Man of the People: The Life of John McCain

by Paul Alexander

A captivating look at one of America's most prominent and fascinating public figures
Bestselling author, war hero, presidential candidate, champion of the most politically sticky issue to rock Washington since Watergate-campaign finance reform- there may be no better known senator than John McCain. From Democrats to Republicans, many Americans relate to John McCain's straight-talking form of politics.
In Man of the People: The Life of John McCain, political journalist Paul Alexander offers the only objective, in-depth account of this remarkable politician's journey-from Naval Academy student to Presidential hopeful. Readers will follow McCain from his rich Navy roots through his twenty-one year tour in the Navy, and then behold as he evolves into one of our country's most distinguished yet controversial political leaders. With insider access, Alexander flushes out the personal history to present a candid portrait of the political evolution of McCain. From the WWII hero grandfather who aggressively helped destroy the Japanese military machine to McCain's growth from Navy plebe to Reagan foot soldier, Alexander uncovers what makes McCain tick, how he evolved into a politician with a cause that has endeared him to Democrats and antagonized the Republican party leadership.
Political insider, radio talk show host, and well-known journalist Paul Alexander followed McCain from the Presidential campaign trail to stumping for campaign finance reform. McCain's life is not only the story of the most compelling politician since Ronald Reagan but also the history of the transformation of American politics over the last thirty years. Through McCain's personal history-from Vietnam veteran to Reagan go-to guy to a key figure in the Keating S&L crisis to military campaign critic, Alexander pulls back the public curtain to reveal the private man. In doing so, he exposes military machinations, Vietnam controversy, POW torture, mental depression, and political intrigue. John McCain continues to push the political system, thus capturing the attention of the American public. The straightforward, no-nonsense style that has become his hallmark shines through every page of this telling biography.

Genres: Politics, Biography, American History, Nonfiction

432 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Besides the bestselling Kindle Singles Murdered, Accused, and Homicidal, Paul Alexander has published eight previous books of nonfiction: Ariel Ascending: Writings About Sylvia Plath; Rough Magic, a biography of Plath; Boulevard of Broken Dreams: The Life, Times, and Legend of James Dean, the bestseller that has been published in 10 countries; Death and Disaster: The Rise of the Warhol Empire and the Race For Andy’s Millions; Man of the People: The Life of John McCain; The Candidate, a chronicle of John Kerry’s presidential campaign; and Machiavelli’s Shadow: The Rise and Fall of Karl Rove.

A former reporter for Time, Alexander has published journalism in The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, New York, The Nation, The Village Voice, Salon, Worth, The New York Observer, George, Cosmopolitan, More, Interview, ARTnews, Mirabella, Premiere, Out, The Advocate, Travel & Leisure, The Los Angeles Times Book Review, Biography, Men’s Journal, Best Life, The New York Review of Books, The Daily Beast, and Rolling Stone.

Shane Salerno’s forthcoming feature documentary Salinger is based on Alexander’s biography of J.D. Salinger. Alexander is the author of the plays Strangers in the Land of Canaan and Edge, which he directed. Developed at The Actors Studio, Edge, the critically acclaimed one-woman play about Sylvia Plath, ran in New York, London, Los Angeles, among other cities. Edge toured Australia and New Zealand and enjoyed a second run in New York. In all, Torn performed Edge 400 times. Alexander is also the director of Brothers in Arms, a documentary film about John Kerry and Vietnam (First Run Features).

A graduate of The University of Alabama and The Writers’ Workshop at The University of Iowa, Alexander is a member of the Authors Guild and PEN American Center. In the fall of 2002, he was a Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. He lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, to be honest, I only read about 50% of this book. I picked it up as a way to be a more informed voter in the election. When Nov. 4th passed, my motivation to complete the book diminished significantly. It was enlightening to read about his experiences and his family background, certainly gives one reason to respect him (and those of his generation).

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book for learning where McCain has come from and what his beliefs are.

[Holly]

Fabulous like the man himself!!!!

[Jacqueline Kohli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not typically one for biographies, but picked this up because of the respect I had for McCain. After reading this, that respect has increased ten fold.

The author does a wonderful job of storytelling McCain's life and career, and setting the historical backdrop (helpful for those of us who weren't alive during these events!) Not only was it interesting to read about McCain's history, but to read the history of the nation, and the details of critical events. I especially enjoyed the account of the 2000 primary - I had no idea of most of the race between McCain and Bush.

[Rosana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an honorable Man

[Brian Tran]

The title connects to the book because the book describes the life of John McCain until 2003, in which the book was published and it was mean full enough as it describes most of his life. The book’s purpose was to cover the life of McCain from birth to the present. The authors writing style was the author was explaining McCain from a far distance and it was good considering it was a biography. The story’s purpose was to show the life of McCain and does it by breaking it up to significant parts of his life. What strikes to me as noteworthy was McCain’s Father and Grandfather both served in the Navy so it would be a given John McCain would follow in their footsteps. The topics of discussion this book raises is the lesser known parts of McCain’s life especially early childhood years and what he did after the Vietnam War. The audience that would appreciate this book are people interested in learning about other people or people interested in politics. What I’ve noticed about the authors craft is the author acts in a way describe McCain from a distance. The aspect I enjoyed in the book is the fact the book branched off a little and gave some information about McCain’s father and grandfather as they were significant influences. One thing I would change in this book would just be to reach out to John McCain himself.