Hello, I'm Anthony Zerker, North America reporter for the BBC.

In the next half hour here on the BBC World Service,

I'll be telling the story of the remarkable life and career

of the late senator John McCain.

I've seen every stripe of politician there is out there and I've never seen anybody more courageous, more principle than John McCain. I'd say one of the great mistakes he made in life was putting Sarah Palin on his ticket.

She was a problem and he knew it and some people will always blame him for you know bringing her into our

national life. A true patriot one of the most loyal people I'll ever know and someone dedicated to country to

family and service. John Sidney became the third was born in 1936 on a U.S. military base in Panama where his father a naval officer was stationed at the time.

He was a middle child with an elder sister Sandy and a younger brother, Joe.

When his mother Roberta appeared on Jay Leno's late night talk show, the host asked

her what he was like as a child.

He was the sweetest child I've ever seen in my life.

So what happened?

No, no, I'm thinking. You're right, I've asked myself that.

Perhaps it was the 20 different schools he attended as a Navy brat. As the son and grandson of Navy admirals, it was perhaps inevitable that he would end up in the

service of his country, following in their footsteps to the Naval Academy in Annapolis

in the class of 1958.

Captain Frank Gamboa shared a room with him and two others during this time.

I first met John in 1954 when we both reported to the Naval Academy at Annapolis.

So John McCain was a very special person.

And of course, his name was John McCain the third.

So his personality fit that. He was a very engaging person. One of the most interesting

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