colleagues and many in America who believed that POWs and MIAs remained in Vietnam, but McCain came to believe that no American remained in Vietnam. He felt that these issues were kept alive by conspiracy theorists who were fools. During contentious Senate hearings in 1991 McCain felt the truth needed to be accepted so normalization could proceed.
Salter provides complete analysis of and the course of McCain’s two presidential runs, 2000 and 2008. It is clear that the Bush people feared losing to McCain in the 2000 South Carolina primary which may have cost them the presidential nomination by resorting to the Roger Stone/Charlie Black/ Karl Rove school of politics with lies and distortions to defeat McCain. Later McCain who said the actions of the Bush organization was just politics, but on issues relating to Donald Rumsfeld, Abu Ghraib, the leadership, and the need for a “surge” in Iraq in 2004-5 McCain would get his revenge or support moves he felt were better off for his country. The campaign in 2008 is examined where it seemed McCain moved toward traditional Republican politics and away from reform but be that as it may it was clear that there was little, he could do to defeat the Obama phenomenon.
What sets Salter’s work apart is his exceptional access to McCain personally as well as his relationship with the family. At times it appears that Salter has written an ode to McCain. He recounts many positive accomplishments during McCain’s career. But he also includes certain negative aspects of his subject’s personality; his ability to anger easily and even chastise colleagues on the Senate floor in vituperative language, his sometimes petulance, and his mistakes including the Keating Five scandal, and the selection of Sarah Palin as his running mate in 2008. However, McCain’s love of country, humility, honor code, and empathy for others outweigh any negatives of McCain’s persona. To sum up McCain’s life Salter’s comment is best, he was a politician who wanted to be a hero, but he didn’t take himself too seriously.
October 25, 2020
Although this book is labeled a biography, it is really a very long remembrance and tribute by the author, Mark Salter, about John McCain, whom he worked for over several decades, a man whom he clearly admired and deeply loved. Finishing the book just now, reading the last few pages that describe McCain's death, I am moved to tears and feel as though I, too, have lost a dear friend.
When my husband and I visited Vietnam in 2017 we were amazed to learn of the reverence the Vietnamese people have for McCain, a soldier they held captive for over 5 years. They have erected a memorial to him next to the lake where he was captured after parachuting out of his plane. It was McCain, along with John Kerry, who fought so hard to restore relations with Vietnam, leading them on a road to prosperity.
In later years, McCain's tendency to buck the system and vote his heart and conscience instead of along party lines was very impressive to me. I loved that he could reach across the aisles and I loved that he was not afraid to criticize Donald Trump.
Mark Salter wrote McCain's speeches for years and co-authored seven books with him; they were good friends and he was by his side when he died. He has written an informative, enlightening book about a man who was certainly not perfect, but who truly aspired to always do the right thing. I love this quote, instructions McCain gave to Salter about what he wanted his concession speech to Obama to include:
"He instructed me to make it as gracious as it could be, to pay respect to the new president. “We should say something like ‘He was my opponent, now he’s my president,’ ” he told me. “And write how lucky I am,” he added, “nobody has to feel sorry for me.”
Salter sums up McCain's guiding philosophy this way:
"The public’s cynicism about government was hardening into alienation, which threatened America’s cause at home and abroad. To address that threat, patriots should act to improve government, ethically and operationally, to restore the public’s faith in America’s system of government and the cause of freedom. That was it in a nutshell, and it more or less remained for the rest of his life what I guess you could call the guiding principle of John McCain’s public service."
If only we had more people like John McCain in our government today.
When my husband and I visited Vietnam in 2017 we were amazed to learn of the reverence the Vietnamese people have for McCain, a soldier they held captive for over 5 years. They have erected a memorial to him next to the lake where he was captured after parachuting out of his plane. It was McCain, along with John Kerry, who fought so hard to restore relations with Vietnam, leading them on a road to prosperity.
In later years, McCain's tendency to buck the system and vote his heart and conscience instead of along party lines was very impressive to me. I loved that he could reach across the aisles and I loved that he was not afraid to criticize Donald Trump.
Mark Salter wrote McCain's speeches for years and co-authored seven books with him; they were good friends and he was by his side when he died. He has written an informative, enlightening book about a man who was certainly not perfect, but who truly aspired to always do the right thing. I love this quote, instructions McCain gave to Salter about what he wanted his concession speech to Obama to include:
"He instructed me to make it as gracious as it could be, to pay respect to the new president. “We should say something like ‘He was my opponent, now he’s my president,’ ” he told me. “And write how lucky I am,” he added, “nobody has to feel sorry for me.”
