Sarah takes on Big Oil: The compelling story of Governor Sarah Palin's battle with Alaska's 'Big 3' oil companies, as told by the state's top oil and gas editors, Kay Cashman and Kristen Nelson [Hardcover]

Kay Cashman (Author), Kristen Nelson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 17, 2008 | ISBN-10: 0982163207 | ISBN-13: 978-0982163207 | Edition: First

Sarah takes on Big Oil illuminates Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's rise to power, along with her successes and failures in dealing with the industry that is the lifeblood of the state's economy.

This book is a must read for those seeking to understand Palin's qualifications for national leadership.

Purchasers of Sarah takes on Big Oil qualify for a free, two-year, online subscription to Petroleum News, Alaska's only standalone oil and gas publication. Authors Cashman and Nelson work for Petroleum News, which is a weekly newspaper based in Anchorage.

To claim your free subscription, email your Amazon purchase receipt to [e-mail].

Excerpt from book

Dan Seamount, one of two commissioners who served with Sarah Palin in 2003 and early 2004 on the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, had the following to say about Palin.

'She's pro-development, not pro industry. She'll tell you, 'My boss is the people of Alaska.'

'She s smart, a quick study. Her adversaries biggest mistake is underestimating her intelligence, her understanding of issues. And she uses their arrogance against them.'

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Authors Kay Cashman and Kristen Nelson are uniquely qualified to tell the story of Sarah Palin's dealings with Alaska's 'Big 3' oil companies because of their years of independent reporting on the state's oil and gas industry, and their rare grasp of the nuances involved in Palin's relationship with the Alaska's three largest oil producers BP, ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil.

Cashman is the publisher and executive editor of Petroleum News an independent news-driven weekly. Cashman is also a novelist and a people person. She knows the people in Palin's story, and people know Cashman as a journalist who can be trusted with sensitive information, on and off the record.

Nelson, editor-in-chief of Petroleum News, has maintained a long-time eye on Alaska government and its interactions with the state's most lucrative industry.

Cashman and Nelson are the ideal team to deliver a three-dimensional portrait of Palin, the people around her, and the unusual circumstances that have bracketed Palin's leadership. The authors bring a perspective rarely available to general news reporters.

As a result, Sarah takes on Big Oil is a good read, full of lively personalities and verifiable facts facts which back up the compelling story of Alaska's first female governor.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 216 pages
• Publisher: PNA Publishing; First edition (October 17, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0982163207
• ISBN-13: 978-0982163207
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,273,394 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Small on Font Size Big on Info November 7, 2008

By Teresa Klein

The Book is very detailed and informative about Sarah Palin's involvement in the oil and gas industry in Alaska and gives some good insight into her ability as an administrator. If you are looking for more skeletons in Sarah's closet, or her latest fashion blunder, you won't find them here. What you will find is an educational read about Sarah's role in working with powerful oil companies to find a win-win-win for Alaska, its people, and all of us who are looking for ways to increase domestic production of oil & gas without destroying the environment.

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars She fought the good fight! July 25, 2009

By V. Hutson TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Amazon Verified Purchase

When I read the other reviewers' comments that this book was a unbiased reporting of what Sarah had done, I wanted to read it. This book clearly addresses and identifies the corruption in the Alaskan Government and the oil industry before Sarah became Governor. Sarah was the reformer that helped stop this abuse as she fought for the Alaskan people.

While the mainstream media continually tries to portray her as "stupid," this book shows you the intelligence and guts she had to take on some of the most powerful people in Alaskan Government and BP, ConocoPhillips, and ExxonMobil. She accomplished a lot in the short time she was Governor.

Since the book is about "Big Oil," there is a lot of information on oil and oil production. While I wasn't that interested in the oil information, I knew I needed to read it so I could understand the challenge Sarah took on to end the corruption. The previous administration fired people who would not look the other way and allow the corruption to go on. Others "ethical" officials resigned their offices over these firings. They are referred to by the Alaskan people and the authors of the book as "The Magnificent Seven." Sarah hired most, if not all, back after she was elected.

The book went to press late last year(2008), before the almost year long smear campaign of the mainstream media had taken its toll. Near the end of the book, Stefan Milkowski, a freelance reporter living in Fairbanks who writes about climate change and energy issues makes this statement about what he predicts would happen when Sarah returns home. "It's kind of like somebody going to the big leagues and then coming back home," he said. "She wouldn't suffer." Unfortunately, he didn't realize the maliciousness of the "big league" press, and others who see Sarah as standing in the way of their own personal or political gain.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Neutrality at its finest! November 1, 2008

By B. Lasley

So refreshing to see an author maintain neutrality during such a politically charged time!! Great unbiased information that sheds light on a relatively unknown public figure. Thanks!