The Rogue: Searching for the Real Sarah Palin

by Joe McGinniss

rogue (r¯og), An elephant that has separated from a herd and roams about alone,in which state it is very savage.— Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary
 
After three years of research, bestselling journalist Joe McGinniss presents his already controversial and much anticipated investigative chronicle of Sarah Palin as an individual, politician, and cultural phenomenon.
 
In his critically acclaimed book about Alaska, Going to Extremes , the fledgling state itself was Joe McGinniss’s subject. Although he didn’t hesitate to reveal the many flaws and contradictions behind its “last frontier” image, McGinniss fell in love with the land and its people. More than three decades later, he returned to Alaska in search of its most famous resident, Sarah Palin.

On Election Day 2008, McGinniss began his on-the-ground reporting that culminated, famously, in his moving next door to Sarah Palin in spring 2010. THE ROGUE is the eagerly awaited result of his research and a startling study of the illusion and reality of Sarah Palin—and a probing look at the Alaska and the America that produced her. Sometimes funny, sometimes frightening, always provocative and illuminating, THE ROGUE answers the questions “Who is she, really?,” “How did she happen?,” and “Will she ever go away?”

In all of his books, McGinniss has scrutinized the mysterious space between image and reality—how that space is created, negotiated, and/or manipulated. Now, with The Rogue, McGinniss combines his deep appreciation of the place Sarah Palin comes from with his uncanny ability to penetrate the façades of people in public life. The result is an extraordinary double narrative that alternately traces Palin’s curious rise to political prominence and worldwide celebrity status and recounts the author’s day-to-day experiences as he uncovers the messy reality beneath the glossy Palin myth.

Readers will find THE ROGUE at once bitingly insightful, hilarious, and profoundly ominous in what it reveals—not just about the dark underpinnings of a potential presidential nominee but also in regard to the huge numbers of Americans who passionately support her.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Biography, History, Audiobook, Ebooks, Biography Memoir

321 pages, Hardcover

First published September 20, 2011

About the author

Joe McGinniss was an American journalist, non-fiction writer and novelist. He first came to prominence with the best-selling The Selling of the President 1968 which described the marketing of then-presidential candidate Richard Nixon. It spent more than six months on best-seller lists. He is popularly known for his trilogy of bestselling true crime books — Fatal Vision, Blind Faith and Cruel Doubt — which were adapted into several TV miniseries and movies. Over the course of forty years, McGinniss published twelve books.

Reviews

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't believe what they say in “the lamestream media”--this is a well-written, interesting and moral book.

“Serious" people like Howie Kurtz and Steve (AKA “Mr. Cokie”) Roberts have criticized it for being unethical (because of its many anonymous sources) and unprofessional (for the way McGinnis intrudes himself into the narrative and engages in unsourced speculation). But Kurtz and Roberts--both beltway pundits with only dubious claims to be serious journalists--do not seem to understand or respect the tradition from which McGinnis comes.

McGinnis is one of the younger “new journalists”--an unfortunate term now, since their heyday was thirty to forty years ago—who increased the number of journalistic tools to include an unabashed personalization of the authorial voice. They were real investigative journalists too, but felt that this more personal style could yield a richer, more nuanced presentation of atmosphere than a pro forma pretense of objectivity ever could.

The "new journalism" method is particularly helpful here, since McGinnis inevitably becomes a part of the story when he is denounced by Palin and others for renting the house next door to the former governor, and because this method inspires him to capture vividly the atmosphere of Wasilla: a fierce Alaskan independence of mind coupled with an uneasy fear of the vindictive power of the Palins. This atmosphere, incidentally, almost requires McGinnis' use of anonymous sources, since he discovers very few Wasillans willing to go on the record for fear of Todd and Sarah's retaliation.

The book is written in an elegant, easy style, and captures through many vivid details what he convinces me is the "real Sarah Palin": a narcissistic poseuse who exploits a reactionary philosophy in a singularly vicious, tenth-grade "mean girl" style.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I nearly finished the book in one sitting, and it is a splendid piece of writing. Particularly, its stark description of the coexistence of a fundamentalist and a sane Alaska.

The most evocative passages are not those written by McGinniss, but what he draws out of the residents of Wasilla. Where, in their words, "suddenly you got busted for growing pot in your back shed. You got a ticket if your dog barked too loud. You got a ticket if you had a hole in your muffler. For a place that prided itself on being outside the conventional lifestyle, this was a lot to swallow..." Who also say, "if I'm heading Outside, I'll leave you some guns on the counter... It just pisses me off. A man comes up here to do his job, and people like next door make life difficult. It ain't right." McGinniss himself is always a delight: "Stambaugh [after a tortuously worded attack from Palin] is never disrespectful, but there are one or two occasions where I suspect him of expressing nonchalance. On the other hand, maybe he's just being benign."