Salter sums up McCain's guiding philosophy this way:
"The public’s cynicism about government was hardening into alienation, which threatened America’s cause at home and abroad. To address that threat, patriots should act to improve government, ethically and operationally, to restore the public’s faith in America’s system of government and the cause of freedom. That was it in a nutshell, and it more or less remained for the rest of his life what I guess you could call the guiding principle of John McCain’s public service."
If only we had more people like John McCain in our government today.
January 19, 2021
There are few politicians/statesmen that can be judged heroes. Winston Churchill comes to mind. John McCain certainly fits in that category. The antithesis of Trump, this man was ethical, moral and a true patriot. McCain
endured torture and adversity all for the love of Country. Mark Salter, who worked for McCain for over twenty years, did an excellent job of documenting John's accomplishments, intelligence, insights and personal quirks. This biography is well worth reading especially in this chaotic period which we all have endured.
endured torture and adversity all for the love of Country. Mark Salter, who worked for McCain for over twenty years, did an excellent job of documenting John's accomplishments, intelligence, insights and personal quirks. This biography is well worth reading especially in this chaotic period which we all have endured.
January 3, 2021
What you will find here is inspiration for a meaningful existence. Mr. Salter’s 30-year journey with Senator McCain is a wonderful, real, timely gift everyone would benefit from reading.
February 6, 2021
Outstanding
November 30, 2020
I would give this 3.5 - a good and sometimes moving book about an incredible and inspiring American. Where it loses ground with me is when the author goes way too deep into legislation... in those moments it goes from a page turner to stereo instructions.
February 28, 2021
I honestly didn't know much about John McCain before reading this book. I knew he was a Vietnam POW and that he had chosen one of the absolute worst possible people for his VP pick in his 2008 Presidential run against Obama. I remember watching Sarah Palin with incredulity at her complete lack of intelligence and cockiness that bordered on nauseating. But she brought the crowds. She helped turn his flagging numbers around, though not enough to win. My parents voted for McCain BECAUSE of her. It boggles my mind. Obama, in his book "The Promised Land" mentions Palin's nomination as VP as the turning point for the devolution of the GOP. I kind of agree with him, as the Tea Party was officially founded in Obama's first year, riding the wave of idiocy that Palin started with her aww-shucks imbecility. To be honest, one of the main reasons I wanted to read this book was to see if Salter (McCain's Chief of Staff for over 20 years) would provide any insights on this chapter in American History. More on that in a bit.
I was surprised to read about McCain, in 1994, running to his car at the Dulles airport parking lot in the rain and seeing a visibly pregnant woman running through the parking lot to get to her car at the other end. He said "that's not right," and introduced legislation to force members of Congress to pay for parking like the public. It failed.
In 2001, Ted Kennedy actually asked McCain to switch parties. McCain never seriously considered it, but it was interesting to read what incentives they dangled.
I didn't know that John Kerry asked McCain to be his VP or even Secretary of State in his potential administration in 2004. That a Democrat would be willing to reach across the aisle was telling - John was not your run-of-the-mill Republican. Conservative, yes, but not imperviously dogmatic.
Finally, to Palin. I was shocked to learn that McCain’s 2008 VP pick was his friend Joe Lieberman, a Democrat. Like Kerry before him, McCain felt that a bipartisan ticket would be a resounding signal of change that he wanted to bring to Washington. Unfortunately, his team, including this author, talked him out of it. Makes one wonder what would've happened. Salter conceded that they should’ve picked someone other than Palin, but he downplayed her idiocy and her lasting damage to the GOP. But I get it, that's not what this book is about.
I remember watching on CNN as McCain suspended his campaign to return to Congress about the TARP negotiations in 2008. I knew at that moment that McCain was finished. It was a boneheaded move, and it turned out to be Salter’s idea. Salter admits as much here, though he also admitted that basically nothing could've stopped Obama from being elected.
As McCain aged, he seemed to slide into partisan positions that his younger self would've fought against. He refused to withdraw support of Trump after he disparaged a Muslim soldier’s family (McCain was up for re-election) - this was shocking after reading about the rest of his life and his determination to be an independent thinker, particularly as he ended up withdrawing his support of Trump a few months later because of Trump’s “grab ‘em by the pussy” comment.
