Why Courage Matters; The Way to a Braver Life

p10], 269, [5] pages. Illustrations. Format is approximately 5 inches by 8 inches. DJ has slight wear and soiling. Signed by John McCain on the half title page, below written in calligraphy To Clayton With Best Regards. Why Courage Matters is that rare book with a message both timely and timeless. This is a work for anyone seeking to understand how courage can empower us and change our lives. Senator McCain shares his most cherished stories of individuals who have risked everything to defend the people and principles they hold most dear. McCain reminds us, as a way of introducing the stories of figures both famous and obscure that he finds most compelling, from the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to Sgt. Roy Benavidez, who ignored his own well-being to rescue eight of his men from an ambush in Vietnam; from civil rights leader John Lewis, who wrote, When I care about something, I'm prepared to take the long, hard road, to Hannah Senesh, who chose a martyr's death over a despot's mercy. These are some of the examples McCain turns to for inspiration and offers to others to help summon the resolve to be both good and great. We learn why moral principles and physical courage are often not distinct quantities. Readers discover how sometimes setting the right example can be the ultimate act of courage. John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 - August 25, 2018) was an American politician, statesman and United States Navy officer who served as a United States Senator for Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms in the United States House of Representatives. McCain graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1958 and received a commission in the United States Navy. He became a naval aviator and flew ground-attack aircraft from aircraft carriers. During the Vietnam War, McCain almost died in the 1967 USS Forrestal fire. While on a bombing mission during Operation Rolling Thunder over Hanoi in October 1967, he was shot down, seriously injured, and captured by the North Vietnamese. McCain was a prisoner of war until 1973. He experienced episodes of torture and refused an out-of-sequence early release. During the war, McCain sustained wounds that left him with lifelong physical disabilities. He retired from the Navy as a captain in 1981 and moved to Arizona, where he entered politics. In 1982, McCain was elected to the United States House of Representatives, where he served two terms. He was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986, succeeding Republican icon Barry Goldwater. McCain easily won reelection five times. While generally adhering to conservative principles, McCain also gained a reputation as a "maverick" for his willingness to break from his party on certain issues, including gun regulations, and campaign finance reform where his stances were more moderate than those of the party's base. He was also known for his work in the 1990s to restore diplomatic relations with Vietnam. He belonged to the bipartisan "Gang of 14", which played a key role in alleviating a crisis over judicial nominations. Following his death, McCain lay in state in the Arizona State Capitol rotunda and then in the United States Capitol rotunda. His funeral was televised from the Washington National Cathedral, with the former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama giving eulogies.…