The Nightingale's Song (Hardcover)

by Robert Timberg (Author) "In June 1954 more than twelve hundred young men in varying states of anxiety assembled in Annapolis, took an oath to support and defend the..." (more)
Key Phrases: second classman, first classmen, plebe summer, White House, United States, Ollie North (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
This sprawling but often engrossing book takes a close look at the intersecting careers of five politically powerful Americans haunted by the legacy of the Vietnam War. Robert McFarlane and John Poindexter served as national security advisers, with Oliver North as their aide; John McCain, having survived five years in a Vietnamese POW camp, was elected to the U.S. Senate; James Webb, acclaimed novelist (Fields of Fire), became secretary of the navy. All five rose to prominence during the Reagan administration; all five were graduates of the Naval Academy; all five were significantly affected by the war in Vietnam. Timberg presents a rounded portrait of each: McFarlane's moral rigidity in the face of Washington's situation ethics; Poindexter's colorless persona and reaction to the dynamics of Iran-Contra; North's dazzling charisma ("Holly Golightly in Marine green"); McCain's stoic courage throughout his captivity; Webb's combat heroics, his struggle to become a writer, his controversial stint in the Pentagon. Timberg is scathing in his remarks about President Reagan's competency but dilates eloquently on the significance of Reagan's public admiration of Vietnam veterans. An Annapolis graduate who served in Vietnam, Timberg is deputy bureau chief of the Baltimore Sun. Reader's Digest Condensed Books selection.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Overtly the life stories of five graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy--John McCain, John Poindexter, Bud McFarlane, Jim Webb, and Oliver North--this probing tale implicitly examines the academy's institutional soul. A survivor of Annapolis, abbreviated by cognoscenti as IHTFP (I Hate This F . . . ing Place), Timberg knowingly examines how the academy indoctrinated undergraduates in the '50s and '60s. All five men saluted and went to Vietnam--three were wounded--and in Timberg's telling of their specific combat experiences, insightful angles on their subsequent careers emerge, such as North's penchant for exaggeration. When the Iran-Contra affair broke, its Watergate motif gradually became displaced by the old passions surrounding Vietnam, which, as Timberg writes, cropped up in the actions and justifications of Reagan's national security advisers McFarlane and Poindexter and their aide North. In the meantime ex-POW McCain had gotten himself elected to Congress, and Webb became a novelist, secretary of the navy (ironically staging his induction at the academy he used to hate), and promoter of adding a statue to the stark Vietnam Memorial. A well-researched and well-written account of five interesting lives. Gilbert Taylor

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 543 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (July 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684803011
• ISBN-13: 978-0684803012
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (67 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #521,442 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book is an absolute masterpiece!, July 30, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Nightingale's Song (Paperback)

After reading "Into Thin Air" a year ago, I thought that it would be a long time before I read anything quite so mesmerizing. Well, "The Nightingale's Song" rivals "Into Thin Air" in this regard. Written by a Naval Academy graduate, Robert Timberg, "The Nightingale's Song" is chock full of incredibly interesting insights about the lives and careers of five Naval Academy graduates who are somewhat familiar to anyone with an interest in national politics. Additionally, Timberg's nuanced analysis of the political innerworkings of the Reagan Administration which contributed to the Iran Contra debacle seems to be completely on the money. Relative to the five individuals profiled (Messrs McCain, North, Webb, Poindexter and McFarlane), Timburg paints five fascinating profiles which honestly deals with the strengths and weaknesses of each. One can read the book and still feel great respect for Oliver North, whose penchant for excess is thoroughly documented, due to his undying commitment to getting the mission accomplished (whatever it might have been). Case in point: Timberg's account of how North went back to Vietnam (after having ended his tour) on his own time and money to defend a former colleague on an unfair charge is one of the most inspiring of many inspiring stories in the book. My admiration for John McCain, which was high before I read the book, is through the roof after reading about the courage and tenacity with which he conducted himself while in the Hanoi Hilton. If anything, Timberg's own personal connection with the Academy gave him a great perspective with which to delve into the lives of each of these men and what forces might have shaped their individual characters.

I can't recommend this book strongly enough. Timberg is now one of those writers that I would automatically buy (if he ever writes anything else). Given this tour de force, it would be a shame if he doesn't take another crack at a major work.

24 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best and the Brightest go to War., December 29, 2004

By	Michael J. Raymond (Tucson, AZ) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Nightingale's Song (Paperback)

Robert Timberg has written a deeply compelling and somewhat tragic account of five men and how Vietnam shaped and molded their respective character. The book moves quickly and is irresistable after a few pages. A real page turner. Of all the characters within the book, John McCain comes out a real live American hero. Olliver North does not fare so well. Had North retired after his Vietnam stint there wouldn't be enough accolades to describe his service. However, ambition makes a fool of those who cater to its excess and North dives in head first without checking the depth of the water below. Some have criticized Timberg's work as "Anti-Reagan". That is not a fair depiction of the work. Reagan comes across as the "Nightgale" in the book's title. The fact that the song was sung simply and without shame should not provide a source of dismay for anyone who studies history. Reagan merely managed his administration differently than others who have occupied that office. The book focuses solely on five men (North, McCain, Poindexter, Webb, and McFarlane), and delivers a moving, emotional, and poignant portrayal of young men and how the smell of gunpowder can stir the soul and change the course of individuals. In the case of John McCain, the prison in which he suffered turned out to be his salvation as a human being. In the case of Oliver North, the battle scars he carried only seemed to reflect his driving passion to succeed. This is a must read for all who value American History and understand why old men should only send young men into battle as a last resort. The fact that we are mired in another "unwinnable" war only makes this work more compelling. This story will be valid until such time as man conquers his conquering urge.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Absolute Winner, March 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Nightingale's Song (Paperback)

I first read this book when it was originally published. Now, with the potential presidential campaign of John McCain unfolding, I revisited it, and in so doing, reaffirmed to myself what a tremendous story this is. Robert Timberg presents a fascinating study of five contemporary American men, their formulative years, their central experience...Vietnam, and then their post-war life and public service.

During Iran-Contra, I was never a fan of either MacFarlane or Poindexter. North was something else, though, especially intriguing in his defiant testimony before Congress. But I came away from this book with a much different feeling towards these three men. My impression of Poindexter changed very favorably, not because of his actions but because of his sense of responsibility. I found myself to be very sympathetic towards MacFarlane ...a reasonably good man in a situation out of control. North, to me, became the villain...an extremely loose cannon with no controls from above.

My admiration of McCain and Webb continues to grow. McCain's experiences, especially aboard USS Forrestal and then as a prisoner of war, are riveting. The parallel heroics of McCain's wife during the war is just as inspirational. But I found James Webb to be the most interesting character. Here is a very young man distinguishing himself as a outstanding combat leader, but powerless to prevent the slaughter of his men. Returning to law school, he faces an almost hostile enviornment, ridiculing his service and the sacrifice of his comrades. In the midst of this, Webb embarks on a process of establishing himself as a significant author, and also becomes a significant but controversial figure within the Navy.

This is a book dealing with service, courage, honor and commitment, of paths which diverged and paths which converged. Above all, it is a book dealing with obediance to orders, and the consequences this obediance can produce.

Read this book.