The tale of evangelical assault on a municipal government has a chilling clarity. The guided tour of corrupt Alaskan affairs is compelling, as far as I can see, not even because Palin was so much worse than usual, but rather because she was par for the course. This is going to be a classic story of both state and small-town politics.

As for the events that unfurled once McCain started hinting he needed a little help with the Christian right... well, I'm glad somebody has written it all down. Future generations looking back at our insane little early 21st century republic are not going to believe it.

McGinniss, and his publisher's lawyers, must have already culled most of the worst of the personal comments... still, toning down a few of those that remain would have made for an even stronger book.

To digress slightly, I found it highly demoralizing to read the closing chapters, assessing and trying to derail Palin's chances for the presidency, just as two US citizens were taken out by a flying CIA robot... including one who was just the magazine editor. Has it occurred to no one that there may be a Rogue in the executive branch a year from now? To borrow a phrase from William Gibson, maybe America's dystopia is going to be evenly distributed after all.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read several books by outstanding writer and reporter Joe McGinniss and he is the real deal. Excellent portrait of one of the most dangerous people on the political scene.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admit it....I gave this book 5 stars because I loathe Sarah Palin, and Joe McGinnis completely trashes her, with the help of quite a few other people who are more than willing to go on record and tell what happened from their point of view. The entire time I was reading it, I was saying to myself, "Yeah!" and "Right on!" and "What on Earth was John McCain thinking 4 years ago?". If Palin is half as bad as McGinnis makes her out to be in this book, it's a very good thing that she did not become Vice President. For much of the book, I had the phrase from the classic Saturday Night Live skit: "I can see Russia from my house!" running in my mind.

McGinnis admits himself that he did not talk to any of Palin's friends or supporters, which is a weakness of the book- it is very one-sided, and McGinnis explains this weakness by telling the readers that evidently the Palins put the clampdown on their friends and political allies to not talk to him, so that they could then point out that he didn't talk to any of her friends or political supporters. However, the one side that McGinnis does have is rather potent- it's the book version of slicing open a jalepeno pepper, rubbing the juice on your fingers and then rubbing your eyes. The effect is so overwhelming, you can't think of anything else.

One aspect of the book I find so troubling, and yet so fascinating, is how Palin was elected to city council, mayor, and Governor of Alaska with so many hidden agendas at work- and by blatant manipulation of facts that voters in a town like Wasilla should have seen through, as well as utter incompetence in the actual business of running a city or state. I think it's a fine parallel of national politics.

Towards the end of the book, he has a discussion about the Palins' son Trig, who has Down Syndrome. It apparently is possible that the Palins somehow acquired a child with Down Syndrome to further appeal to the pro-life crowd. If that is indeed true- and I am not saying it is, but McGinnis makes a case that it could be possible, based on the timing of events (Palin was in Dallas when she went into labor and flew back to Alaska for the delivery) I find it morally repugnant. As a woman who has given birth twice, from my own experience, I can say that if I were in labor with a child I knew had special needs, my first thought would have been "get me to a hospital- any hospital!", not "I have to get back to Alaska; can't have a "fish picker" born in Texas". So what was the hurry to get back to Alaska?

However, as I said at the beginning of my review- I loathe Palin. To me she represents a great deal of what is going wrong with politics in this country. So I'm biased in my 5 star review.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a really interesting and entertaining book. Weaves the controversy about the author moving next to the Palins in with what he originally went to Alaska to write about which is what Alaskans now think about Sarah Palin.
I don't think it would change anyone's mind about her. If you like her you'll hate this book if you don't like her you'll like it I guess. But as someone who thinks she is dangerous and obnoxious I loved it.

[Marialyce · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have given this book the honor (?) of being the first in my new shelf entitled "Books that never should have been written." If any, all, some, of this is true, first of all who really cares? It is always easy to find people who are willing to trash other people because of any number of human frailties like envy, greed, not to mention if you want to be in the news, your fifteen minutes of fame.

Seriously though, if you really want to be taken seriously and are writing a book about another, you should Not move in next door to your intended victim and I could not help but think as I read, that Mrs Palin was a victim. Even if most of this was true, McGinniss seemed to take pleasure out of reporting all the details. I did not get one iota of human campassion, but just a matter of going for the jugular and squezzing every ounce of blood out of it that he could. Heck, who among us would not feel a bit violated by an action such as this?As far as I was concerned, this author lost all credibility by that action. He had to know that this would create an uproar which of course it did, and so that meant a ready audience for his book. He did get that so desired fifteen minutes of fame and for free too! Sold a lot of books I am sure because of it. Got his name in the news and blasted across the TV screens too!

There is a smack of yellow journalism here that I just could not swallow. I just felt the book was biased from the get go. Whether you like or dislike Mrs Palin, is really not the point in my mind as you read this. I was just looking for an account that put everything, the good, the bad, the ugly in perspective. This book just concentrated on two things or really three things......the bad, the ugly and the downright dirty scandalous reporting one expects to find in newspapers commonly referred to as rags.

