The Nightingale's Song | Robert Timberg | This is an important book

The Nightingale's Song | Robert Timberg | More timely than ever

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The Nightingale's ...

	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

Robert Timberg weaves together the lives of Annapolis graduates John McCain, James Webb, Oliver North, Robert McFarlane, and John Poindexter to reveal how the Vietnam War continues to haunt America. Casting all five men as metaphors for a legion of well-meaning if ill-starred warriors, Timberg probes the fault line between those who fought the war and those who used money, wit, and connections to avoid battle. A riveting tale that illuminates the flip side of the fabled Vietnam generation -- those who went.

This is an important book

The "Nightingales's Song" is a remarkable story. I know three of the five characters, (McCain, McFarlane, and Webb), and truly admire them all. This book is a great piece of reporting, and is more relevant today than it was when it was first published. Admiral Jim Stavridis, still on the front lines of history, and a wonderful writer as well, said this book is a, "Greek tragedy," and is, "no more about Iran-Contra than 'Moby Dick' is about whaling." David Mamet who recommended this story to me and I both agree.

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More timely than ever

This was an amazing book when it was written a few years ago, and is now more timely than ever. It follows the careers of five Naval Academy graduates, all of whom gained some measure of fame--Oliver North, Jim Webb (now US Senator from VA) John Poindexter and "Sparky" McFarlane, both of whom served Ronald Reagan, and JOHN MCCAIN, who certainly was a wild man, by any standard, in his younger years. Beautifully written by another Naval Academy graduate who was severely wounded in Vietnam.

Still Interesting Today...

This book was important when it was published and remains so today. It describes in detail key members of the Reagan administration and other prominent political figures. Some remain active today, e. g. John McCain, James Webb, Oliver North. Most interesting figure, in my opinion, was Admiral Poindexter. He was a brilliant man with a Ph. D. but commanded at sea and was apparently respected and liked by the sailors. In my opinion, it may be unusual for a CalTech PH. D. to be a down-to-earth commander of troops.

Lots of detail; well-researched; very interesting book.

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must read if you can remember watching the iran contra hearings on TV

amazing must read book.

first the writing is simply beautiful, from the choice of words, to hidden humor and subtle points to the really big ideas that make a life ruined by reading well worthwhile.

second, i have no idea what genre this book falls into. it is unique.
it is the well researched story of 5 men's lives, those most effected by the iran contra hearings. from the day they entered the US Naval Academy to the time of the hearings.

the hearings are just a chapter or so at the very end. it is how they got to where they were and even more importantly --who they are and what they had learned during their time in government service that makes the books both a pleasure for the eye and for the mind. it is very good history with a high level analysis of what is good about these men and what is bad and how choosing each path is important, in these cases not only for the men involved but for the country they serviced.

thanks to the author for a very pleasant and rewarding day spent reading...

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Nightengale Really Sings

I thoroughly enjoyed this book's insights into these prominent graduates of the U. S. Naval Academy. I gained in-depth information about the subjects which I never saw covered in any other publication.

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

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