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The Nightingale's Song
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.
544 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
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February 5, 2009
Timberg, an Annapolis graduate and Vietnam veteran, was struck by some odd similarities, as he watched Oliver North, John Poindexter, and others happily lie to Congress (North still brags about it even though when Clinton did it, lying became less fashionable – maybe it’s only OK to lie if you are in uniform).
By now a journalist, Timberg wondered if the Iran-Contra scandal did not represent one of the long-term effects of the Vietnam War. He researched the careers of John McCain, Robert “Bud” McFarlane, James Webb, Ollie North, and John Poindexter to investigate whether the Naval Academy culture and the impact of Vietnam might have influenced their lives in such a way as to lay the groundwork for political maneuvering in later years.
This is a brilliant work that seamlessly melds together the biographies of these five men, drawing out the influences and implications of events that helped to shape later decisions. Intriguing detail is vital to the story he is telling. One interesting tidbit occurred in 1958 when “Bud” McFarlane was on a training mission on the carrier Essex. The ship was ordered to quickly leave its Italian port and sail to Lebanon where the Marines would be landed in support of the president. He watched mystified as Navy Skyraiders (older propeller-driven aircraft) were loaded with atomic weapons. When he inquired why the jets on board were not being readied with more conventional bombs, he was told that the Skyraiders were the only planes available with the range to reach the Soviet Union, and they were making preparations in case the Soviets made a move into Berlin in retaliation for the Marine landing in Beirut. This was heady stuff for the new midshipman who now realized it was no longer a game. Fortunately the Soviets showed restraint.
Poindexter was a methodical, orderly man, naïve in many ways. After graduation from the Academy, he was on a game show just before the Van Doren scandals, and he realized the show had been rigged in his favor to win. He lost only by a fluke. He applied to Cal Tech as part of the Arleigh Burke Scholar program to earn a Ph.D. in nuclear physics. Admitted provisionally because of his deficiencies in math, he collected all the books he needed to learn the math he needed, a stack over three feet high, placed them in order of difficulty and proceeded to work his way through them in order to learn what he needed to know. Had he taken the same approach later when he arrived in government deficient in American civics past the high school level, he might have had a better understanding of the give-and-take required of political leaders. He also trusted his subordinates implicitly, assuming they had been properly trained and indoctrinated. This would come back to haunt him later.
McFarlane revealed in 1994 that, on orders from Kissinger, he passed on highly sensitive intelligence information about the Soviets to the Chinese. In return, the Chinese let us have listening posts close to the Russian border. Presumably the Russians knew of this exchange, which had to cause “enormous ambiguity” (McFarlane’s phrase) in the minds of the Kremlin leaders, making them even more paranoid having to face two world powers rather than just one.
Webb left Vietnam a certifiable hero, having been wounded so severely that he was forced to leave the Marines. Of the five, he had the most combat experience. He also left with the realization that civilians fight wars. Professionals hold terrain until wars begin and civilians can be mustered. He noticed in Vietnam that only certain classes of civilians were fighting, unlike previous wars. If you were rich or connected you didn’t have to go. His book Fields of Fire is still considered a classic of Vietnam war literature.
Timberg’s book is filled with interesting detail about the political machinations that go into judgments that affect all of our lives. In 1983, following the terrorist attack that killed more than two hundred Marines in Lebanon, Reagan was furious. He was just about to invade Grenada, so the U.S. reaction was postponed. Unfortunately, the signals Reagan gave to his advisors were unclear at best. Initially, the French were to participate. They had lost several soldiers in a terrorist attack the same day. At a meeting on November 14 attended by McFarlane and Caspar Weinberger, the two advisors left with very different versions of what they heard. McFarlane was positive that Reagan had been adamant in ordering a retaliatory strike on the Syrians. Weinberger, then Secretary of Defense, flatly denied that Reagan had ever given an order to attack. Weinberger had worked with Reagan much longer than McFarlane, and while he would never have disobeyed a direct order, he “was adept at recognizing or creating wiggle room in presidential pronouncements, especially those he viewed as unwise.” The authors of Best Laid Plans, an analysis of the Lebanon debacle, laid the blame on Reagan: “It was not unusual for two of the President’s closest advisors to come out of a meeting with completely different impressions of what Reagan had decided. Although he projected an image of a strong leader, Ronald Reagan frequently relied on ambiguity to resolve — or bury — the conflicts within his administration. Never one to master the intricacies of a problem, he was dependent upon his advisors to tell him not only the facts but also what they meant. When his advisors gave him conflicting opinions, and the time came for him to make a complex and truly difficult decision that only the President could make, he frequently failed. The President’s involvement in foreign affairs was episodic, anecdotal, impulsive, and rarely decisive. It was no wonder that the staff of the National Security Council later concluded that the best way to serve Reagan was to do the job for him.”
The result was a completely botched raid that killed no enemy but destroyed several American planes. It was rushed and the pilots were not adequately briefed. One captured pilot of a downed plane was released finally to Jesse Jackson, which led Secretary of the Navy John Lehman to remark that they should modify aviators’ survival packs to include a “roll of quarters and Jackson’s phone number.”
The Iran-Contra affair was a mess. Timberg suggests that what they needed was not a McFarlane, North, or Poindexter, who were too eager to follow orders and then lie about the result, but someone like Navy captain Al Krechich. He was Fleet Chief of Staff, when the Navy was trying to test a new missile in the Pacific. They were being harassed by Greepeace. The Greenpeacers would buzz around the test area in fast little Zodiac boats. The staff meeting held to decide what to do began to discuss rather severe methods such as shooting at them with real ammunition. Krechich simply said, “We’re not going to do anything stupid here, are we?” After all, the idea was just to test a missile, not start a war with Greenpeace. His innovative solution was to bombard the Greenpeace boats with balloons and condoms filled with laundry detergent. Their rubber craft became so slippery, the operators had difficulty standing up to control the boats. One lucky hit went down the stack of the mother ship, effectively disabling her engine.
The book is filled with similar amusing and instructive anecdotes that effectively tell of the legacy that Vietnam had on several of her authentic heroes and our government.
As to the question of whether Reagan was informed or knew about the whole affair, perhaps Robert McFarlane’s comment is the most accurate. “Reagan would have taken that knowledge and would have said, ‘Great! Gee, that’s terrific,’ And with the attention of a fruit fly, it would have been out of his mind in about thirty seconds.”
By now a journalist, Timberg wondered if the Iran-Contra scandal did not represent one of the long-term effects of the Vietnam War. He researched the careers of John McCain, Robert “Bud” McFarlane, James Webb, Ollie North, and John Poindexter to investigate whether the Naval Academy culture and the impact of Vietnam might have influenced their lives in such a way as to lay the groundwork for political maneuvering in later years.