[Gabby · Rating 1 out of 5]

I used to have some respect for Joe MGinniss based on some of his earlier books. After reading this trash, I question why I ever believed a word he previously wrote. He obviously knows nothing about objectivity, but he's got mud slinging and unverified source material down to a science. For me, this subject is NOT about whether or not we like Sarah Palin nor what she says and does. Instead it's about Joe McGinniss out to further demean and humiliate someone to whom the press has given unprecedented hatred. What IS it about Sarah Palin that seems to threaten men so much? Her treatment from women isn't a whole lot better, but I haven't seen this much vitriolic name-calling and malicious oratory directed at someone since Roseanne Barr declared herself a Domestic Goddess. I mean, c'mon... he rents a house next door to Sarah Palin, and then acts all surprised that she doesn't drop in to see him with some homemade cookies and all the time in the world to answer his obnoxious questions? Puhleeeeeeze. When did Joe MGinniss lose all sense of reality? While Joe may want to paint a portrait of some crazed lunatic locking herself away from her friendly, neighborhood snoop hellbent on writing an unflattering tell-all about her, I saw a woman who has learned all about wolves in sheeps' clothing and decides for the sake of her whole family to ignore the hate mongrel living beside her. It seems that Joe came a little late to the Let's-Lynch-Sarah Party, because the general public wasn't exactly bowled over by his book. That's a good thing because the only purpose it might serve is kindling for a fireplace in Alaska. Maybe Joe could heat some water for a nice cup of tea.

One more thing. GR ought to give the option of zero with their stars. That's what this mess of a document really deserves.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the second Sarah Palin book I've read this year, the first being Geoffrey Dunn's The Lies of Sarah Palin. There really is little in McGinniss's book that was not already covered in Dunn's book other than some salacious details like Palin's fling with basketball star Glenn Rice or Todd and Sarah's cocaine use. Both books paint the same general portrait of Palin, and they obtain their information from many sources who are politically simpatico with Palin (conservative Republicans) or who were at one time friends or close associates of Palin: Palin is a lying, vindictive, incompetent know-nothing who does, however, possess a canny ability to manipulate and deceive people and use them to her own political and personal ends.

McGinniss makes his book almost as much about himself and the firestorm that arose when he moved next door to Palin, and McGinniss uses far fewer named sources than does Dunn. McGinniss, though, seems to have talked to many people who were close to Palin but who would only speak as unnamed sources for fear of retribution from Palin. Most of the details that McGinniss reveals, however, have already been substantiated by named sources in Dunn's book.

What both McGinniss and Dunn's books show is that Sarah Palin is quite shrewd at manipulating people to her own ends and at playing the political game in Alaska, but she is a hypocrite, a bully, a liar, and just a generally mean-spirited person. Additionally, she is grossly ignorant about how government works, about history, about religion, and about world affairs.

Reading these two books leaves little doubt that the US is quite lucky, indeed, to have escaped this bumpkin's being elected to the office of vice-president. Little in life is scarier than the notion of Sarah Palin being second-in-line for the presidency.

[Dee Green · Rating 1 out of 5]

Like the rest of the nation, I am intrigued by Sarah Palin but understand that there are two sides to everything. So, I thought I'd see what he had to say. It is garbage is what I have to say. His writing is so biased that I find it hard to believe that he is even a credible author, but apparently he is. He claims that his intent was innocent and that he had no intention of smearing Palin’s name, but in the book those claims are so childish that they are laughable. “It was just a coincidence that I moved next door to her and yet she completely overreacted that a journalist who has previously attacked her moved next door while writing a book to humiliate her.” (Not actually a quote, but it’s pretty much the theme). He brings up all kinds of bad things that her kids’ friends or acquaintances have done and tries to make the Palins guilty by association. One of his sources was The National Enquirer, if that tells you anything. After reading this book, I think that Joe McGinniss fits right in with that rag.
I guess that the same way that there are extremist that think that Palin can do no wrong, there are extremists that actually believe this guy's crap. I’m just glad that I didn’t pay for this book. McGinniss’ release of this book in time for the election hype is just a ploy to exploit Sarah for financial gain in the same way that he accuses Sarah of exploitation.
On a side note, I wonder how much Traeger paid him…

[Picklefactory · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simultaneously hilarious and disturbing. Joe is a fine writer: his exasperation with being subjected to baseless slurs in the national media after returning to Alaska to investigate the Palin phenomenon only really shines through once or twice. (I went and looked a couple of these up and yup, happened pretty much the way he says.)

Joe spends quite a bit of time excoriating the media for giving Sarah Palin the platform that she certainly had done nothing to earn, but even more emphasis here would have been welcome. He also leavens the endless Palin nonsense with moments of his pure love for Alaska's people and land, the words of the Alaskans who have decided that Palin has betrayed them, and a hysterical running joke about being offered guns by nearly everyone he meets socially.

