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

Paul Alexander (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 23, 2008

Praise for Man of the People

"Among the many legends who have made America great stands John McCain. Man of the People, Revised and Updated lyrically tells his quintessentially American story: a seemingly ordinary man doing extraordinarily heroic and selfless things--out of a pure devotion to his country. This dynamic biography shows why it's easy to imagine him among the ranks of Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Reagan, who led America with such daring and wisdom. McCain's life is so organically American, so true to the legacies of the leaders who preceded him, that the greatest chapter of his story is still to be written."
--Monica Crowley, panelist, The McLaughlin Group; host, The Monica Crowley Show

"John McCain is a real man. By that I mean he has faults and weaknesses like anybody else. But he has supplemented those with a ferocious courage and intensity. Paul Alexander brings McCain's life to life in a way the reader will never forget."
--Bill O'Reilly, anchor, The O'Reilly Factor

"Man of the People, Revised and Updated is nothing short of the definitive text on what makes John McCain tick. The complexity of this man is not well understood--unless you read this book. Alexander's must-read chapter on the infamous 2000 South Carolina primary--'The Dirtiest Race I've Ever Seen'--is the most comprehensive telling to date of that sad moment in our politics."
--Craig Crawford, Washington journalist, cqpolitics.com

"If I were looking for a politician to clean the corporate pigsty, it would be John McCain. In Man of the People, Paul Alexander artfully captures the drive, the integrity, and the tenacity that make John McCain such a one-of-a-kind politician." - Arianna Huffington, cofounder and Editor in Chief, The Huffington Post

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Praise for Man of the People

"Among the many legends who have made America great stands John McCain. Man of the People, Revised and Updated lyrically tells his quintessentially American story: a seemingly ordinary man doing extraordinarily heroic and selfless things—out of a pure devotion to his country. This dynamic biography shows why it's easy to imagine him among the ranks of Jefferson, Lincoln, Roosevelt, and Reagan, who led America with such daring and wisdom. McCain's life is so organically American, so true to the legacies of the leaders who preceded him, that the greatest chapter of his story is still to be written."
—Monica Crowley, panelist, The McLaughlin Group; host, The Monica Crowley Show

"John McCain is a real man. By that I mean he has faults and weaknesses like anybody else. But he has supplemented those with a ferocious courage and intensity. Paul Alexander brings McCain's life to life in a way the reader will never forget."
—Bill O'Reilly, anchor, The O'Reilly Factor

"Man of the People, Revised and Updated is nothing short of the definitive text on what makes John McCain tick. The complexity of this man is not well understood—unless you read this book. Alexander's must-read chapter on the infamous 2000 South Carolina primary—'The Dirtiest Race I've Ever Seen'—is the most comprehensive telling to date of that sad moment in our politics."
—Craig Crawford, Washington journalist, cqpolitics.com

"If I were looking for a politician to clean the corporate pigsty, it would be John McCain. In Man of the People, Paul Alexander artfully captures the drive, the integrity, and the tenacity that make John McCain such a one-of-a-kind politician." - Arianna Huffington, cofounder and Editor in Chief, The Huffington Post

About the Author

Paul Alexander is a journalist whose work has appeared in publications such as the New York Times, the Village Voice, the Nation, and the Guardian. A former reporter for Time magazine, Alexander is the author of the original edition of Man of the People, as well as biographies of James Dean, Sylvia Plath, and most recently, J.D. Salinger. He has written about McCain for Men's Journal, Best Life, Biography, and Rolling Stone.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 2 edition (June 23, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470390700
• ISBN-13: 978-0470390702
• Product Dimensions: 20.3 x 14.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,856,570 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Paul Alexander is the editor of the essay collection Ariel Ascending: Writings About Sylvia Plath and the author of 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. His bestseller Murdered was published by Rosetta Books as a Kindle Single.

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, and Rolling Stone. In Europe, his journalism has appeared in Paris Match, Gente, and The Guardian. He contributes to The Daily Beast.

Shane Salerno's much-anticipated feature documentary Salinger, due out this fall, is based on Alexander's biography of J.D. Salinger, which has recently been republished. Alexander wrote Good Night, Dorothy Kilgallen, an original screenplay about Kilgallen's investigation of the Kennedy assassination, for Twentieth Century Fox.

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, where Angelica Torn received an Outer Critics Circle Award nomination; London; and venues in other cities, among them Miami, where New Times named Torn Best Actress. 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 a British revival of Ariel Dorfman's play Death and the Maiden; New York Stories, an evening of one-act plays by Paul Kane that ran in New York; and Brothers in Arms, a documentary film about John Kerry and Vietnam (First Run Features).

