Jackhammered: A Congressman's Memoir Of Big Time Politics, Blue Water Sailing And Believing

Jackhammered is a story of hope and redemption, told with candor by a man who had a complicated childhood, joined the Marines when he was 18, became a special agent of the FBI, and then a prosecuting attorney. In 1978, against all odds, Ed Bethune won a seat in the United States House of Representatives. His story is unlike any memoir you have ever read because it tells of a young life nearly lost, a love found, and a lifelong struggle to wash away troubles by living out dreams of adventure. His successes--in politics, in the courtroom defending the poorest of the poor, and as a high profile ethics lawyer for Speaker Newt Gingrich and Majority Leader Tom DeLay--soothe his quest for identity. But it is not until he and his wife encounter a fearsome storm while trying to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a 31-foot sailboat that he solves the riddle that has haunted him all his life. For millions of young people, especially those who are dealing with shame or embarrassment of one kind or another, Jackhammered is a Godsend. The story teaches us all to take heart and to live out our dreams even those that may be a size too big.