John McCain's father followed a similar path, one that was equally distinguished by heroic service in the Navy, as a submarine commander who fought off Japanese depth charge attacks during World War II. McCain Jr. was a slightly-built man, five-feet-six-inches and no more than 133 pounds, but like his father, he earned the respect and affection of his men, who called him "Good Goddamn McCain" because of his colorful language. He rose to the rank of four-star Admiral, making the McCains the only family in American history to achieve this distinction. McCain's final assignment was command of the Pacific Theater during the Vietnam War.

And it was in the Vietnam War that John McCain III faced the most difficult challenge of his life. A naval aviator, McCain was shot down over Hanoi in 1967 and imprisoned for five-and-a-half years. He was seriously injured when his plane crashed and subsequently tortured and held in solitary confinement. When Vietnamese military officials realized McCain's father was one of the commanders of the war, they offered him early release in an effort to embarrass the United States. Acting from a sense of honor taught to him by his family and the U.S. Naval Academy, McCain refused the offer and endured further torture.

Faith of My Fathers is theennobling story of the lessons John McCain III learned from his own experiences, at the Naval Academy and at war, and from the lasting example of his father and grandfather. "What balance I have achieved, " he writes, "is a gift from them."