This is a brilliant work that seamlessly melds together the biographies of these five men, drawing out the influences and implications of events that helped to shape later decisions. Intriguing detail is vital to the story he is telling. One interesting tidbit occurred in 1958 when “Bud” McFarlane was on a training mission on the carrier Essex. The ship was ordered to quickly leave its Italian port and sail to Lebanon where the Marines would be landed in support of the president. He watched mystified as Navy Skyraiders (older propeller-driven aircraft) were loaded with atomic weapons. When he inquired why the jets on board were not being readied with more conventional bombs, he was told that the Skyraiders were the only planes available with the range to reach the Soviet Union, and they were making preparations in case the Soviets made a move into Berlin in retaliation for the Marine landing in Beirut. This was heady stuff for the new midshipman who now realized it was no longer a game. Fortunately the Soviets showed restraint.
Poindexter was a methodical, orderly man, naïve in many ways. After graduation from the Academy, he was on a game show just before the Van Doren scandals, and he realized the show had been rigged in his favor to win. He lost only by a fluke. He applied to Cal Tech as part of the Arleigh Burke Scholar program to earn a Ph.D. in nuclear physics. Admitted provisionally because of his deficiencies in math, he collected all the books he needed to learn the math he needed, a stack over three feet high, placed them in order of difficulty and proceeded to work his way through them in order to learn what he needed to know. Had he taken the same approach later when he arrived in government deficient in American civics past the high school level, he might have had a better understanding of the give-and-take required of political leaders. He also trusted his subordinates implicitly, assuming they had been properly trained and indoctrinated. This would come back to haunt him later.
McFarlane revealed in 1994 that, on orders from Kissinger, he passed on highly sensitive intelligence information about the Soviets to the Chinese. In return, the Chinese let us have listening posts close to the Russian border. Presumably the Russians knew of this exchange, which had to cause “enormous ambiguity” (McFarlane’s phrase) in the minds of the Kremlin leaders, making them even more paranoid having to face two world powers rather than just one.
Webb left Vietnam a certifiable hero, having been wounded so severely that he was forced to leave the Marines. Of the five, he had the most combat experience. He also left with the realization that civilians fight wars. Professionals hold terrain until wars begin and civilians can be mustered. He noticed in Vietnam that only certain classes of civilians were fighting, unlike previous wars. If you were rich or connected you didn’t have to go. His book Fields of Fire is still considered a classic of Vietnam war literature.
Timberg’s book is filled with interesting detail about the political machinations that go into judgments that affect all of our lives. In 1983, following the terrorist attack that killed more than two hundred Marines in Lebanon, Reagan was furious. He was just about to invade Grenada, so the U.S. reaction was postponed. Unfortunately, the signals Reagan gave to his advisors were unclear at best. Initially, the French were to participate. They had lost several soldiers in a terrorist attack the same day. At a meeting on November 14 attended by McFarlane and Caspar Weinberger, the two advisors left with very different versions of what they heard. McFarlane was positive that Reagan had been adamant in ordering a retaliatory strike on the Syrians. Weinberger, then Secretary of Defense, flatly denied that Reagan had ever given an order to attack. Weinberger had worked with Reagan much longer than McFarlane, and while he would never have disobeyed a direct order, he “was adept at recognizing or creating wiggle room in presidential pronouncements, especially those he viewed as unwise.” The authors of Best Laid Plans, an analysis of the Lebanon debacle, laid the blame on Reagan: “It was not unusual for two of the President’s closest advisors to come out of a meeting with completely different impressions of what Reagan had decided. Although he projected an image of a strong leader, Ronald Reagan frequently relied on ambiguity to resolve — or bury — the conflicts within his administration. Never one to master the intricacies of a problem, he was dependent upon his advisors to tell him not only the facts but also what they meant. When his advisors gave him conflicting opinions, and the time came for him to make a complex and truly difficult decision that only the President could make, he frequently failed. The President’s involvement in foreign affairs was episodic, anecdotal, impulsive, and rarely decisive. It was no wonder that the staff of the National Security Council later concluded that the best way to serve Reagan was to do the job for him.”
The result was a completely botched raid that killed no enemy but destroyed several American planes. It was rushed and the pilots were not adequately briefed. One captured pilot of a downed plane was released finally to Jesse Jackson, which led Secretary of the Navy John Lehman to remark that they should modify aviators’ survival packs to include a “roll of quarters and Jackson’s phone number.”
The Iran-Contra affair was a mess. Timberg suggests that what they needed was not a McFarlane, North, or Poindexter, who were too eager to follow orders and then lie about the result, but someone like Navy captain Al Krechich. He was Fleet Chief of Staff, when the Navy was trying to test a new missile in the Pacific. They were being harassed by Greepeace. The Greenpeacers would buzz around the test area in fast little Zodiac boats. The staff meeting held to decide what to do began to discuss rather severe methods such as shooting at them with real ammunition. Krechich simply said, “We’re not going to do anything stupid here, are we?” After all, the idea was just to test a missile, not start a war with Greenpeace. His innovative solution was to bombard the Greenpeace boats with balloons and condoms filled with laundry detergent. Their rubber craft became so slippery, the operators had difficulty standing up to control the boats. One lucky hit went down the stack of the mother ship, effectively disabling her engine.
The book is filled with similar amusing and instructive anecdotes that effectively tell of the legacy that Vietnam had on several of her authentic heroes and our government.
As to the question of whether Reagan was informed or knew about the whole affair, perhaps Robert McFarlane’s comment is the most accurate. “Reagan would have taken that knowledge and would have said, ‘Great! Gee, that’s terrific,’ And with the attention of a fruit fly, it would have been out of his mind in about thirty seconds.”
March 26, 2019
Once upon a time there was a President of the United States who knew he didn’t like communism, but the rest of foreign policy was like a black box to him. He also sort of trusted around him men in uniform, so he brought them into his Cabinet room aplenty.
Of course, Congress didn’t always agree with the President and it expressly forbade him from financing terrorists....Ooops!...I meant to say Freedom Fighters working to upend a democratically-elected leftist regime in Central America.
The President let it slip to his uniformed advisors that he would be awfully unhappy if his Freedom Fighters failed in their mission to free the people, so his advisors took the initiative. They circumvented Congress and financed the Freedom Fighters with profits from selling arms to Iran, in those days, much like today, deadly opponents of the United States of America and under an arms embargo.
You could have expected from this episode — known widely as the Iran-Contra affair — that Congress would have taken action and impeached the President. After all, it was his employees who screwed up. The President told the people of the United States he knew nothing about the elicit arms sales or the siphoning off of profits to support the Contras.
