Man of the People: The Life of John McCain [Paperback]

Paul Alexander (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 19, 2004 | ISBN-10: 0471475459 | ISBN-13: 978-0471475453

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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Alexander has written lives of Sylvia Plath and James Dean, but he became a political journalist in the 1990s and recently wrote several articles about Republican Senator McCain of Arizona for Rolling Stone. The first two-thirds of this biography retell the stories (third-generation navy, five years as a POW in Hanoi) we've already heard, in McCain's own Faith of My Fathers (1999) and Robert Timberg's The Nightingale's Song (1995) without substantially revising the public understanding of McCain. In fact, Alexander's version occasionally seems politically na‹ve. He deals with McCain's transition from military officer to aspiring congressman, for example, in just a few pages, never questioning the motives for this career change. This lack of political perspective may stem from Alexander's populist adulation of his subject, whom he calls "the one current politician who best articulates the hopes and dreams of the common man." It's no surprise, then, that the blow-by-blow coverage of McCain's run at the White House is sharp, richly detailed journalism. Unfortunately, the story trails off after McCain drops out of the race; there's some material on the campaign finance reform bill, and an interesting rumor that the Democrats tried to lure the senator out of the Republican Party in early 2001, but then there's really nowhere else to go (the book's epilogue was not available for review). Alexander, a fellow at the Hoover Institution and cohost of WABC radio's Batchelor and Alexander, offers an adequate enough account of McCain's life, but it will have a tough time competing against McCain's latest memoir, Worth the Fighting For.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

This first complete biography of Sen. John McCain-navy brat, navy pilot, prisoner of war, populist Republican legislator, and presidential candidate-is presented by Alexander, political pundit and biographer of Sylvia Plath (Rough Magic) and J.D. Salinger (Salinger: A Biography). The author admires McCain and believes that he could have been elected president in 2000 by running as an independent. While McCain's five-and-a-half-year ordeal as a prisoner of war in the notorious "Hanoi Hilton" is vividly told, his career as a representative and a senator from Arizona is treated more fully than any other part of his life. McCain's ongoing feud with President Bush over dirty tricks in the 2000 Republican primary is also thoroughly described, as is McCain's signature issue, campaign-funding reform. (Elizabeth Drew nicely tells the story of McCain's leadership of the campaign reform movement in Citizen McCain.) Alexander does not write with the verve and introspection that McCain does in his two autobiographies, Faith of Our Fathers and Worth Fighting For, but he offers an informative, politically astute biography that is recommended for public libraries.
Karl Helicher, Upper Merion Twp. Lib., King of Prussia, PA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (January 19, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471475459
• ISBN-13: 978-0471475453
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 0.9 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,050,780 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Paul Alexander has published eight 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. He is also the author of the bestselling Kindle Singles Murdered, Accused, and Homicidal.

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.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 10 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not quite a hit January 7, 2003

By "gclaus7"

Format:Hardcover

Fans of John McCain who want to know about the senator's life history will not be too disappointed. It's all there, from his childhood through his military service through his ascendancy to the national spotlight.
Unfortunately, the book is sloppily written and edited. Alexander repeats himself quite often, and he relies too much on long-winded quotes from other sources. Further, the editing leaves a lot to be desired. Phrases like "centered around," as opposed to the correct "centered on" are commonplace and distracting. Alexander's magazine pieces are much better, which leads me to believe this work suffers from poor editing more than the pedestrian prose.

0 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Read into Senator McCain's Life February 12, 2008

By F. Poli

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I bought this book a few years ago and just recently read it. John McCain hasn't had an easy life and his imprisonment in Vietnam really marked his life. I found the book written quite well.

The author has done his research well and if you are American and thinking about voting this book will help you find out more about what makes John McCain tick. It was interesting to find out that when McCain got back from Vietnam he found his wife had been disfigured in a car accident & couldn't have any more kids, so he started seeing other women, this lead into a divorce. Shortly after McCain met his current wife and started another family. Things to think about I guess when electing a President...