It's obviously a good thing that Palin's bowed out of 2012, but I think the national media will continue to throw up more of these frighteningly ignorant religious candidates as long as it gets good ratings from us poor suckers who care enough to be outraged: cf. Michele Bachmann.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joe McGinniss, whose Fatal Vision was a masterpiece of true crime writing, has written a compulsively readable book about the phenomenon known as Sarah Palin and about the phenomenal shift between admiring statesmen (and women) and worshiping at the altar of personality, where "presidential" no longer means anything than being a good drinking buddy. None of Palin's acolytes will like this book, but for those of us who only knew her as a face and a name and a public whirlwind, this is an extraordinary and revelatory work, and a real page-turner, at that.

[esmepie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm so embarrassed/ ashamed I read this and that's all I'm going to say.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do not judge a book by its cover, some say. Others tell me that I need a well-rounded opinion before I can really have an opinion. So, after i read GOING ROGUE a while back, I had an unusually better opinion of Sarah Palin, at least for a while. When this book was making so much hype, I had to try it. Not disappointed in the least.

Some people, even on here, tell me that it is such a one-sided portrayal of the VP candidate for the GOP's '08 failure to win the White House. Others loved the book. Mark another tick in the LOVE column. McGinniss, though vilified by much of the media, took up house next door to the Palins and began interviewing those close by to get their opinions. He talks in a great style and presents info through stories rather than by sensationalising it all for the world to see, a la tabloids. My jaw dropped, my eyes bugged out, and I did even utter a "WTF" twice in the store while listening as grocery shopped. Dysfunctional family, thou hast a friend in both the Gosselins and Palins, moms leading the packs. This woman is portrayed as such a Sarah-centred person that I cannot believe that she ever got anywhwere in life.

Covering herself in the evangelical Christian ultra-right wing belief system, she felt God was there, leading her to salvation. I was horrified to see how she treated her children and husband, tossing them under the bus when it best suited her. Alas, she could take credit for their successes like no tomorrow, and did so repeatedly. This woman also bashed those who did not take up their swords on the battles she led, and tried to castigate those who may ever speak out against her. McGinniss had to do many of his interview with anonymity to ensure he got the story, for people were so scared of her. Is that any way to live your life?

Toss in the controversial mayorial stint, her failed attempt at the Naval Observatory, villification of McGinniss for even being next door, and the gubernatorial shit show she created and you have the crux of the book. Add the Trig saga (was she prego? why do what she said she did?) and how she used the child as a prop to soften the hearts of many and you have some great reading.

I know, sensational journalism sells and tossing mud at people gets us nowhere but at the front of the line for gossipping. That said, I have to ask two questions:

1) What benefit does Joe McGinniss gain from makingall this up?
2) What the HELL was McCain and his people thinking when they chose her as the GOP's VP candidate. VETTING PEOPLE!!!!

Kudos Mr. McGinniss. A great book on a woman whose surely hard to write about in a balance fashion.

[Lisa Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to read this book for several reasons. As a liberal woman who's interested in politics I'm always interested to learn what women in politics are saying and how they raise the bar. Let's face it women are always held to a higher standard especially in the game of politics. I watch Sarah Palin on news sound bites as I'm waiting for some reason to like her. This book will give you plenty of reasons not to be a fan of hers. McGinniss weaves the story of who he discovered Palin is between his experience living next to her and how she grew-up and her introduction to politics. It's fair to say her upbringing explains how she acts with people and how she parents. There are plenty of people who have spoken to McGinniss to make this a credible account of someone who has no business being in politics. She abused her position as mayor and governor many times-spending money for the benefit of herself, treated long-time employees poorly often firing them for no reason and is nothing close to the Christian profile she professes to be. I can't imagine what McCain was thinking when he selected her as his running mate; one of the greatest blunders ever. Suffice to say Palin won't run for President because she has too many questionable situations which would come to light, make people cringe and make her look ridiculous. I have and am in the process of reading McGinnis's other books; I find him to be a credible and integrity based writer who is probably sick of talking about this narcissistic woman.

[Prateek Jain · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Rogue: Searching for the Real Sarah Palin is a book which goes into the history and life of the Palin family, with the focal point being Sarah Palin. Joe McGinnis, has done an exceptionally good investigative analysis of the Palin family after she shot into limelight following her nomination as 2008 running mate of Senator John McCain. The book is very easy to read and very entertaining.

Joe McGinnis, moved next door to the Palins in 2009-2010 Fall and Spring on the shores of the Lake Lucile. From the book it appears the move was not pre-planned and was a complete coincidence and charm of luck. However, considering how paranoid Palins are, it became a national issue with Sarah Palin portraying it as a pre-pallned move to sabotage her familys privacy. Contrary to her claims, Mr. McGinnis, has not written about anything which gives an impression of him sitting with a pair of binoculars peeping into the household. So like most stuff which Mrs. Palin says, its not true.

