John McCain’s memoir debuts at No. 1 on NY Times best-seller list

PHOENIX — Sen. John McCain’s new memoir is a hit, debuting at No. 1 on The New York Times’ best-seller list for nonfiction books.

“The Restless Wave: Good Times, Just Causes, Great Fights, and Other Appreciations” was released May 22 with much fanfare as the Arizona Republican battles a rare type of brain cancer.

It came in at No. 1 on two of the Times’ lists, hardcover nonfiction and combined print and e-book nonfiction. It’s also been selling well on Amazon, where it was No. 6 for all books last week.

In addition to covering his illness in the book, McCain looks back at his political career, including his 2008 run as the Republican presidential nominee, and presents his perspective on the current state of politics.

The six-term senator tweeted his reaction to his book’s appearance atop the Times’ prestigious list Thursday.

My deepest thanks to the readers of our new book, The Restless Wave, which is now #1 on @nytimes best sellers list for nonfiction. I hope you enjoy it! https://t.co/RLWUdeJnnA

— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) May 31, 2018

McCain, an 81-year-old former Navy pilot and prisoner of war, was diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, in July 2017.

The typical survival period after a diagnosis is 12 to 15 months, though a small percentage live longer than five years.

In April, he underwent surgery at Mayo Clinic in Phoenix to treat an intestinal infection. He’s been recuperating at his family home near Sedona.

One passage in the book indicated McCain wasn’t sure whether he’d live long enough to see the it published:

“I don’t know how much longer I’ll be here. Maybe I’ll have another five years. Maybe, with the advances in oncology, they’ll find new treatments for my cancer that will extend my life. Maybe I’ll be gone before you read this. My predicament is, well, rather unpredictable. But I’m prepared for either contingency, or at least I’m getting prepared. I have some things I’d like to take care of first, some work that needs finishing, and some people I need to see. And I want to talk to my fellow Americans a little more if I may.”

The book was dedicated to the constituents in the state he’s called home since 1981: “To the people of Arizona, in gratitude for the privilege of representing them in the United States Senate.”

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