Why Courage Matters: The Way to a Braver Life

“Courage,” Winston Churchill explained, is “the first of human qualities . . . because it guarantees all the others.” As a naval officer, P.O.W., and one of Americas most admired political leaders, John McCain has seen countless acts of bravery and self-sacrifice. Now, in this inspiring meditation on courage, he shares his most cherished stories of ordinary individuals who have risked everything to defend the people and principles they hold most dear.

“We are taught to understand, correctly, that courage is not the absence of fear but the capacity for action despite our fears,” McCain reminds us, as a way of introducing the stories of figures both famous and obscure that he finds most compelling—from the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to Sgt. Roy Benavidez, who ignored his own well-being to rescue eight of his men from an ambush in the Vietnam jungle; from 1960s civil rights leader John Lewis, who wrote, “When I care about something, Im prepared to take the long, hard road,” to Hannah Senesh, who, in protecting her comrades in the Hungarian resistance against Hitlers SS, chose a martyrs death over a despots mercy.

These are some of the examples McCain turns to for inspiration and offers to others to help them summon the resolve to be both good and great. He explains the value of courage in both everyday actions and extraordinary feats. We learn why moral principles and physical courage are often not distinct quantities but two sides of the same coin. Most of all, readers discover how sometimes simply setting the right example can be the ultimate act of courage.

Written by one of our most respected public figures, Why Courage Matters is that rare book with a message both timely and timeless. This is a work for anyone seeking to understand how the mystery and gift of courage can empower us and change our lives.

"McCain the man remains one of the most inspiring public figures of his generation." The Washington Post Book World

"Much of the power of McCain and Salter's narrative lies in the stories they tell....The authors draw thoughtful lessons about the sources and types of courage and the importance of facing down fear." Booklist

An inspirational reflection on courage presents a collection of stories of surpassing bravery and selfless devotion to duty and offers personal portraits of individuals--both famous and unheralded--who confronted adversity and triumphed. 125,000 first printing.

When John McCain needs inspiration, these are the stories and people he thinks of--individuals who found the spark of courage to act with bravery. Abridged.

After a career in the U.S. Navy and two terms as a U.S. representative, JOHN McCAIN was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986 and reelected in 1992 and 1998. He and his wife, Cindy, reside in Phoenix, Arizona.

MARK SALTER has worked on Senator McCain’s staff for fourteen years and is the co-author with McCain of Faith of My Fathers and Worth the Fighting For. Hired as a legislative assistant in 1989, Salter has served as the senator’s administrative assistant for more than a decade. He lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with his wife, Diane, and their two daughters.