To his credit, McCain did excoriate Trump until he could no longer be in the daily public spotlight, casting the tiebreaking vote stopping the Republican-controlled Senate from ending the Affordable Care Act. He knew it was the right thing to do, and I'm glad he didn't waste his vote.
Again, I wouldn't have ever voted for John, but I feel that this book does a decent job giving a glimpse of his life and his determination not to let anyone dictate his actions. I believe he genuinely loved his country, and fought for what he believed in. Unfortunately for the rest of us, the GOP that he aligned himself with no longer exists.
I was surprised to read about McCain, in 1994, running to his car at the Dulles airport parking lot in the rain and seeing a visibly pregnant woman running through the parking lot to get to her car at the other end. He said "that's not right," and introduced legislation to force members of Congress to pay for parking like the public. It failed.
In 2001, Ted Kennedy actually asked McCain to switch parties. McCain never seriously considered it, but it was interesting to read what incentives they dangled.
I didn't know that John Kerry asked McCain to be his VP or even Secretary of State in his potential administration in 2004. That a Democrat would be willing to reach across the aisle was telling - John was not your run-of-the-mill Republican. Conservative, yes, but not imperviously dogmatic.
Finally, to Palin. I was shocked to learn that McCain’s 2008 VP pick was his friend Joe Lieberman, a Democrat. Like Kerry before him, McCain felt that a bipartisan ticket would be a resounding signal of change that he wanted to bring to Washington. Unfortunately, his team, including this author, talked him out of it. Makes one wonder what would've happened. Salter conceded that they should’ve picked someone other than Palin, but he downplayed her idiocy and her lasting damage to the GOP. But I get it, that's not what this book is about.
I remember watching on CNN as McCain suspended his campaign to return to Congress about the TARP negotiations in 2008. I knew at that moment that McCain was finished. It was a boneheaded move, and it turned out to be Salter’s idea. Salter admits as much here, though he also admitted that basically nothing could've stopped Obama from being elected.
As McCain aged, he seemed to slide into partisan positions that his younger self would've fought against. He refused to withdraw support of Trump after he disparaged a Muslim soldier’s family (McCain was up for re-election) - this was shocking after reading about the rest of his life and his determination to be an independent thinker, particularly as he ended up withdrawing his support of Trump a few months later because of Trump’s “grab ‘em by the pussy” comment.
To his credit, McCain did excoriate Trump until he could no longer be in the daily public spotlight, casting the tiebreaking vote stopping the Republican-controlled Senate from ending the Affordable Care Act. He knew it was the right thing to do, and I'm glad he didn't waste his vote.
Again, I wouldn't have ever voted for John, but I feel that this book does a decent job giving a glimpse of his life and his determination not to let anyone dictate his actions. I believe he genuinely loved his country, and fought for what he believed in. Unfortunately for the rest of us, the GOP that he aligned himself with no longer exists.
October 31, 2020
“McCain showed me what a fool I had been to miss that hopefulness made every tragedy bearable and all progress possible. Hope made every beautiful thing in this world and stood as a rebuke to every bad thing; the things within us and outside of us.” ~ Mark Salter, The Luckiest Man: Life with John McCain
December 4, 2020
Every American should read this book. Actually everyone should read this book.
February 18, 2021
As newly minted Congressional Chief of Staff, reading a biography of John McCain by his long serving Chief is very interesting. The author is not only the McCain's former chief but also his co-author on most of his books, as well as his speechwriter. So he has more insight than most into the personality of McCain. As a result, the book is remarkably interesting, though for some reason the real nature of John McCain still seemed just be beyond reach. Part of this is because the guy really was kind of unreal, and also the kind of politician that I think is extremely rare. Now that I have seen the inside of Congress, I am deeply skeptical that this is really a true picture of the man because so many aspects of being a Congressman are conspicuous by their absence. This gives the book an added sense of unreality though maybe his war-hero status was so powerful a force that many of the conflicts that most Congresspeople have to deal with were never present for him. But I doubt it. I think that either McCain kept these issues to himself, or the author was careful to decide what to show and what not to.