Congress believed the President and sent his advisors...at least one of them...to prison instead.
This book is largely about the advisors, some good, some not so good, who graduated through the ranks of the Navy and Marines, part of a generation of soldiers who fought in Vietnam, a war most Americans believe they should never have fought. It argues that Ronald Reagan — a President who relied on his wife’s astrologer as well as sailors and Marines for advice — helped the Vietnam-era of soldiers recover their self-respect and that was one of the reasons his advisors got out of line. Because they saw a battle they could win and thought the boss would approve.
But one could take other lessons from this tale.
Nothing upsets the President more than pushback from Congress. There are days — more than few I would guess — when Presidents wish they had absolute power. Having soldiers work for them who are trained to take the mission to heart without questioning the motives is a sore reminder of why soldiers aren’t always the best people to have in the West Wing.
On the other hand, war is an awful thing. If you haven’t been there watching your friends being blown to smithereens by a booby-trapped ammo box or trip line, you never quite get why war should be avoided at all costs, or almost all costs. And hate is contagious. Soldiers can tell you what that means. In real time.
Of course, Congress didn’t always agree with the President and it expressly forbade him from financing terrorists....Ooops!...I meant to say Freedom Fighters working to upend a democratically-elected leftist regime in Central America.
The President let it slip to his uniformed advisors that he would be awfully unhappy if his Freedom Fighters failed in their mission to free the people, so his advisors took the initiative. They circumvented Congress and financed the Freedom Fighters with profits from selling arms to Iran, in those days, much like today, deadly opponents of the United States of America and under an arms embargo.
You could have expected from this episode — known widely as the Iran-Contra affair — that Congress would have taken action and impeached the President. After all, it was his employees who screwed up. The President told the people of the United States he knew nothing about the elicit arms sales or the siphoning off of profits to support the Contras.
Congress believed the President and sent his advisors...at least one of them...to prison instead.
This book is largely about the advisors, some good, some not so good, who graduated through the ranks of the Navy and Marines, part of a generation of soldiers who fought in Vietnam, a war most Americans believe they should never have fought. It argues that Ronald Reagan — a President who relied on his wife’s astrologer as well as sailors and Marines for advice — helped the Vietnam-era of soldiers recover their self-respect and that was one of the reasons his advisors got out of line. Because they saw a battle they could win and thought the boss would approve.
But one could take other lessons from this tale.
Nothing upsets the President more than pushback from Congress. There are days — more than few I would guess — when Presidents wish they had absolute power. Having soldiers work for them who are trained to take the mission to heart without questioning the motives is a sore reminder of why soldiers aren’t always the best people to have in the West Wing.
On the other hand, war is an awful thing. If you haven’t been there watching your friends being blown to smithereens by a booby-trapped ammo box or trip line, you never quite get why war should be avoided at all costs, or almost all costs. And hate is contagious. Soldiers can tell you what that means. In real time.
December 20, 2011
The intriguing title is explained this way, "Did you know that a nightingale will never sing its song if it doesn't hear it first? If it hears robins or wrens ... it will never croak a note. But the moment it hears any part of a nightingales song, it bursts into this extraordinary music, sophisticate, elaborate music, as though it had known it all along ..." (p16)
With that the author, Timberg, launches into a complex narrative following 5 men who graduated from the US Naval Academy in the 1960s, all served in military roles during the Vietnam War, and various American entanglements in the 15 years following, and all finding themselves in positions of power in and out of the White House during the Reagan administration.
Three of the men were involved in the Iran-Contra "scandal" where money collected from Iran in exchange for arms (and also meant to release various hostages being held by Iran and its proxies), ended up funding Nicaraguan rebels.
The author weaves the social and personal aftermath of the Vietnam War through the diplomatic and policy decisions in the two decades following with these men as influential characters.
Who are they? James Webb, a writer and briefly the Secretary of the Navy; Robert McFarlane,the US national security advisor; John Poindexter, a succeeding national security advisor, Oliver North - an aide to the national security team; and John McCain - the famous prisoner in Hanoi, Senator, and 2008 republican nominee for the US Presidency.
Timberg considers Ronald Reagan the nightingale - the one who sings the song of patriotism and American uniqueness that each of the others responds to.
A fascinating, sobering book that links events to lifelong character and perspective, which in turn influences policy and tactics of a world superpower.
With that the author, Timberg, launches into a complex narrative following 5 men who graduated from the US Naval Academy in the 1960s, all served in military roles during the Vietnam War, and various American entanglements in the 15 years following, and all finding themselves in positions of power in and out of the White House during the Reagan administration.
Three of the men were involved in the Iran-Contra "scandal" where money collected from Iran in exchange for arms (and also meant to release various hostages being held by Iran and its proxies), ended up funding Nicaraguan rebels.
The author weaves the social and personal aftermath of the Vietnam War through the diplomatic and policy decisions in the two decades following with these men as influential characters.
Who are they? James Webb, a writer and briefly the Secretary of the Navy; Robert McFarlane,the US national security advisor; John Poindexter, a succeeding national security advisor, Oliver North - an aide to the national security team; and John McCain - the famous prisoner in Hanoi, Senator, and 2008 republican nominee for the US Presidency.
Timberg considers Ronald Reagan the nightingale - the one who sings the song of patriotism and American uniqueness that each of the others responds to.
A fascinating, sobering book that links events to lifelong character and perspective, which in turn influences policy and tactics of a world superpower.
February 18, 2019
Great portrait of 5 classic American POS ratf*ckers who were in the same graduating class at Annapolis. Know your enemy.
February 24, 2015
Finally finished this book! I really liked it - but it took awhile to get through. At times it becomes a recital of facts that take a lot of concentration to follow and internalize. This book aims to help the reader understand the Iran Contra Affair. Timberg believes that you cannot understand the scandal if you don't understand the principals, and most of the book is about the lives of the principal players. I loved learning more about John McCain (friend of those involved and on the Senate hearing panel).
I actually picked it up because my Dad had recommended it to me as a good way to learn about life at a service academy. McCain, Poindexter, North and McFarlane are all Naval Academy graduates, and Timberg spends about the first half or third of the book talking about their life at the Academy. I kept reading it because it was fascinating to learn a little bit more about recent history. Despite some unfortunate choices later in their careers, Poindexter and McFarlane were amazing men who served our country unflinchingly over decades. We all have a huge debt owed to many amazing men and women who work tirelessly to make our country great. Occasionally these people make mistakes, but at least in the case of these men, I don't believe the events of the Iran Contra scandal were sinister and in the end, these men have contributed more than detracted from our country and the world. I did not feel the same respect for North. While he made great contributions, he had deeply flawed character that became public through the course of the scandal.