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

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE Definitive Biography of the Man, July 24, 2008

By 

Sandy Frazier "Sandy Frazier" (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Man of the People: The Maverick Life and Career of John McCain (Paperback)

The most comprehensive McCain biography available, Paul Alexander's MAN OF THE PEOPLE: The Maverick Life and Career of John McCain paints a balanced, thoughtful portrait of the man who may be the next President of the United States. Readers, regardless of their political persuasions, will find MAN OF THE PEOPLE a must-read during a Presidential campaign that will clearly be a watershed in American politics and history.

Much of the controversy surrounding John McCain, argues Alexander, is owing to the fact that McCain is a centrist. In his overall political agenda, McCain can be seen as progressive on some issues, conservative on others. In foreign policy, he is neither an isolationist nor one who endorses nation-building. His acknowledgement of the importance of the global community of nations suggests he is less likely to pursue a unilateralism that can spell disaster - the type of unilateralism that drove the Bush administration's war in Iraq.

On the environment, McCain has evolved as a progressive. A skeptic about global warming when he first arrived in Congress, he has evolved over time to become one of the most ardent proponents of initiatives to protect the environment.

On social issues, he has proved harder to define. He has been a steadfast defender of the right to life, yet has repeatedly said he is not in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade. On gay issues, he continues to support "don't ask, don't tell" and opposes gay marriage. Yet he also attacked the Federal Marriage Amendment, a cornerstone of President Bush's reelection platform in 2004.

On fiscal issues, he has proved himself to be a conservative - at least to a point. He endorses the fundamental tenet of fiscal conservatism, which says spend only what you have. But while he supported the tax cuts of the Reagan administration, he opposed the Bush administration's tax cuts because they gave too much to the most fortunate among us and too little to those who need tax relief most. A cornerstone of his political career has been his fight against government waste and pork-barrel spending; curtailing both, he believes, could help bring into line a federal budget that is currently out of control.

Among the many issues MAN OF THE PEOPLE explores are:

* New information about the campaign staff shake-up last summer that saved McCain's faltering presidential bid, and how the shake-up forced him to make the agonizing decision to fire longtime friend and political adviser John Weaver.
* How McCain's career shifted from a stalwart Reaganite to a moderate, independent Republican whose focus has been campaign finance reform, gun control, and environmental issues.
* Why Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter hate John McCain and how the conservative base of the Republican Party's distaste for McCain will affect the general election this November.
* A new analysis of how, for much of the presidency of George W. Bush, McCain has fought hard in the United States Senate to undermine a large part of the Bush agenda, undercutting any claims to be made in the upcoming presidential race that a McCain presidency would represent a continuation of Bush policies.
* The most extensive examination to date of the character assassination of John and Cindy McCain carried out by Karl Rove during the 2000 South Carolina primary, which led one top McCain aide to call the 2000 Presidential race "the dirtiest race I've ever seen."
* His military career from his days at the Naval Academy to his time as a POW, and the profound hatred for war that emerged from his wartime experiences.

Alexander says that, ultimately, McCain is virtually impossible to pigeonhole as he, more often than not, strives for the middle ground, which is why he so often teams up with Democrats to produce meaningful legislation that can be passed by Congress and signed into law. His affinity for the common ground, his desire to govern from a consensus, is what makes him appealing to Independents as well as mainstream Republicans. A centrist, not just on foreign policy but also on domestic policy, he is running for president to return the country to the middle of the political spectrum.

2.0 out of 5 stars Fan Book - Not for serious consideration, November 28, 2011

By 

Spoke - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Man of the People: The Maverick Life and Career of John McCain (Paperback)

I was disappointed in this book. It was clearly written as a "fan book" to support those who already are supporters of John McCain. While it does cover some of the less positive aspects of McCain's life, they are glossed over and put in the most positive light. That wouldn't be so bad but it really isn't a well written book. There are many events in McCain's life that are mentioned without any real context or follow-up. For example, there is a paragraph on a dinner meeting where McCain expresses an opinion on the troubles in Northern Ireland. There is no context for this or explanation for why this is important. This is the only mention of this issue in the entire book. Why include it then? This happens over and over in the book. The author rambles over many apparently unconnected issues/events to include legislative initiatives mentioned without indicating their ultimate resolution.

If you are looking for a superficial, quick overview of McCain's life, this book covers the basics. If you are looking for a serious examination of McCain's life and political career with a goal of understanding the context of his accomplishments and failures, then I would suggest looking for another book.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars JOHN MCCAIN, November 18, 2008

By 

Wanda M. Keith Rn "avid reader" (indianapolis, indiana usa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Man of the People: The Maverick Life and Career of John McCain (Paperback)

I DID NOT LIKE THIS BOOK AS WELL AS I DID "FAITH OF MY FATHERS', BUT IT WAS STILL A GREAT READ. TOO BAD SO MANY PEOPLE KNEW SO LITTLE ABOUT WHO JOHN MCCAIN WAS...THEY SEEM TO HAVE BOUGHT INTO THE MYTH OF B. HUSSEIN INSTEAD.