That said, the life, and the political life, of John McCain are both incredible stories. His formative experiences as a POW in Vietnam are very well told. As are the strategic decisions he made as a presidential candidate in 2000 and 2008. In both cases, he refused to do things that might have helped him win, but which would have been sketchy at best. In 2000, he did do something to win in South Carolina that he regretted and later apologized for, saying in plain terms that he had lied. That's incredible, but he did it.
I think the most touching part of the book, is the opening, because of it's foreshadowing and the meaning behind it. In the introduction, John McCain leads a tour of the Committee Room as a Chairman. He points to each portrait in oil of all the former chairman asking his guest: remember that guy? Remember that guy? Of course no one remembers a Committee Chairman from 1936. And that's what McCain and his Chief are telling us: for all the great work and hard decisions you make in life, even if you're someone as well known and obviously heroic as John McCain, sooner or later, no one will know what you have done. The person who must remember, and honor what you have decided to do, ultimately, is you. That fealty to your own sense of honor, rather than the desire to be remembered in history, is what makes a heroic figure.
That said, the life, and the political life, of John McCain are both incredible stories. His formative experiences as a POW in Vietnam are very well told. As are the strategic decisions he made as a presidential candidate in 2000 and 2008. In both cases, he refused to do things that might have helped him win, but which would have been sketchy at best. In 2000, he did do something to win in South Carolina that he regretted and later apologized for, saying in plain terms that he had lied. That's incredible, but he did it.
I think the most touching part of the book, is the opening, because of it's foreshadowing and the meaning behind it. In the introduction, John McCain leads a tour of the Committee Room as a Chairman. He points to each portrait in oil of all the former chairman asking his guest: remember that guy? Remember that guy? Of course no one remembers a Committee Chairman from 1936. And that's what McCain and his Chief are telling us: for all the great work and hard decisions you make in life, even if you're someone as well known and obviously heroic as John McCain, sooner or later, no one will know what you have done. The person who must remember, and honor what you have decided to do, ultimately, is you. That fealty to your own sense of honor, rather than the desire to be remembered in history, is what makes a heroic figure.
November 22, 2022
The Luckiest Man: Life with John McCain, was written by Mark Salter, a political campaign operative who also worked in McCain's Senate office for many years. Although he started out as a man dazzled by John McCain, by mid-book Mr. Salter had admitted that he was not always on the same page with his boss, and that despite very evident hero worship, had been gradually eased out of the closesest friendship and most trusted advisor roles he aspired to play. He became, in the end, a reliable aide and collaborator on McCain's books. He traveled with McCain and seems to have been almost family, but made it clear that McCain did not always discuss his most closely-held feelings with him.
He describes McCain pretty well and fairly. He had unusual energy and persistence, as well as a code of honor derived from what he made of his grandfather and father's lives. His grandfather became in John's mind, a swashbuckling, non-conforming hero with a funny hat and the love of his troops. His father a distant, functional alcoholic who was the center of the young John McCain's universe, not always in a good way. They were never at ease with one another, and Salter recognizes this lack of fatherly intimacy impacted John McCain throughout his life. After 2008, Mark Salter was not in regular contact with John McCain, though he spoke to him often and helped with speechwriting and occasional advice.
I enjoyed the look at the behind-the-scenes calculations that lead to McCain's most harmful political decisions: to select Sarah Palin as his running mate, to rush back to Washington after the financial collapse, though he had no ideas or ability to ease the crisis, to oppose one of Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominees while supporting the other, and so on. From my point of view, he seemed to be inconsistent and choleric, even while saving the Affordable Care Act. It's a contribution to history. It's not an exciting read.
He describes McCain pretty well and fairly. He had unusual energy and persistence, as well as a code of honor derived from what he made of his grandfather and father's lives. His grandfather became in John's mind, a swashbuckling, non-conforming hero with a funny hat and the love of his troops. His father a distant, functional alcoholic who was the center of the young John McCain's universe, not always in a good way. They were never at ease with one another, and Salter recognizes this lack of fatherly intimacy impacted John McCain throughout his life. After 2008, Mark Salter was not in regular contact with John McCain, though he spoke to him often and helped with speechwriting and occasional advice.
I enjoyed the look at the behind-the-scenes calculations that lead to McCain's most harmful political decisions: to select Sarah Palin as his running mate, to rush back to Washington after the financial collapse, though he had no ideas or ability to ease the crisis, to oppose one of Barack Obama's Supreme Court nominees while supporting the other, and so on. From my point of view, he seemed to be inconsistent and choleric, even while saving the Affordable Care Act. It's a contribution to history. It's not an exciting read.