Favorite quotes: "Speaking under a steady rain and leaden skies, Reagan quoted philosopher John Stuart Mill: 'War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The ugliest is that man who thinks nothing is worth fighting and dying for and lets men better and braver than himself protect him.'"
Another quote from Reagan, "Your countrymen have faith in you and expect you to make decisions. The issues will not be black and white; otherwise there would be no decision to make. Do not be afraid to admit and consider your doubts, but don't be paralyzed by them. Be brave. Make your judgment and then move forward with confidence, knowing that although there's never one hundred percent certainty, you have honestly chosen what you believe to be...the right course."
Finally, "What’s important, of course, is what he did, or tried to do. Oliver North tried to bring home six Americans who had been held hostage in Lebanon for periods ranging from several months to several years. At times he showed great resourcefulness, at other times he stumbled badly. Wearing his other hat, he attempted to keep a guerrilla army that was largely a creation of the United States in the field, which meant ensuring that they had beans, boots, Band-Aids, and bullets. Along the way he lied to Congress and may well have defied it, depending on how Boland II is interpreted. He also shredded documents, purportedly to protect the operation and those he felt would be in mortal danger if their involvement became known publicly. One suspects there was an element of self-protection involved as well. Equally important is what he did not do. He did not gas Jews. Not even close. Anyone who does not understand the distinction is a fool. As for those who know the difference and persist in comparing North to a Nazi, one wonders what lies beneath such bluster and rhetorical overkill. Many, one suspects, are running scared, hoping to avoid a long overdue showdown with a part of themselves purposely and deservedly obscured for decades. Something about which they would just as soon not have to answer tasteless questions."
I actually picked it up because my Dad had recommended it to me as a good way to learn about life at a service academy. McCain, Poindexter, North and McFarlane are all Naval Academy graduates, and Timberg spends about the first half or third of the book talking about their life at the Academy. I kept reading it because it was fascinating to learn a little bit more about recent history. Despite some unfortunate choices later in their careers, Poindexter and McFarlane were amazing men who served our country unflinchingly over decades. We all have a huge debt owed to many amazing men and women who work tirelessly to make our country great. Occasionally these people make mistakes, but at least in the case of these men, I don't believe the events of the Iran Contra scandal were sinister and in the end, these men have contributed more than detracted from our country and the world. I did not feel the same respect for North. While he made great contributions, he had deeply flawed character that became public through the course of the scandal.
Favorite quotes: "Speaking under a steady rain and leaden skies, Reagan quoted philosopher John Stuart Mill: 'War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The ugliest is that man who thinks nothing is worth fighting and dying for and lets men better and braver than himself protect him.'"
Another quote from Reagan, "Your countrymen have faith in you and expect you to make decisions. The issues will not be black and white; otherwise there would be no decision to make. Do not be afraid to admit and consider your doubts, but don't be paralyzed by them. Be brave. Make your judgment and then move forward with confidence, knowing that although there's never one hundred percent certainty, you have honestly chosen what you believe to be...the right course."
Finally, "What’s important, of course, is what he did, or tried to do. Oliver North tried to bring home six Americans who had been held hostage in Lebanon for periods ranging from several months to several years. At times he showed great resourcefulness, at other times he stumbled badly. Wearing his other hat, he attempted to keep a guerrilla army that was largely a creation of the United States in the field, which meant ensuring that they had beans, boots, Band-Aids, and bullets. Along the way he lied to Congress and may well have defied it, depending on how Boland II is interpreted. He also shredded documents, purportedly to protect the operation and those he felt would be in mortal danger if their involvement became known publicly. One suspects there was an element of self-protection involved as well. Equally important is what he did not do. He did not gas Jews. Not even close. Anyone who does not understand the distinction is a fool. As for those who know the difference and persist in comparing North to a Nazi, one wonders what lies beneath such bluster and rhetorical overkill. Many, one suspects, are running scared, hoping to avoid a long overdue showdown with a part of themselves purposely and deservedly obscured for decades. Something about which they would just as soon not have to answer tasteless questions."
September 11, 2018
I think I picked up this book on the death of John McCain, one of the men profiled extensively in this account of the Vietnam war and the Iran Contra affair. It's really well written, if something of a hagiography of a certain type of military man who, ideally, will be a cross between Einstein, Casanova, Lord Byron, Joe DiMaggio, Chuck Jaeger and George Clooney. Put it this way, Donald Trump wouldn't cut it. Neither would Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W., Jimmy Carter, Nixon and the rest. It verges on the ridiculous that men of even half the calibre portrayed here end up reporting into a risible Commander in Chief, but that's the fate of many.
I've read a few accounts of the Vietnam war and this is up there with the best of them in terms of describing the visceral reality of battle. Entertainment it's not, leaving you wondering how lucky you are never having had to serve in wartime. But, as the book underlines in one of its most hard-hitting points, sixteen million - sixteen million - American men dodged the draft while the Vietnam war raged on. Needless to say, they were mostly white, educated, middle class young men and I dare say I might well have been one of them if I'd been in that time and place, so how can I comment? I tell myself that WW2 was different, with a madman's army across the channel - surely I'd have signed up for that? Whereas Vietnam became a political, shameful mess, all the worse for wasting the lives of many men like those portrayed here who never made it home.
The book follows the lives and careers of five Annapolis men and how they interface as they move toward the White House. The moral of the story seems to be that true men of honour die in the swamp of Washington where only the political flourish. That, however, makes these men seem naive and, by their actions and the positions of power they reached, they seem to be anything but. As the book progressed, I began to feel that these Annapolis men were a lot more calculating and bigger risk takers than the author allows. It's an entertaining and interesting read, if a little bit too long, but I was glad I'd persevered and reached the end of the Nightingale's Song.
I've read a few accounts of the Vietnam war and this is up there with the best of them in terms of describing the visceral reality of battle. Entertainment it's not, leaving you wondering how lucky you are never having had to serve in wartime. But, as the book underlines in one of its most hard-hitting points, sixteen million - sixteen million - American men dodged the draft while the Vietnam war raged on. Needless to say, they were mostly white, educated, middle class young men and I dare say I might well have been one of them if I'd been in that time and place, so how can I comment? I tell myself that WW2 was different, with a madman's army across the channel - surely I'd have signed up for that? Whereas Vietnam became a political, shameful mess, all the worse for wasting the lives of many men like those portrayed here who never made it home.
The book follows the lives and careers of five Annapolis men and how they interface as they move toward the White House. The moral of the story seems to be that true men of honour die in the swamp of Washington where only the political flourish. That, however, makes these men seem naive and, by their actions and the positions of power they reached, they seem to be anything but. As the book progressed, I began to feel that these Annapolis men were a lot more calculating and bigger risk takers than the author allows. It's an entertaining and interesting read, if a little bit too long, but I was glad I'd persevered and reached the end of the Nightingale's Song.