The author interviewed a large number of folks in Alaska who have known the Palin family, some of whom went on the record, some decided to remain anonymous. A lot of people say the book is biased, tirade against Sarah Palin. My argument to them is even if 1% of the book about her is true, this country should be thankful she isn't running for the Office of the President of United States of America.

The book covers all aspects of her life. Her personal and professional life is full of hypocrisy, cronyism, corruption and making herself appear as the victim. She has fired people who preferred to do their job and not toe the line she dictated to them. Because of her incompetency she hired a manager to run the function of the mayor. While she is within her powers to do so, I am not sure why should the city pay for it, because of an incompetent mayor? She advocates promoting American values, but believes in Dominionism, which call for abolition of the separation between Church and state. She says, she is the mother of a son who is serving the US Army. The reason why he does it because he was known as a trouble maker in Alaska who had a clean record thanks to the super power mom. People have given interviews saying only reason why he went unwillingly was to avoid any further troubles for moms political campaign and was nearly forced into it. While she promotes religious values, racism and abstinence, there is an African American athlete who goes on record to talk about Sarah's fling with him during her stint as a sports commentator.

Sarah Palin believes her entry into politics was a calling from God and her connections, activities and statements makes you wonder if the women is really delusional. After her term as mayor of Wasilla was over, the city was left in a huge debt, while she started her tenure with city fiscal reserves being an all time high. Her reign as governor was not any better as it was marred with idiotic decisions like allocating gas pipeline construction money to a company which didn't have access to gas nor the know how to do it. From the book it seems like Mrs Palin likes to treat anyone and everyone like a puppet, to make her look better. The pregnancy of Mrs Palin becomes more and more questionable after you read the description of events under which it happened in the book. Even if she is the mother, she is probably the most careless person to do it, just because "You cannot have a fish picker born in Texas".

I can write one of the longest reviews I have written, since her life as described in the book is so disturbing. However, I will conclude it, as not to give away the entire book in the review. Its a very thorough analysis by Joe McGinnis and its very entertaining to read.

[Don · Rating 3 out of 5]

McGinniss definitely has some good material here, and much more of it is sourced to specifically identified people than we have been led to believe by the reviews. However, his obvious distaste and disdain for his subject adversely affects his credibility as a reporter. And McGinniss shows no interest in pursuing the possibility of there being another point of view with respect to some of the stories or anecdotes. I think a good reporter explores alternate explanations, theories, etc., if for no other reason than to explain why those alternative explanations are flawed.

The book is also hampered by weak organization. In general, the book follows Palin chronologically. However, at the same time, McGinniss is tracking his own stay in Alaska and the various people he interviews. As a result, the book contains excerpts from interviews with others that conflict with the chronology.

The parts of this book that really represent an original contribution by McGinniss are those that detail Palin's comments about McGinniss and his presence in the house next door. Using her own words, these sections of the book reveal her paranoia and distorted sense of victimhood, as well as her inability to stick to the facts and the truth. Any other public figure in the same situation would either have simply ignored McGinniss or killed him with kindness; Palin is instead content to lash out in public at an individual who is largely unknown to the general public. In doing so, she makes herself look bad.

Finally, let me just say that McGinniss presents us with a woman who is, on the one hand, deeply religious, a true believer, but who, on the other hand, is deeply cynically, manipulative, unconcerned about her family, and dishonest. How does one reconcile these different aspects of her personality? McGinniss doesn't seem to recognize the mystery that this presents.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

To write his book about Sarah Palin, Joe McGinnis took up residence in the house next to hers on the banks of Lake Lucille in Alaska. For doing so he received the full brunt of Sarah Palin's middle school mean girl bullying. It's perfectly understandable that he's bitter. Who wouldn't be with the Palins calling in their supporters to issue death threats against him? But it did leave McGinnis with a problem--he had to write a book about her and his ability to remain fair and impartial was destroyed.

As a result "The Rogue" comes off as hopelessly one-sided; a never ending drum beat of isn't-this-woman-awful-let-me-give-you-another-example-from-the-thousands-I've-collected. Not that these aren't interesting in a sick way but even I, no admirer of Sarah Palin, got kind of tired of the endless slime heaved in her direction.

But under all of that, this is a very engaging book. McGinnis is a good writer and he knows how to put together a narrative. His stories of native Alaskans are hilarious. The locals had 2 reactions to his presence in the house on Lake Lucille: threats to kill him or offers to let him borrow a hand gun. "Really, I've got nine at home. You just let me know which one you'd like best."

Descriptions of scenery and food like fresh caught salmon had me fantasizing about taking a vacation there but only if I packed some bear be-gone spray first. (The grizzlies get everywhere).

Sarah Palin's political star seems to be fading which is a good thing. Her career is dead in a coffin, a wooden stake shoved firmly through its heart. McGinniss' book is one of the many nails but, if you'd like to shake your head over the witless infatuation of our national media with this unqualified woman, you'll find lots of material within its pages to raise your blood pressure.

