ONE GREAT BOOK

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	• The Nightingale's Song Robert Timberg Free Press, 1996 - 544 pages average customer review:based on 65 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Excellent book

The author's thesis about the connections between the Vietnam experience, the overall substance and process of policy-making in the Reagan administration, and the Iran-Contra affair is well-supported and compelling. As someone who was born during Vietnam and who watched the Iran- Contra hearings on TV during high school, the book did me a great service by suggesting a connection between these two experiences that was not obvious from learning about each of them in isolation. The biographies of the five key figures in the book are fascinating in and of themselves, quite apart from their role in advancing and supporting the author's main argument. The material on McCain is especially interesting, particularly in light of his current bid for the presidency. The author gives a gripping account of McCain's extraordinary heroism and sacrifice, but stops well short of uncritical hero-worship, portraying McCain's flaws and mistakes as well. I disagree with the previous reviewer who thought that Reagan and North didn't get a fair shake in the book. The book's criticisms of both men were supported by ample evidence and in my opinion were on-target. The treatment of North in particular was actually quite balanced -- the author tells us an awful lot about how truly impressive North was in many respects. The author doesn't have a whole lot good to say about Reagan, but that seems to be because there's really not a whole lot good to say about Reagan's role in these events. I don't take the book to mean that there was nothing at all redeeming or successful about the Reagan presidency in other respects. Overall, a great book, well worth reading. Prospective readers should be advised that, for all the different things that this book does, the book actually does not provide a particularly detailed, crisp, or organized account or timeline of the actual events comprising the Iran-Contra affair. Thus, some readers may benefit by refreshing their memories as to these details before starting the book.

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Very Good Book

Very well researched, well written, all interesting characters. I would recommend this book for background about Iran-Contra, the Reagan Presidency, the career of John McCain, and life in the Naval Academy.

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recent history

War heros, and a real look at the Reagon Whitehouse. This was a real look at he people who were participators,staff and policy makers during the Reagon years.

ONE GREAT BOOK

I read this book about these five men because I wanted to read more about the life of John McCain. What I didn't expect but received was an education about the Viet Nam War and about the legacy of war in the life of a young man. It was very interesting to learn about what the Naval Academy is like, from an insider's view. This book is tremendous. For those of us who grew up with faint memories of the War being shown on TV, this is a thorough and objective assessment of what went wrong. It also keenly showns that war leaves scars that never go away and often reveal themselves in how one conducts themselves throughout their life. I walked away a better person with enormous respect for those who fought in this war. I also must say that while John McCain clearly is a man for whom the word hero is an understatement, Jim Webb is an unsung hero. This man has done much for the Viet Nam Vets of which the average Joe is unaware. He too is a hero. Great read, and this comes from a woman in her late 30's who is not a history buff, but just wanted to learn.

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reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, page 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

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recommendations

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Sarah's Bookshelf

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