Hard Call:
Great Decisions and the Extraordinary People Who Made Them

by John McCain with Mark Salterine
Narrator: Daniel Hugh Kelly

John McCain's Hard Call is another great piece of writing from one of a handful of Republican U.S. Senators who has served in the military. Mark Slater, who co-authored the book, has worked on Senator McCain's staff since 1989.

Hard call, the theme of the book, describes the choice that has to be made when faced with a difficult - usually life or death - decision. McCain prefaces the book by describing what it takes to make the right choice in the face of danger. Being aware, trusting your instincts, and avoiding the pitfall of being an impulsive decision-maker when timely knowledge is needed, to name a few things. Most important is composure. To be able to sleep, when all is said and done, and know that you have done your best, this is peace at its most undeniable.

I listened intently to the harrowing stories of men of honor and pondered the choice made by NASA in the face of information that could have saved lives during the worst aerospace disaster in our history. McCain's narrator, Daniel Kelly, put forth a good effort in narrating this drama; but I really enjoyed McCain's introduction and would have liked to hear him read this important book all the way through.

This is the second book I have read by John McCain. I have found him to be an eloquent writer with great depth and intense commitment to setting the record straight. His writing comes from personal knowledge of honor and bravery, having received many medals himself for triumphing against the odds. You might also like John McCain's Why Courage Matters: The Way to A Braver Life.