May 10, 2010
Five graduates of the Naval Academy, matriculating from 1958 to '68, are the focus of this book. The military engagement of the U.S. in Vietnam is explored primarily through the personal experiences of several of the marines and navy men, particularly John McCain and Jim Webb (who were not part of the later Iran-Contra scandal of the Reagan administration), with primary attention given to the way those experiences shaped their views of the world and their later actions as politicians and executive branch members on a national stage. The Iran-Contra scandal, in which Oliver North, John Poindexter and Bud McFarlane played central roles, is viewed by the author to have developed from the personal flaws of former Pres. Reagan and each of the academy graduates implicated, as well as the experiences of the Navy/Marines at the academy and in Vietnam. All in all, it seems to be a pretty balanced treatment of all characters named, neither completely condemning nor exonerating them for their actions as politicians and members of the executive branch.
August 27, 2008
Read it! I learned so much, my outlook on war and Cold War-era politics has changed significantly, or rather, broadened quite a bit.
I have one serious problem with it, and that is how Timberg deals with John McCain following the "Carpetbagger" chapter. He gives McCain a total pass for his role in the Keating Five scandal, despite the multiple stories in the Phoenix New Times proving that McCain was involved as deeply as anyone else named. If this book is only about the path from Annapolis to Iran-Contra, then don't include McCain at all. Otherwise, give him his lumps just like everyone else.
Other than that, the book is amazingly informative. I knew the barest facts about Iran-Contra, and hardly anything about Vietnam -- more as a concept than something concrete -- and so many gaps are filled in now.
I have one serious problem with it, and that is how Timberg deals with John McCain following the "Carpetbagger" chapter. He gives McCain a total pass for his role in the Keating Five scandal, despite the multiple stories in the Phoenix New Times proving that McCain was involved as deeply as anyone else named. If this book is only about the path from Annapolis to Iran-Contra, then don't include McCain at all. Otherwise, give him his lumps just like everyone else.
Other than that, the book is amazingly informative. I knew the barest facts about Iran-Contra, and hardly anything about Vietnam -- more as a concept than something concrete -- and so many gaps are filled in now.
July 22, 2009
For those of us who were casual political observers in the 1970s and 1980s, this book will help fill in lots of gaps. It's the story of five men who were prominent in those years, each a graduate of the Naval Academy in Annapolis. Three of the five - Oliver North, John Poindexter, Bud McFarlane - played important roles in the events of "The Iran-Contra Affair" which is described in detail. The other two, James Webb and John McCain, had fascinating military and political stories. McCain's story was particularly interesting, given his recent political prominence; his experience as a POW in Viet Nam is described in detail, but so are his infidelities and sexual escapades. The look behind the scenes at the Ronald Reagan presidency is not very positive. But I learned much from this book and appreciated the perspective.
October 2, 2015
This is a clear, concise account of the Iran-Contra Arms Deal from the point of view of the four Annapolis classmates and graduates who were key players. There is not a lot of political coloring or editorializing: just an account of these men, their thinking and beliefs that led them and our country into this mess. John McCain's involvement, although peripheral, helps to provide the depth of understanding of the times and events then current that colored thinking back in the 80s when this unfolded. The Iran-Contra hearings undertakings and investigation are a very small part of the book: this is a book about how we got there.
August 10, 2022
This book recounts the stories of John McCain, John Poindexter, Robert McFarlane, Oliver North, and Jim Webb: five imperfect men whose lives were shaped by their formative experiences at Annapolis and, sans Poindexter, in Vietnam. The war profoundly shaped their outlook and continued to affect them as they continued their service to the nation: as security advisers to the Reagan administration, a senator, and a secretary of the Navy.
The title is of the book is inspired by the legend that a nightingale can only sing if it first hears another nightingale. It is only then that it is able to form its own song. It was during their time in Vietnam that the inspiration for these five mens' songs was formed.
McFarlane was there from the beginning, going ashore in 1965 when conventional forces were first committed to Vietnam. He fought during the brutal combat of the Tet Offensive during his second tour, watching fellow Marines being torn to pieces around him while coordinating the fires from Marine artillery, strategic bombers, and the 16" guns from battleships. North and Webb were both infantry officers and served as rifle platoon commanders. Both saw combat and received decorations for valor--Webb even receiving the Navy Cross. McCain spent the most time in Vietnam. Shot down in 1967, he endured years of torture, malnourishment, and denial of medical treatment at the hands of the North Vietnamese until he was released in 1973.
After fighting, suffering wounds, and seeing their friends be killed around them, these men were profoundly affected by the fall of Saigon. Watching everything they'd fought and bled for be turned over to the communists drove them to despair and even caused North to have a brush with suicide. It was at this point that the nightingales songs were formed. All they needed was to hear another sing first.
For some of these men, the nightingale they heard was Ronald Reagan. During his 1976 campaign, he steadfastly maintained that Vietnam had been a just cause. We had committed our military to defend the South against communist aggression. America's youth had fought and died to uphold this commitment. It wasn't the military that lost the war, it was the civilian leadership in Washington. If we were to go to war again, we needed to clearly define what our purpose for fighting would be and commit to it. By 1980, he had simplified this notion into the phrase, "No more Vietnams."
Thus, the nightingales began to sing. Jim Webb's song began with the novel Fields of Fire. It recounted the story of a Marine rifle platoon commander's service in Vietnam, largely based on his own experiences, and sought to portray the war from the personal level. It unflinchingly showed the violent reality of life for those young men who were drafted to fight and die for a war they may not even have approved of. In 1983, Webb would go on to report on 1st Battalion 8th Marines during their time in Lebanon. The excerpt below clearly shows how his views and obvious concern for the fate of the Marines in Beirut were shaped by the Vietnam War.
"(Marine speaking)'I really wanna go home, but, when I leave, I wanna know that deep down in my heart that the four guys that died, they died for a good reason because something turned out good because of us being here.'
(Jim Webb speaking). There's a small irony in hearing the men of alpha one talk about their presence in Lebanon. The lowest private seems to understand the nature of the American commitment more clearly than many congressmen. In a way it made me feel deeply protective of these men. I and many of my fellow veterans from Vietnam still feel the pain of having made a greater commitment than the political process was willing to uphold. These men are trusting their very lives to the wisdom of our leaders. Our government's obligation to them, which was too frequently betrayed in Vietnam, is to proceed with a clarity of purpose that matches their own trust and commitment."
