The Rogue
Searching for the Real Sarah Palin
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3.7 • 173 Ratings
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
rogue (r¯og), n: 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 writing: 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.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this account of the self-proclaimed rogue of the Republican Party, bestselling journalist McGinniss leaves no stone unturned in his pursuit of Sarah Palin's true identity, even if it means moving in next door to the former beauty queen and governor of Alaska. Narrator Arthur Morey delivers a steady reading that allows McGinniss's prose and reporting to take center stage. Morey's professional tone and polished narration make for a compelling listen as the author charts Palin's surprising rise to fame and dishes a few insider tidbits about her family. "I could probably fill up most of my fingers with the names of women Todd has screwed," states a former neighbor. Listeners will find this a slightly skewed but enjoyable account of one woman's leap into the political spotlight. A Crown hardcover.
Customer Reviews
Thought provoking
Simply put, the book is either full of bs, or it's accurate. Either way it does make you think and realize that we only saw one side of Palin.
The Rogue
Great read! A lot of what I expected, but so much more about the other, unseen side of Palin. Hope it wakes up some citizens that have wanted her to run for the leader of the free world! Low-class sleazy uneducated people like her are running rampant in the right wing of the GOP. wake up people.
An Author Who Deserves His Subject
I believe that Sarah Palin is a hack of a politician and a danger to our country. Yet, I after reading this book, I am not filled with a sense of guilty pleasure, just a sense of guilt.
McGinnis makes the book as much about him and the "controversy" stirred up by the Palin's when he moves in next store as it is about Sarah Palin. His salacious details are often just anecdotes of people Ms. Palin used to "pal around with". While it paints a picture of the as small-town, petty tyrants, none of that is news to us as readers.
There is a compelling need for a good book that provides a comprehensive report of Ms. Palin's political incompetence, pettiness and corruption. Yet by framing the narrative and placing himself at the center of the story, McGinnis undermines his credibility. His report that he didn't think moving in next to he Palin's would be a big deal is simply not credible and resulted in me agreeing with Glenn Beck's assessment that the whole affair was just "Creepy". I think if the effect of McGinnis's approach is to make the reader agree with the wack-job that is Glenn Beck, then we have a bit of a problem.
If you want your Palin fix, then I would strongly recommend the book Game Change, which provides engaging insights and more credible reports of the compelling narrative of Palin's failed national candidacy. If you are looking for a book that is self-absorbed, hackish and may make you feel sympathy for Ms. Palin then by all means pick up a copy of The Rogue.