November 6, 2020
Quite the lengthy book (over 550 pages) written by Mark Salter who was a McCain staffer, speech writer, collaborator on several books, and friend.
John McCain was a complex man on many levels. His destiny in the military was written before he was born, and when he was younger, he chafed at that prospect. This book was full of interesting facts about McCain, and was also very heavy on issues and the legislation processes. It delved into the time during his presidential run against Obama, and gave some insight into his VP selection of Sarah Palin (was more impulsive on his part. Interesting is that fact that he wanted a VP from the Democratic side with Joe Lieberman.)
I remember respecting him immensely when during a town hall event in Minnesota, a supporter disparaged Obama as an Arab. McCain answered, "He's a decent family man (and) citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on a fundamental issues, and that what this campaign is all about. He's not."
He was booed by the audience. To another supporter, who said Obama scared him. McCain insisted, "Senator Obama is a decent person and a person you don't have to be scared of as president of the United States." He reiterated that "...I will be respectful. I admire Sen. Obama and his accomplishments, and I will respect him." (page 431) Many thought that these remarks doomed his campaign.
He was a rare complex man respected for the atrocities he endured as a POW, his time serving as a legislator, and for his love of his country. His love of country went beyond party and politics, something we have lost under the current Trump presidency. It is a shame that what we see in the current cast of the GOP is lacking for those qualities.
John McCain was a complex man on many levels. His destiny in the military was written before he was born, and when he was younger, he chafed at that prospect. This book was full of interesting facts about McCain, and was also very heavy on issues and the legislation processes. It delved into the time during his presidential run against Obama, and gave some insight into his VP selection of Sarah Palin (was more impulsive on his part. Interesting is that fact that he wanted a VP from the Democratic side with Joe Lieberman.)
I remember respecting him immensely when during a town hall event in Minnesota, a supporter disparaged Obama as an Arab. McCain answered, "He's a decent family man (and) citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with on a fundamental issues, and that what this campaign is all about. He's not."
He was booed by the audience. To another supporter, who said Obama scared him. McCain insisted, "Senator Obama is a decent person and a person you don't have to be scared of as president of the United States." He reiterated that "...I will be respectful. I admire Sen. Obama and his accomplishments, and I will respect him." (page 431) Many thought that these remarks doomed his campaign.
He was a rare complex man respected for the atrocities he endured as a POW, his time serving as a legislator, and for his love of his country. His love of country went beyond party and politics, something we have lost under the current Trump presidency. It is a shame that what we see in the current cast of the GOP is lacking for those qualities.
January 18, 2021
A unique political memoir, one that focuses not on the life of the politician in question, but the political life of the principle in question. While Senator McCain and his life have been well documented, and indeed, he and Mark Slater have paired together to publish books together before, albeit this one focuses more on how Slater perceived the legacy that Senator McCain left.
From his time before politics, and the rise of Senator McCain through his political work, the memoir follows the trajectory of both Slater and McCain, giving us an inside view on Senator McCain and his role in some of the most politicized moments in the past 40 years of American history.
While the book does not follow a strict chronological order (there are moments where Slater will connect moments from other parts of the narrative) and of course, as a long term McCain aide, he is biased in his view of the Senator even when he does acknowledge that the two did not always agree on every issue. Still, it’s a great memoir that seeks to chronicle not the important parts of Senator McCain, but rather the moments that made him the truly unique Senator that he was.
From his time before politics, and the rise of Senator McCain through his political work, the memoir follows the trajectory of both Slater and McCain, giving us an inside view on Senator McCain and his role in some of the most politicized moments in the past 40 years of American history.
While the book does not follow a strict chronological order (there are moments where Slater will connect moments from other parts of the narrative) and of course, as a long term McCain aide, he is biased in his view of the Senator even when he does acknowledge that the two did not always agree on every issue. Still, it’s a great memoir that seeks to chronicle not the important parts of Senator McCain, but rather the moments that made him the truly unique Senator that he was.
February 21, 2021
Mark Salter was John McCain's speech writer and consultant for almost 20 years. He knows the history of this American patriot, his personality and the various backstories of political intrigue in the US senate.
