The Restless Wave
Good Times, Just Causes, Great Fights, and Other Appreciations
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3.9 • 137 Ratings
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“History matters to McCain, and for him America is and was about its promise. The book is his farewell address, a mixture of the personal and the political. ‘I have loved my life,’ he writes. ‘All of it.’ The Restless Wave is a fitting valedictory for a man who seldom backed down.” —The Guardian (US)
“A book-length meditation on what it means to face the hard challenges of long life and the sobering likelihood of imminent death…A reflection on hardship, a homily on purpose, a celebration of life — and a challenge to Americans to live up to their values and founding principles at a time when both are in jeopardy.” —The Boston Globe
In this candid political memoir from Senator John McCain, an American hero reflects on his life and what matters most.
“I don’t know how much longer I’ll be here. Maybe I’ll have another five years…Maybe I’ll be gone before you read this. My predicament is, well, rather unpredictable. But I’m prepared for either contingency, or at least I’m getting prepared. I have some things I’d like to take care of first, some work that needs finishing, and some people I need to see. And I want to talk to my fellow Americans a little more if I may.”
So writes John McCain in this inspiring, moving, frank, and deeply personal memoir. Written while confronting a mortal illness, McCain looks back with appreciation on his years in the Senate, his historic 2008 campaign for the presidency against Barack Obama, and his crusades on behalf of democracy and human rights in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Always the fighter, McCain attacks the spurious nationalism and political polarization afflicting American policy. He makes an impassioned case for democratic internationalism and bi-partisanship. He recalls his disagreements with several presidents, and minces no words in his objections to some of President Trump's statements and policies. At the same time, he tells stories of his most satisfying moments of public service and offers a positive vision of America that looks beyond the Trump presidency. The Restless Wave is John McCain at his best.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In his moving final memoir, written as he battles terminal brain cancer, Arizona senator McCain reflects on his career. Topics include his 2008 presidential campaign, key points in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, legislative battles around healthcare and immigration reform, today's fractious political climate, and American values. Known for his leadership on foreign policy issues, McCain shares his views on a range of geopolitical topics, including Vladimir Putin ("the clear and present danger... a murderer and a thug"), the Arab Spring, and President Obama's handling of the chemical weapons attacks in Syria ("a shockingly bad mistake"). Despite flashes of the "straight talk" for which McCain has become known, this book meanders into navel-gazing detail and sometimes skirts meaningful examination. McCain lists President Trump's moral and political failings, but hedges: "I don't know what to make of Trump's convictions," he writes, and "it's hard to know what to expect" from him. McCain is at his best when arguing that America is exceptional because of its "founding conviction" that all people deserve equal rights and because of "our conduct in the world" the book's most powerful chapter is devoted to rejecting torture. Rather than a response to extraordinary times, this fine memoir reads more like a requiem of a long, patriotic life.
Customer Reviews
Restless wave
Wonderful book about a great American patriot ashame our country didn’t know this man as our president.may he Rest In Peace.
I fear this memoir will only be appreciated in 50+ years
If there still exists a United States then. Forget the Trumpian-Trolls smearing this patriot. The vast majority can’t read anyway.
McCain does mention Mr. Trump; but not as the cause of today’s “scorched-earth America,” but rather the result. He makes the case (convincingly) that the chasm we currently occupy isn’t the fault of either party - but the fact that (save a few exceptions) WE have elected candidates that occupy the far, fringe left and right. The centrists have disappeared, and making concessions in order to find common ground is met with scorn by voters at large. The “Governing Wings” (toward the center) of both parties used to pass legislation and compromise in order to improve our country, and it is dead. He points out that today we get our news from the channel we’re in agreement with and if facts get in the way of what we fundamentally believe we stick our fingers in our ears and
decry it to be “FAKE , FAKE, FAKE.” McCain strikes a somber, sober tone and might well be the last politician who doesn’t let ideologically perfect ideals prevent progress. I live in AZ and he will be missed. Mr. Trump’s attacks on the man show what a bully and fool he is.
Unbelievable
Well we finally got what weve been trying so hard to achieve for so many years: government as dictated by the stupidest. The wealthy elitist Hannity (who pretends to be against everything he himself is) and other Fox provocateurs have convinced their audience of the simple-minded that the way to make America great is by rejecting everything we did to become great in the first place. Throw away truth, throw away the rule of law, forget science and knowledge and let conspiracy theories lead us into the future. “Drain the swamp” by creating a new, bigger swamp, much slimier than the previous one. So now we have people trashing a book by an actual hero because he doesnt grovel at the feet of a guy whose entire life has been spent lying about his accomplishments and cheating one system after another. Wekve finally tapped the votes— with the assistance of our enemies— of the conspiracy minded celebrity worshipper, in which the only thing thats true is any of the thousands of lies told every day to protect the weak ego of a small bully. Someday, fortunately, The Stupid will die off and a younger, smarter generation can start to slowly repair the damage. And in 100 years kids will be reading about the worsr president America ever had and the weak Republican congress too afraid to do their jobs. And they”ll say, how? That could never happen again. Lets pray theyre right.
Good book by a great man who soent a lifetime focused on others, trashed by people who have a crush on a man who spent a lifetime focused solely on himself.