A Leader Born: The Life of Admiral John Sidney McCain, Pacific

A Leader Born: The Life of Admiral John Sidney McCain, Pacific Carrier Commander
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John S. â‚¬ËœSlewâ‚¬ McCain was an oldâ‚¬â€œschool sailor. Wiry, profane, a cusser and a gambler, he reminded more than one observer of â‚¬ËœPopeye.â‚¬ He was also a pioneer in the hardâ‚¬â€œhitting naval tactics that brought Imperial Japan to its knees.

McCain graduated from Annapolis in 1906 and served aboard an armored cruiser in World War I. Espying the future of naval warfare, he earned his aviation wings in 1936 and by 1939 was commander of the aircraft carrier, USS Ranger. He was thus well placed to provide a leading role in Americaâ‚¬s cut and thrust war with the Japanese across the broad expanses of the Pacific. In 1942 he was made commander of all landâ‚¬â€œbased aircraft during the campaign for Guadalcanal. Though he took his share of blame for the disaster at Savo Island, he counterattacked with every means at his disposal, to the point of commandeering the planes of the crippled carriers Enterprise and Saratoga to reinforce U.S. strength on Henderson Field.

Throughout the war, McCain prioritized fighters and singleâ‚¬â€œseat diveâ‚¬â€œbombers as the best weapons to directly attack the enemy. By the time the U.S. returned to the Philippines, McCain was leading a fast carrier task force under William â‚¬ËœBullâ‚¬ Halsey. When asked what he thought about his carrier commander, Halsey replied,â‚¬Å“Not much more than my right arm.â‚¬Â

At the Philippines, Okinawa, and finally up to the very coastline of Japan, McCainâ‚¬s carrier group destroyed thousands of enemy planes and hundreds of ships with aggressive, swarming tactics. When the Empire formally surrendered on the battleship Missouri, McCain was in the first row of U.S. officers looking on.

After Japan surrendered on September 2, 1945, McCain flew back to his home in the U.S., and died in his bed the next dayâ‚¬"perhaps from heart failure but more probably from exhaustion. His name has lived on, however, through his son, John S. McCain II, who became commander of U.S. naval forces in the Pacific, 1968â‚¬â€œ72 (the first father and son fourâ‚¬â€œstar admirals in U.S. history), and his grandson, John S. McCain III, a carrier pilot who became the one of the longest held U.S. POW during the Vietnam War and currently serves as a U.S. Senator from Arizona.

Drawing upon a wealth of primary sources, including information provided by the McCain family, as well as an expert grasp of the titanic battles waged by the U.S. armed forces in the Pacific, Alton Keith Gilbert has provided the fullest account of the first Admiral John McCainâ‚¬s life yet written. An unconventional leader, Slew McCainâ‚¬s career was marked by courage and innovation, as he emerged from World War II as one of Americaâ‚¬s greatest combat leaders.

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Country USA
Brand Casemate
Manufacturer Casemate
Binding Hardcover
ItemPartNumber 1932033505_Good
UnitCount 1
EANs 9781932033502
ReleaseDate 0000-00-00

Country	USA
Brand	Casemate
Manufacturer	Casemate
Binding	Hardcover
ItemPartNumber	1932033505_Good
UnitCount	1
EANs	9781932033502
ReleaseDate	0000-00-00

A Leader Born: The Life of Admiral John Sidney McCain, Pacific Carrier Commander

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