The five years McCain lived in a Vietnamese prison after being shot down are covered in some detail. He held himself to a very high moral standard and his views on torture were born of personal experience. During the Chaney and Bush years he had little patience for the EIT (enhanced interrogation techniques such as waterboarding) that were later found to be ineffective in getting useful new information.
His views on our military involvement were complex and a hallmark of his years in the senate. They have also, for the most part, stood the test of time. His energy both on the campaign trail and on the trips to front line locations where American soldiers fought and died were legendary.
The way he worked across the isle seems almost like a dream in today's partisan nightmare. This book was worth my time and effort to review our recent past and gain some hope for the future.
The five years McCain lived in a Vietnamese prison after being shot down are covered in some detail. He held himself to a very high moral standard and his views on torture were born of personal experience. During the Chaney and Bush years he had little patience for the EIT (enhanced interrogation techniques such as waterboarding) that were later found to be ineffective in getting useful new information.
His views on our military involvement were complex and a hallmark of his years in the senate. They have also, for the most part, stood the test of time. His energy both on the campaign trail and on the trips to front line locations where American soldiers fought and died were legendary.
The way he worked across the isle seems almost like a dream in today's partisan nightmare. This book was worth my time and effort to review our recent past and gain some hope for the future.
December 11, 2020
McCain is my weakspot. Even though I disagree with him politically 90% of the time I love the way he says what is on his mind and is willing to put country over party. Could we use a little of that now.
Salter is a very good writer as he has proved in the book he wrote bearing McCains name, none better than the last collaboration, The Restless Wave.
Salter sees McCains weaknesses and is forgiven for his zealous praise. He had a rinside seat to a great Senate career and shares it with clarity and honesty. If you find Mccain to be a politician worth studying you will love this book. If you don't then you can have Lindsay Graham and Ted Cruz. Just mentioning those names lets you know how sopecial McCain was and these 550 pages will not disuade you about special of a man this was. I'm a life long Democrat but there are very few I admire as much as this guy.
Salter is a very good writer as he has proved in the book he wrote bearing McCains name, none better than the last collaboration, The Restless Wave.
Salter sees McCains weaknesses and is forgiven for his zealous praise. He had a rinside seat to a great Senate career and shares it with clarity and honesty. If you find Mccain to be a politician worth studying you will love this book. If you don't then you can have Lindsay Graham and Ted Cruz. Just mentioning those names lets you know how sopecial McCain was and these 550 pages will not disuade you about special of a man this was. I'm a life long Democrat but there are very few I admire as much as this guy.
December 17, 2020
Lovingly crafted bio of a remarkable character by a long-standing staffer and friend. Admirably avoids hagiography for the most part (save by omissions, i.e., Carol McCain), showing the warts (temper) as well as the virtues (adherence to principle).
As a strident anti-war protester (at 17 led Bach Mai Hospital fund-raising effort after Nixon's '72 "madman" bombing campaign) I was surprised at my fondness for the "air pirate" (as the Viet Namese called him).
Smart, impatient, a bit crazy, all-in-all fascinating story.
As a strident anti-war protester (at 17 led Bach Mai Hospital fund-raising effort after Nixon's '72 "madman" bombing campaign) I was surprised at my fondness for the "air pirate" (as the Viet Namese called him).
Smart, impatient, a bit crazy, all-in-all fascinating story.
December 19, 2020
John McCain was one of the greatest human being that ever lived!
Man of valor, grit, unlimited courage and limitless empathy for any suffering fellow human being and fought for them wherever he saw it, is the man named John McCain 111! Yes, I cried when he struggled so with that evil disease but through it all man of steel spirit fought on knowing that he was the luckiest man alive. Lord bless him now that he is with the One who loves him so never to suffer death again! We love you,too, for you are a good Angel. Thank you, John McCain!
Man of valor, grit, unlimited courage and limitless empathy for any suffering fellow human being and fought for them wherever he saw it, is the man named John McCain 111! Yes, I cried when he struggled so with that evil disease but through it all man of steel spirit fought on knowing that he was the luckiest man alive. Lord bless him now that he is with the One who loves him so never to suffer death again! We love you,too, for you are a good Angel. Thank you, John McCain!
January 25, 2021
I give Mark (author) quite a bit of credit for taking a fascinating biography and presenting it in an unconventional manner. By jumping back and forth from the past to the current, he draws fascinating correlations between McCain's past and how it impacted his current actions. There is much I did not know about this man, much of what I did know from his interviews. This first person view of the man was both eye opening and inspirational. While I may not have agreed with all of his politics, I am a better person and a better American for having read this book.
