The Nightingale's Song
| Company type | Book |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 1995 |
| Founder | Robert Timberg |
| Products | Non-fiction book |
The Nightingale's Song is a 1995 publication authored by Baltimore Sun reporter Robert Timberg, which examines the military and political paths of five United States Naval Academy alumni. Most of these individuals served during the Vietnam War in either the United States Navy or the United States Marine Corps: John McCain, Bud McFarlane, Oliver North, John Poindexter, and Jim Webb. Timberg, himself a Naval Academy graduate and Vietnam veteran, delves into how their experiences at Annapolis and in combat influenced their leadership approaches, political directions, and, for some, participation in the Iran-Contra affair.
The narrative explores how military service shaped their personal development and political careers. The work was met with considerable critical praise; Geoffrey Norman from American Way described their shared stories as an "odyssey across some of the hardest terrain of recent American history." It was recognized as a "Notable Book of the Year" by The New York Times and ranked among 1995's top five nonfiction titles by Time. Nevertheless, despite positive reviews, the book experienced only moderate commercial success.
In 1999, coinciding with Senator John McCain's bid for the Republican presidential nomination, Timberg released John McCain: An American Odyssey, a streamlined edition concentrating on McCain’s biography with updated content. This version was republished by the Free Press in 2007 during McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign, including a new foreword discussing recent developments in his career.