[Meave · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is exactly the dishy, disgusting profile Vanity Fair used to run when I was super into it in college, and it's just, ugh, it's amazing. I mean if you like well written tell-alls about horrible garbage people who have too much money to be pitied, this is the book for you.

[Donald Trump (Parody) · Rating 1 out of 5]

That deadbeat McCain! Who sold out his brothers in arms in our brave military for a few extra beans and a blanket covered in piss. Not only didn't invite YOUR President to his going away party, but also the one thing that wouldve made him President if hed only fuckin' listened: the great and sexy Sara. Boy o boy, she was something back then. I thought for sure she was gonna be President after he flamed out, that's why I didn't run in 2012: outta respect, even though half the country begged me! I just thought of all the loads I dropped, thinking about Sarah, thinking about her as President. You know maybe she takes one of those heads of state into that room next to the oval office, the one Bill used to take that side of beef Monica Lewis into and get up to all kindsa stuff. I'll tell ya. I remember I was on one of Jeff's planes with Bill, one of those express things, he was in a conversation with that actor Kevin (I ain't saying his name), and I said "Hey, Bill, what was up with you and Totie Fields back when you was President?" He said "The heart wants what the heart wants." That made a lot sense. If only it was Sarah. That's all I'm saying. PASS!

[Todd Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first heard Joe McGinniss was writing a book about Sarah Palin I was interested and intrigued. McGinniss penned one of my favorite true crime books: Fatal Vision. That book has passion and a gripping, irresistible narrative.

Maybe I'm in a small minority, but I didn't know McGinniss had rented the house next door to the Palin's in Alaska. That was the first of several things that bothered me in this book. At several points throughout the book, McGinniss paints himself as some friendly, benign new neighbor who would not dare breach Palin's privacy and yet he rents a house right next door? Something rang phony to me the third or fourth time I read this and despite not being a Sarah Palin fan, I felt sorry for her. I understand McGinniss wanting to get close to Palin to be able to write a book about her but I think it was a bit creepy, even if it was harmless. So +1 to Palin, -1 to McGinniss.

If the Palins are truly the bad people like portrayed in this book, I don't see how anybody can like these people? How was she elected by anybody in Alaska for anything? I live in a small town and don't see how she could have been elected mayor, much less go onto becoming the governor? Then again, I'm not sure how (the book offers an explanation) she got on the Vice President ticket either.

Lex Luthor seems more likable than the Palins in this book. The author is part of the narrative and story so he can't be an objective voice, so I don't know what can or can't be believed? From an entertainment standpoint, I gobbled this up, but was it all--or even most--credible? Hmm.

It doesn't help that there are only a few named sources. According to the author, a lot of sources (conveniently?) feared retaliation by the Palins so they didn't want to go on record or talk to McGinniss period.

Don't get me wrong, the book was a compelling, fast read.

The subject matter pained me in parts for the author and for those who know the Palins as portrayed in this book. I didn't care much for the author being part of the story. I understand why the author was but for me it seemed more like Joe McGinniss on the trail of The Rogue. It read like diary notes of a Palin stalker which is not what I think the author deserves (or truly was). I don't think McGinniss is the paparazzi, but this book reads like he is.

I felt a bit dirty when I reached the last chapter. Sort of like when waiting in the grocery line scanning the sensational rags. I know a lot of those stories aren't true and something about the stories in this book have a similar shallow ring. Guilty pleasure, I know, and right near the candy! I can't knock down the rating of the book for giving what I thought it might provide: entertainment.

It's the accident scene and, shamefully, I stopped and looked.

I won't spoil it for other readers but the last few pages provide an excellent summary for the rest of the book. The analogy the author used is spot on.

For those looking for a compassionate, objective book on Sara Palin? You will be sorely disappointed and should keep looking. For those wanting a more balanced, factual account of the biography of Sarah Palin that includes good, bad and indifferent? You'll get plenty of bad and indifferent here, but not very much good. For those looking for an entertaining, biased, disturbing look at the woman who could have been the Vice President? Come and get it.

[Kate Woods Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Joe McGinniss is the perfect writer for this subject. Not only is he well-matched due to his experience with political nonfiction (The Selling of the President 1968), but because he's experienced in researching true crime, most famously with Fatal Vision. He's also battled the sociopathic mindset in court, when convicted family murderer Jeffrey MacDonald sued because (boo-hoo-hoo) mean old Joe lied to poor old Jeff to get a story out of him.

Somehow narcissists and sociopaths never seem to excuse other people for engaging in tactics they use daily. And Sarah Palin (she of the reality series, Fox News contract, Kate Gosselin publicity stunt, multi-million-dollar book deal, Dancing with the Stars cameo, famous Twitter account, bus tour, Glenn Beck Rally speech, SarahPAC, and oh yes, Presidential ambitions) was horrified by the specter of publicity about her very private family life.

