John McCain An American hero

Young readers will be moved by this biography of Arizona senator John McCain. Born into a military family, he followed his illustrious father and grandfather into the U.S. Naval Academy, although he often flouted the rules. Deployed to Vietnam, McCain survived a deadly fire aboard his aircraft carrier in 1967. Much of the book describes the brutality he endured as a Vietnam POW from October 1967 to March 1973. The remainder recounts his term as a congressman and then as a senator for the past 30 years. His Republican Party presidential bids are briefly described. McCain is admired by many but considered difficult by others because he often stands up for his ideals, even when they go against fellow Republicans, including President Trump. The book ends with his terminal cancer diagnosis in 2017. McCain's life as a POW is engrossing, but the rest of the book offers only a superficial look at his life. Despite this, readers will be inspired by his story.--Rawlins, Sharon Copyright 2010 Booklist

Gr 5-8-In this intriguing and insightful biography, Perritano skillfully describes the forces and values that shaped U.S. Senator John McCain's life, focusing on his years in the military. Enlisting in the Navy was not a voluntary choice for McCain; his family expected him to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather and father who were naval officers. McCain had certain challenges in accommodating his family's visions. In school and in the military, he was known to flaunt rules and to live somewhat recklessly. Then at the age of 31, he became a prisoner of war when the plane that he was piloting was shot down. How he and others survived captivity is described in poignant detail-close to one-half of the text is devoted to McCain's military and prisoner of war experiences. Overall, the author does a credible job portraying McCain's triumphs and failures. His 2008 presidential campaign is covered in moderate detail. Perritano examines the primary reasons for McCain's loss, such as staff disorganization and the overwhelming appeal of Barack Obama. VERDICT Consider for students with an interest in McCain or political leaders in general.-Jeanette Lambert, formerly at Nashville-Davidson County Schools © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Perritano's account of U.S. Senator John McCain's life until his brain cancer diagnosis focuses most thoroughly on his pre-politician years and draws liberally from McCain's own writings. The author extolls McCain's commitment to integrity, courage, and love of country throughout his naval career; Vietnam imprisonment; U.S. Congress tenure; and bid for the presidency. The readable text is enhanced with numerous photographs. Timeline. Bib., ind. (c) Copyright 2019. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

This informative, insightful biography of John McCain focuses on his career as a navy pilot and ordeals as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. McCain's rebellious and combative nature, which emerged in early childhood, inform the throughline for Perritano's account, which is liberally laced with quotations and illustrated with stock photographs. An avid reader of history and literature, McCain was nonetheless a lackluster student, even at the U.S. Naval Academy. His insouciance carried over to his pilot training, his performance described as "mediocre, not unlike his years at the academy." McCain became more serious about his career once he was assigned to an aircraft carrier. He received the combat assignment he desired on the USS Forrestal, taking part in the bombing campaign of North Vietnam. McCain narrowly escaped death again when an explosion on the ship ignited a deadly fire, killing 134 of his shipmates. He volunteered for duty aboard the carrier Oriskany and was shot down on a bombing run over Hanoi. Perritano's vivid chronicle of the injured McCain's six years of captivity and relentless torture in North Vietnam is the most compelling part of the narrative. The last sixth of the book is a perfunctory overview of McCain's long political career, acknowledging both his successes and failures and concluding with his September 2017 diagnosis with brain cancer.An admiring but well-rounded portrait of a courageous, principled, and patriotic man unafraid to admit his faults. (photos, source notes, index) (Biography. 10-16) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.