John McCain's song began as a dark horse congressional candidate from Arizona, then after winning his seat as a representative, as a senator. During his time in office, he voted against military action in Beirut due to his fears of the mission turning into another Vietnam-like situation.
For John Poindexter, Oliver North, and Robert McFarlane, their song included illegal and morally ambiguous involvement in the Iran-Contra scandal. Namely, organizing the sale of arms to Iran in order to free American hostages held by Iranian proxies, with North funneling some of the proceeds to support the Nicaraguan contras in violation of the Boland amendment prohibiting exactly that. While these three men would all be charged for their actions, congress later reversed its decision on Boland and reinstated aid to the Contras.
While their actions were illegal, Robert Timberg makes it plainly clear why these men acted the way they did. Seeing what had happened in Vietnam, they were not going to sit on the sidelines and wait for congress hem and haw while those who were counting on America's support were left waiting--both the Contras and the American hostages.
Of course, Webb and McCain were proven right about Beirut. After hundreds of Marines were killed, 1/8 withdrew and Lebanon's civil war continued unabated.
The title is of the book is inspired by the legend that a nightingale can only sing if it first hears another nightingale. It is only then that it is able to form its own song. It was during their time in Vietnam that the inspiration for these five mens' songs was formed.
McFarlane was there from the beginning, going ashore in 1965 when conventional forces were first committed to Vietnam. He fought during the brutal combat of the Tet Offensive during his second tour, watching fellow Marines being torn to pieces around him while coordinating the fires from Marine artillery, strategic bombers, and the 16" guns from battleships. North and Webb were both infantry officers and served as rifle platoon commanders. Both saw combat and received decorations for valor--Webb even receiving the Navy Cross. McCain spent the most time in Vietnam. Shot down in 1967, he endured years of torture, malnourishment, and denial of medical treatment at the hands of the North Vietnamese until he was released in 1973.
After fighting, suffering wounds, and seeing their friends be killed around them, these men were profoundly affected by the fall of Saigon. Watching everything they'd fought and bled for be turned over to the communists drove them to despair and even caused North to have a brush with suicide. It was at this point that the nightingales songs were formed. All they needed was to hear another sing first.
For some of these men, the nightingale they heard was Ronald Reagan. During his 1976 campaign, he steadfastly maintained that Vietnam had been a just cause. We had committed our military to defend the South against communist aggression. America's youth had fought and died to uphold this commitment. It wasn't the military that lost the war, it was the civilian leadership in Washington. If we were to go to war again, we needed to clearly define what our purpose for fighting would be and commit to it. By 1980, he had simplified this notion into the phrase, "No more Vietnams."
Thus, the nightingales began to sing. Jim Webb's song began with the novel Fields of Fire. It recounted the story of a Marine rifle platoon commander's service in Vietnam, largely based on his own experiences, and sought to portray the war from the personal level. It unflinchingly showed the violent reality of life for those young men who were drafted to fight and die for a war they may not even have approved of. In 1983, Webb would go on to report on 1st Battalion 8th Marines during their time in Lebanon. The excerpt below clearly shows how his views and obvious concern for the fate of the Marines in Beirut were shaped by the Vietnam War.
"(Marine speaking)'I really wanna go home, but, when I leave, I wanna know that deep down in my heart that the four guys that died, they died for a good reason because something turned out good because of us being here.'
(Jim Webb speaking). There's a small irony in hearing the men of alpha one talk about their presence in Lebanon. The lowest private seems to understand the nature of the American commitment more clearly than many congressmen. In a way it made me feel deeply protective of these men. I and many of my fellow veterans from Vietnam still feel the pain of having made a greater commitment than the political process was willing to uphold. These men are trusting their very lives to the wisdom of our leaders. Our government's obligation to them, which was too frequently betrayed in Vietnam, is to proceed with a clarity of purpose that matches their own trust and commitment."
John McCain's song began as a dark horse congressional candidate from Arizona, then after winning his seat as a representative, as a senator. During his time in office, he voted against military action in Beirut due to his fears of the mission turning into another Vietnam-like situation.
For John Poindexter, Oliver North, and Robert McFarlane, their song included illegal and morally ambiguous involvement in the Iran-Contra scandal. Namely, organizing the sale of arms to Iran in order to free American hostages held by Iranian proxies, with North funneling some of the proceeds to support the Nicaraguan contras in violation of the Boland amendment prohibiting exactly that. While these three men would all be charged for their actions, congress later reversed its decision on Boland and reinstated aid to the Contras.
While their actions were illegal, Robert Timberg makes it plainly clear why these men acted the way they did. Seeing what had happened in Vietnam, they were not going to sit on the sidelines and wait for congress hem and haw while those who were counting on America's support were left waiting--both the Contras and the American hostages.
Of course, Webb and McCain were proven right about Beirut. After hundreds of Marines were killed, 1/8 withdrew and Lebanon's civil war continued unabated.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2019
This book which was first published in 1995 has been on my TBR list for quite some time. Probably because it just got lost with so many other books. I have finally just read it in the Audible format with an assist from the kindle book which allowed me too leave quite a few paragraphs online.
My biggest complaint about this book is that for some reason I thought it was going to be about Iran-Contra from the mid-1980s and how that event was impacted by five individuals and their Vietnam experience. It turned out that only about 10% of this entire book was about that event. Almost the entire rest of the book was a biography of five men for a period of about 25 years. Not to say that that was not slightly interesting on occasion and also very interesting also occasionally.
The beginning of the book was a lot about life at the Naval Academy where all these guys spent some time. As an anti-military guy myself I found reading about that experience somewhat distressing and quite a bit of it I have read before without all the personal details that applied to these five particular Warriors. Guys who go to these military academies like to call themselves warriors.
The most distressing thing about the book was that it reminded me that all the guys convicted of Iran Contra crimes were eventually pardoned. It is hard to describe exactly the point of view of the author. I think he did try to Describe the characters in the book as others saw them and as they saw themselves. It was hard to tell if he thought warriors are gods gift to the USA. He definitely had some supportive and understanding things to say about them in reviewing their actions and struggles with life. On the other hand he was not at all kind to Mr. Reagan and his job as being the president. How he portray the political scene during that eight year presidency is not at all glowing. That was pretty definitely interesting. I was somewhat tuned out of national presidential politics in the 1980s being focused on my own adventures that decade so it was interesting to read a little bit about the behind the scenes politics of that era.
I had not known very much about the biographies of James Webb or John McCain who both became substantial politicians so that was a positive learning experience. But my ultimate criticism of this book is that you can’t write five biographies in one book. So I feel comfortable with my three stars as an acknowledgment that the author was not successful in undertaking his impossible task.