And so, due to the relentless public tantrums of this book's subject, you probably already know (as did I) that author McGinniss moved in next door to Sarah Palin while researching this book. You probably already know (as did I) many of the stories of Palin family misbehavior chronicled here. They have seeped into the public consciousness via Tweet, talk show and tabloid so thoroughly that even lamas in Tibet must know about Bristol and Levi, Tripp and Trig and Track and Todd and Willow.

Despite all this, I enjoyed this book. McGinniss takes the moose by the horns and writes in the first person about his search for rental property and the resulting brouhaha when he takes up residence next to the many-windowed house on Lake Lucille. And the well-known stories of Miss Thang's clueless babbling and vindictive bullying take on their own powerful cast when stacked one atop another.

The consensus among the political set seems to be that the bloom is now off Miss Thang's rose, but once you've read this book you might have your doubts (as do I). Narcissists and sociopaths never give up their quests for more attention, more narcissistic supply. And Sarah has lots of money now, plenty of time on her hands, and a need for power and glory that will never be satisfied.

McGinniss has done a good job in adding to the factual record about this dangerous woman. Here's hoping a phalanx of former McCain staffers will add still more with their own behind-the-scenes tell-alls. But no one will ever give us a look at "the real Sarah Palin," because there is no such thing.

[Diane Wilkes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Relatively soon after this book came out and the blistering reviews came in, it wasn't on the octagonal at B&N. Despite the negative things I heard about this book (hatchet-piece, too nasty to be lucid), I like to check things out for myself. (I also read GOING ROGUE, Sarah Palin's first book. That's who I am.)

The book is lucid, but a bit personal; too much of it involves McGinniss' personal story of how Palinworld attacked him and tried to stop him from getting information when he moved next door to the Palins. It was not his original intent to live there--the place was offered to him by its owner and it was more convenient and better in all respects for him. That didn't stop Sarah Palin and her cohorts from suggesting he was a pedophile interested in peeping Piper's panties, among other horrendous and (threatening) things. So you can certainly understand why his axe to grind got bigger and bigger.

While the inclusion of this information was a reflection of his overarching message about Palin--the bullying she and Todd did on a regular basis--a little goes a long way. In addition, there were occasionally gratuitously nasty paragraphs--not many, but enough.

However, no one was putting Joe McGinness a heartbeat away from the Presidency of the United States, and I think the book is worthwhile reading in order to get the facts (as opposed to the fictions) of all the questionable actions (not going to a hospital when your water broke a month early, knowing you were carrying a Down's Syndrome baby)and outright failures (AGIA) and perjury (Monhegan lawsuit). It's not a pretty picture, but there's no reason to believe it's an inaccurate one, and, since our "lamestream" media saw fit to focus on Jeremiah Wright but not Thomas Muthee, and tried to ignore Occupy Wall Street for weeks...it's a relevant picture. Sarah Palin will not go quietly into any good night, so ignore this book at America's peril.

[Dale Stonehouse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read Joe McGinniss when Fatal Vision was new and controversial, and his writing is as good today. This book is an interesting, if somewhat incomplete, outside view of Sarah Palin, husband Todd, their relationship and political career as a couple. Some may think it is a negative portrait because McGinniss talked to many Alaskans who have encountered the Palins, most in a negative way. The theme here seems to be that Sarah Palin has used her looks and a winning ability to work a crowd to form a political persona that has garnered attention at the national level. Since we all know people who are shallow, a bit phony, and faking it to get by, the only thing outstanding about the Palins is that they rocketed to a national stage and used it to make a lot of money. I don't care what kind of a mother Sarah Palin is or was; I don't care how she treats employees or people she perceives to be disloyal or who disagree with her; and I especially don't care if her world view requires her to make everyone else wrong so that she can feel like she is right. Those kind of people are a dime a dozen. I would not want Sarah Palin to be in a position of power politically, mainly because she wants the end of the world to happen in her lifetime. But Americans thrive on gossip and innuendo, so Sarah Palin has provided entertainment to thousands of people lacking excitement in their lives. For that reason, if she suddenly disappeared, I would miss her.

[Naomi · Rating 1 out of 5]

In regards to Sarah Palin, love her~hate her, who really cares?!?! It is all based on political leanings anyway. Joe McGiniss is one of my true favorites in the area of true crime writing and, I know, I read this book to see what his writing was going to be like. First of all, he really crept me out with moving in next door to her. I felt it really bordered on stalking and being a "peeping tom"/voyerism. I know for me I wanted to see if Joe's political bias affected his dynamic writing capabilities. It did.

Joe has written books, such as the telling of Maria Marshall's brutal death, which stick with me today. There was a reviewer in here who stated this book was basically redundant and I think she nailed it. It literally was the same thing said in multiple ways. A true sense of lack of creativity. Such a waste for such a great writer. I can think of numerous true crimes that have occurred that I would have loved to have seen his research and his ability to put a "face" to the victim. Instead, we have a trifling piece of trash which was a waste of time, creative genius and paper.