October 17, 2020
I enjoyed this book, featuring portions of the life of the late senator, John McCain. Although I didn't always agree with him, I found him to be an honorable person in life and a man worth celebrating for his bravery, humor, wit, and leadership. I tried not to tie in the political stuff as much as his character and demeanor. Sidestepping the political garbage of today and keeping an open mind, I found it worth the read which will bring occasional smiles to ones face, but also at the same time, reveal the humanity of the man who had a good moral compass.
October 30, 2020
Another great book, about a great man, written by a great man. When I read about John McCain I always have to think about how different a course our country may have taken had he won the election. Well, that the prerogative of someone who like history I guess...what if? I didn't like this quite as well as other of Salter's books about McCain, just because it got deeply into the politics and not as much about Senator McCain personal life.
February 12, 2021
Well written by McCain's former Chief of Staff, the book is a very good fly-on-the-wall account of McCain's time in the Senate and his unsuccessful runs for President. The author recounts McCain's streak of independence and boldness in the Senate, his willingness to do what he thought was right no matter whom he crossed in the process, and his strong belief in the Senate as an institution. Although the author was close to McCain, the book is not a whitewash of McCain's Senate Service. He gives a thorough account of both McCain's strengths and weaknesses, and his successes and losses. It's difficult to finish the book without feeling that McCain worked tirelessly and successfully to move the country forward only to have many of his accomplishments undone: his initiatives on campaign finance reform, which the Supreme Court subsequently undid in Citizens United v. FEC, and on immigration and climate change.
February 14, 2021
This is an excellent book. Salter provides an up-close look at John McCain, including a much deeper dive into his family history and life as a young man than I expected. I appreciate that the author writes in the sympathetic tone of someone close to the subject, but is also forthright about the shortcomings of John McCain - just as McCain was. I learned a lot of the ins and outs of the Senator's career that I had not known before. It is an excellent read.
April 6, 2021
An inspiring book from beginning to end. I consider myself as a moderate - liberal independent, but I respect a man of principle and dedication to our Country. I always respected John McCain but after reading this book I have a new appreciation of what a great human being he was. The House of Representatives and Senate need a few John McCains right now instead of the self-serving, do-nothings that currently make up our Congress.
January 19, 2021
Though I lived in Arizona, spent a career in the Navy, had Vietnam combat veterans as dear friends, and was very interested in US policy toward milltary, I really did not understand nor appreciate John McCain. Very good observations in this book. And now I really am disappointed that we did not get him as President in 2000, and why Trump is even more of a disgrace.
May 4, 2021
I loved this book. I have long since admired Senator McCain but this book just reiterated what I felt. Although I do not agree with the politics I admire his conviction, I admire his commitment and his honorable approach. We seem to be divided by red vs blue etc but this is a portrait of a man who was committed to our country on a whole. I hope his legacy will inspire others.
May 9, 2021
It is not often that one gets to read a book as good as this one. A well written account of one of the truly great men this country has produced. He would have made an even better President than he was as a Senator, and he was one of the greatest of the Senate. A man who lived the words Duty, Honor, Country.
August 2, 2021
This book really gave me a new appreciation of John McCain. I did know that he what is a prisoner of war and had suffered a lot in that experience. However I did not realize how ethical he was and all his dealings in the Senate in his many years serving the state of Arizona. He tried very hard to cross the aisle and create valuable legislation for everyone. It is a worthwhile read.
November 28, 2023
This is an incredible book, written by John McCain's speechwriter, aide, and friend. They have co-written several other books. Senator McCain was a very hardworking and focused man, true patriot, , some might say a hero. Which is an apt title for him. Almost six years as a POW, and with a nonfailing attitude of hope and persistence.
January 1, 2025
I had a good amount of respect for John McCain during his career in politics. But except for his campaign against Barack Obama, I did not pay much attention to him. Until he disagreed with trump during his first term. This book is extremely well-written, and compelling. I learned that John McCain is a person with integrity and sincere love of his country. What a wonderful and worth-while read!
January 13, 2021
Couldn't finish this one. It just went on and on with little anecdotes about McCain's life. A lot of detail about inconsequential events. There were some important events in there, too, but they're buried.
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