My biggest complaint about this book is that for some reason I thought it was going to be about Iran-Contra from the mid-1980s and how that event was impacted by five individuals and their Vietnam experience. It turned out that only about 10% of this entire book was about that event. Almost the entire rest of the book was a biography of five men for a period of about 25 years. Not to say that that was not slightly interesting on occasion and also very interesting also occasionally.
The beginning of the book was a lot about life at the Naval Academy where all these guys spent some time. As an anti-military guy myself I found reading about that experience somewhat distressing and quite a bit of it I have read before without all the personal details that applied to these five particular Warriors. Guys who go to these military academies like to call themselves warriors.
The most distressing thing about the book was that it reminded me that all the guys convicted of Iran Contra crimes were eventually pardoned. It is hard to describe exactly the point of view of the author. I think he did try to Describe the characters in the book as others saw them and as they saw themselves. It was hard to tell if he thought warriors are gods gift to the USA. He definitely had some supportive and understanding things to say about them in reviewing their actions and struggles with life. On the other hand he was not at all kind to Mr. Reagan and his job as being the president. How he portray the political scene during that eight year presidency is not at all glowing. That was pretty definitely interesting. I was somewhat tuned out of national presidential politics in the 1980s being focused on my own adventures that decade so it was interesting to read a little bit about the behind the scenes politics of that era.
I had not known very much about the biographies of James Webb or John McCain who both became substantial politicians so that was a positive learning experience. But my ultimate criticism of this book is that you can’t write five biographies in one book. So I feel comfortable with my three stars as an acknowledgment that the author was not successful in undertaking his impossible task.
December 3, 2023
Terrible book.
When a nightingale is born it will not sing unless it hears another nightingale. If it hears a whipperwill or chickadee sing it will not respond. But the moment it hears another nightingale sing it bursts out in sophisticated, elaborate music, as though it knew it all the time. The author chose the title because he felt that McFarlane, North, and Poinfexter in their pre-White Hose days were young nightingales. Then when Reagan spoke of Vietnam as a “noble cause”, they heard the song of another nightingale and responded with enthusiasm. This, the author believes, is what led to Iran-Contra.
I liked these Jim Webb quotes:
“With the admission of women, the Academy began scaling back Plebe indoctrination. Seeing a void, the academic departments had moved to fill it, quietly gaining the upper-hand in the age-old struggle between Athens and Sparta.”
“You might not pick this up in K street law offices or the halls of Congress, but once you enter areas of this country where more typical Americans dwell, the areas that provide the men who make up our combat units, it becomes obvious. Inside the truck-stops and in the honky-rinks, down on the street and in coal towns, American men are tough and violent. When they are lured or drafted from their homes and put through the dehumanization of Boot Camp, then thrown into an operating combat unit, they don’t get any nicer, either. And I have never met a woman, including the dozens of female Midshipmen I encountered during my recent semester as a professor at the Naval Academy, whom I would trust to provide those men with combat leadership.”
When a nightingale is born it will not sing unless it hears another nightingale. If it hears a whipperwill or chickadee sing it will not respond. But the moment it hears another nightingale sing it bursts out in sophisticated, elaborate music, as though it knew it all the time. The author chose the title because he felt that McFarlane, North, and Poinfexter in their pre-White Hose days were young nightingales. Then when Reagan spoke of Vietnam as a “noble cause”, they heard the song of another nightingale and responded with enthusiasm. This, the author believes, is what led to Iran-Contra.
I liked these Jim Webb quotes:
“With the admission of women, the Academy began scaling back Plebe indoctrination. Seeing a void, the academic departments had moved to fill it, quietly gaining the upper-hand in the age-old struggle between Athens and Sparta.”
“You might not pick this up in K street law offices or the halls of Congress, but once you enter areas of this country where more typical Americans dwell, the areas that provide the men who make up our combat units, it becomes obvious. Inside the truck-stops and in the honky-rinks, down on the street and in coal towns, American men are tough and violent. When they are lured or drafted from their homes and put through the dehumanization of Boot Camp, then thrown into an operating combat unit, they don’t get any nicer, either. And I have never met a woman, including the dozens of female Midshipmen I encountered during my recent semester as a professor at the Naval Academy, whom I would trust to provide those men with combat leadership.”
September 1, 2023
A fascinating book on something I was aware of at the time but which has kind of been forgotten in the mists of everything that has happened in American politics since. That something is the Iran-Contra scandal that rocked the end of Reagan's presidency. The author identifies five figures who were either in it up to their necks (Oliver North, Bud McFarlane, John Poindexter) or very definitely not in it but still able to provide some perspective (Jim Webb, John McCain). All five were of a similar age, ex-Navy or Marines, Annapolis graduates, and Vietnam vets. The author shows how these formative experiences fed into what they found themselves doing in that key period at the end of the 80s. Apparently nightingales don't sing unless they hear another one singing first (begging the question of which is the first nightingale to sing at all). Reagan, with his determination to restore American pride in the post-Vietnam, post-seventies, post-Carter era was the nightingale who sang and the others all responded.
The book was written in the 90s, so it didn't need much detail as to what actually happened in Iran-Contra. It was still fresh in readers' minds. Nearly thirty years later, it could perhaps do with a revised edition containing the extra information - not much is needed (and hey, there's always Wikipedia), but it would be invaluable.
The book was written in the 90s, so it didn't need much detail as to what actually happened in Iran-Contra. It was still fresh in readers' minds. Nearly thirty years later, it could perhaps do with a revised edition containing the extra information - not much is needed (and hey, there's always Wikipedia), but it would be invaluable.
December 30, 2018
If the names North, McCain, Poindexter, McFarland, and Webb ring a bell, it's that they were all Naval Academy graduates, that took leading roles in federal politics during the 80s. The Iran-Contra affair is seen in new light. As a boat school graduate, I appreciated the linkage to the Naval Academy and military focus on honor and integrity and how it is challenged in the shifting world of US federal politics. The book is very well researched but I tired of some of the 'he said, she said' commentary. It reminded me of many I met during my military careers, North augmenting his own performance and walking around the truth, the technocratic Poindexter, Webb. Give great context to the political and economic issues of the day.
The Nightingale's song is embedded in the nightingale, but they can't sing it, until they hear another nightingale...so to that extent, the story profiles how the environment was the nightingale's song to each of these high profile individuals.
The Nightingale's song is embedded in the nightingale, but they can't sing it, until they hear another nightingale...so to that extent, the story profiles how the environment was the nightingale's song to each of these high profile individuals.
November 27, 2020
Incredibly well researched and reasonably balanced report on the mentality’s of the 5 Annapolis graduates during a difficult passage of American history.