Luckily, it is a short read. I ended up reading it in about one night..so I am not out much there.

[Judy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have loved everything that Joe McGinniss has written in the past, so it's a big surprise and a huge disappointment to find that this book is a complete mess. I am no Sarah Palin fan, so I thought this - combined with McGinniss' ability to tell a good story - would be fun. But somehow it just doesn't work. McGinniss gets lost in his own story of renting the house next door to the Palins. Really, how could a reporter with such a long and celebrated career not anticipate that involving himself so centrally in the story would taint anything else he had to say about the Palins? This was a gross misjudgment. The story of his on-going battle (or non-battle, whatever you make of it) with the Palins is really very tiresome. A straightforward profile of Sarah Palin would have been so much better.

Having said all that, the book essentially confirms and expands the view I had formed of Sarah Palin over the years as uninformed and willfully ignorant yet power-seeking. Her true disinterest in the truth coupled with the devotion of her fan base is truly scary. I'm not sure what this says about the current political situation in America, but I know it's not good.

[Chris Bauer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to admit I'm not a huge Sarah Palin fan simply based on major media coverage for the past several years. I don't consider myself a Republican or a Democrat either. This book paints an unfavorable portrait of Palin through personal anecdotes and interviews with her enemies. Let's be clear about the tone of the book - it is not written as an impartial account of anything except the author's "struggles" to move in next door to the Palin's residence in Alaska. Most of the information (at least the juicy stuff) comes from conversations with people she has run over in the past. McGinniss does a fair job of maintaining journalistic objectivity with only occasional slip ups. Overall, the book is well-written, insightful (to a slightly superficial degree) and, at times, hilarious.

To be fair, I feel like I should read Palin's own book to counterbalance some of what I read in this work. But if even 1/5th of what is written in the book is close to true, it serves as a chilling reminder of what happens when voters (and the American public at large) stop questioning our leaders, halt rational thought process and blithely leap into the swells of a cult of personality.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whatever bugged you about Sarah Palin before--it's worse than you think. She looks here to be a dictator in search of a country. Most of the stories here are about what she did on the Alaska political scene, before the McCain ticket came along. Maybe she's learned a few things since then.

Apparently nobody with anything good to say about the Palins would talk to McGinnis. This does make the book feel not quite up to what such a well-respected journalist can do, maybe even not the book McGinnis meant to write. Then again, I picked it up exactly because I wanted that catnip-for-liberals effect.

Alaska is the surprise character in this book. The place is beautiful, the people are unique. McGinnis seems to have a real affection for Alaska, going back 30-40 years. I'm glad he left in the parts about the noisy grebes on the lake, the friendly neighbors welcoming him with blueberry pie (and access to their gun collections, but they meant well), and small towns surrounded by mountains.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought this was surprisingly good. The most salacious bits have been widely reported in the media already, so no big revelations from reading the actual book. But what it does well is give the reader a sense of the local culture and society from which Palin emerged, which was the most interesting stuff to me. It's a fairly quick read (I read it in a day while home sick), and McGinniss is a skillful writer. And it thankfully doesn't dwell on the 2008 campaign, which has been rehashed to death in many places already. Yes, it's one-sided, although that is perhaps inevitable in this sort of book, if those who are on good terms with the subject refuse to be interviewed. There is a chapter which goes pretty far down the Trig Truther path, even if McGinniss holds back from explicitly making the charge.

Suppose it's ironic that I read this on the day Palin confirmed she wasn't running for President in 2012.

[Phillip Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book that i should have placed onto an altar between two silver candlesticks. I loved the book's intent and subject matter. Clearly, this type of portrait needs to be written about a dangerous oddity of an American politician that scares the bejesus out of me. The characterizations of Alaska and its people are fascinating. Some of the intimate antecdotes about Sarah's life are jaw-dropping.

However, he writes like someone compromised by injuries. Yes, he was viciously attacked in the media by Sarah and her hordes, and subjected to intimidation that is despicable. But he lets his grievances color and taint the book, and it reads like a personal vendetta that diminishes the power of the message. He comes down off a high plateau where he had a wide open landscape on which to base his story and lets himself get bogged down in a mudslinging feud.

Oh well. But still, anything credible that can be wide circulated to sink this woman can't be too bad a thing.

[Erik Delano-Bluth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating and brave account of a man embedding himself in the same community as his subject, Palin's hatred of intellectuals and readers was amplified upon learning the man who would be sharing his experiences in Palindia. He had access to anecdotal knowledge from her neighbors and others in the community she decided to fuck any pretense considering she's always been involved in unsavory activities that she couldn't hide from her neighbors. Knowing he'd hear about all her petty attempts to settle personal vendettas with people involved in quarrels with her children and family members as mayor of wasilla that even lasted when she was elected governor she obsessed about Wasilla and the residents whom she considered to be her enemies this is a perfect anthropological study of a family of hopeless paranoid narcissists living amongst genial working class people and the hell this entitled brood visited upon their town