“Reasonably balanced” because it doesn’t explicitly favor or disfavor any of them. It casts them more as ambitious but flawed hero’s constrained and/or driven to extremes by incompetent civilian politicians, the media, and an unappreciative society.
Though the author claims objectivity despite his shared Annapolis background but he also states the Naval Academy honor code of “never bilge a classmate”.
Presumably, this includes any academy graduates so while the book reflects some of the personal criticism between the the five principles, it is circumspect in judging any of them too harshly. In fact, it is far harsher about President Ronald Reagan than any of them.
So, I come away feeling that this is filled with verifiable facts and some interesting insights, it is still one side of the story of their individual careers.
“Reasonably balanced” because it doesn’t explicitly favor or disfavor any of them. It casts them more as ambitious but flawed hero’s constrained and/or driven to extremes by incompetent civilian politicians, the media, and an unappreciative society.
Though the author claims objectivity despite his shared Annapolis background but he also states the Naval Academy honor code of “never bilge a classmate”.
Presumably, this includes any academy graduates so while the book reflects some of the personal criticism between the the five principles, it is circumspect in judging any of them too harshly. In fact, it is far harsher about President Ronald Reagan than any of them.
So, I come away feeling that this is filled with verifiable facts and some interesting insights, it is still one side of the story of their individual careers.
July 13, 2017
I read this as an education in naval careers and life, also with the hope to better understand the Vietnam war and Iran-Contra affair along the way.
I achieved the former goal, for the most part, as the book reads like five parallel biographies. But I don't feel comfortable in saying I met the latter goal. Timberg skips over a lot, assuming you have a certain level of knowledge of the people and events. At the same time, the book rambles on and on about extraneous random details about each person's life and "who said what"s and "who was right"s, which got rather tiresome. It was worth reading, but left me with a lot of questions.
I achieved the former goal, for the most part, as the book reads like five parallel biographies. But I don't feel comfortable in saying I met the latter goal. Timberg skips over a lot, assuming you have a certain level of knowledge of the people and events. At the same time, the book rambles on and on about extraneous random details about each person's life and "who said what"s and "who was right"s, which got rather tiresome. It was worth reading, but left me with a lot of questions.
March 11, 2018
This is an impressive account of five Annapolis graduates, each bearing the scars of the Vietnam War, who became power players in one form or another in Ronald Reagan's government. It is a fascinating story of the Annapolis mindset and how if affects the post-graduates' psyches and subsequent behaviors. The five men featured are John McCain, Bud McFarlane, John Poindexter, Jim Webb and Oliver North. These are all very interesting men, with varying intellects and personal failings. It is exceptionally disheartening that after the mess of Iran-Contra, Washington has remained a swamp filled with liars and dissemblers, where the political end still justifies the means. An excellent read.
February 9, 2017
I liked the premise - that a nightingale will only sing if it hears another nightingale sing - that we inspire each other. In this case Timberg tracks the lives and interactions of 5 Naval Academy grads, noting that "in their formative years - at Annapolis and during the Vietnam era - they shared a seemingly unassailable certainty. They believed in America."
Reportedly John McCain was given the chance to be released from POW status, but stayed due to the "first-in-first-out" code.
Jeremiah Denton blinked Morse code to indicate he was being tortured.
Reportedly John McCain was given the chance to be released from POW status, but stayed due to the "first-in-first-out" code.
Jeremiah Denton blinked Morse code to indicate he was being tortured.
June 2, 2025
Audio. After 50% I grew weary of the irrelevant details of the 5 noted people and started jumping around. I was a bit more interested in the bios of McCain and North. But even with them, the minutia about their lives was tiresome. My main beef was that it appeared that this entire book was dedicated to the controversy around the Iron/Contra Affair. Even though there was no hint that that was where the book was headed. I was hoping to read more about how Vietnam impacted the psychological evolution of these men and their true opinions about the war.
February 4, 2019
An excellent read. I Was vaguely aware of the Iran-Contra scandal but this book was am eye-opener for me. I liked the way Timberg wove 5 Annapolis grads into the story and their involvement in the events, not all Iran-Contra, that occurred after the Vietnam War. The mix of these academy grads, 3 Marines and 2 Navy, into the Washington circus was great. Especially enjoyed the Biography of each man in the story and the Epilogue at the end to see what happened to each one.
April 17, 2019
I read it because Tommy Vietor on Pod Save the World said it was the best book to understand the Iran Contra affair. It turns out to be more about the people involved and how their shared histories led them to the role they played in the affair. If you're looking for more of a biography of the people (including John McCain), this is your book. There are probably other books that go more in depth on the Iran Contra affair itself.
August 26, 2018
This is one of those books you read and don’t forget because of the cast of characters that are woven into a true story of Annapolis graduates John McCain, James Webb, Oliver North, Robert McFarlane, and John Poindexter and how the Vietnam War cast a shadow over their lives. A must read for those interested in Vietnam War.
August 17, 2025
Interesting look behind the scenes at the Naval Academy, and some future leaders. For example, John McCain presented sometimes as good John, sometimes as bad John.
Best line in the book was when John McCain moved to Arizona, where his wife was from, to run for Congress. He was accused of being a carpetbagger. He replied, “The longest I’ve lived anywhere in my life was Hanoi."
Best line in the book was when John McCain moved to Arizona, where his wife was from, to run for Congress. He was accused of being a carpetbagger. He replied, “The longest I’ve lived anywhere in my life was Hanoi."
December 10, 2025
This is one of my favorite books of the year. Robert Timberg tells the story of 5 illustrious graduates of the Naval Academy … John McCain, James Webb, Oliver North, John Poindexter and Robert McFarlane. He tells of the their lives at the Academy, service in Vietnam and, ultimately, the Iran-Contra affair. A story of heroes, villains and choices made.
July 26, 2019
Tried to get through this but it was growing heavy on details and short on contrasting or unifying themes in the lives of 4 or 5 Vietnam veterans, only two of whom I'd heard of (North and McCain). Put it down halfway through.
March 16, 2020
This was a deceit book about John McCain, Robert McFarlane, James Webb, Oliver North, and John Poindexter. All four of these guys went to the Naval Academy. It was interesting the way each men life went after the academy. I would recommend this book for reading.
February 22, 2022
Timberg's task of synthesizing five biographies works well in how Annapolis and then Vietnam shaped these five servants of democracy. Some you love and some you hate but they all did their duty. The author holds nothing back.
June 2, 2024
I absolutely loved this book and how Timberg weaves the stories of John McCain, James Webb, Oliver North, Robert McFarlane, and John Poindexter together, starting from their youth, life after the Naval Academy, Vietnam and into their adult careers.
October 23, 2017
Great narrative and profile of five men and the impact Vietnam had on them, and they had on the Country.
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