Trailblazer: An Intimate Biography of Sarah Palin (Hardcover)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: iron dog, first dude, hockey mom, Anchorage Daily News, Sarah Palin, Chuck Heath (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

She's a real-life American success story. A small-town girl who wasn't content to keep things small. In 1996, Sarah Palin was a city councilwoman who had set her sights on becoming mayor, despite unwelcome advice that as the mother of three young children, she might not have a whole lot of success in a political career. She proved any naysayer wrong in a hurry. Ten years later, by 2006, she was the youngest governor Alaska had ever had...and the first woman. Now, still only in her mid-forties and the mother of five, she is one of the best-known women in American politics.

People magazine assistant editor Lorenzo Benet met with Sarah Palin and her family just weeks before the announcement that she would be the Republican vice-presidential nominee. He spoke in depth with Governor Palin; with her husband, Todd, the "First Dude," as he likes to call himself; with her children; and with other members of her extended family. Now, in a fascinating book, Benet uses skills honed as a longtime professional writer and the author of several biographies to present the intimate portrait of Sarah Palin that America has been looking for.

Beginning with Palin's birth in Sandpoint, Idaho, and her family's move to Skagway and then Wasilla, Alaska, Trailblazer details the difficulties of growing up in Alaska, Sarah Palin's early successes as a basketball star and a beauty pageant contestant, and the story of her elopement with Todd Palin, whom she met at Wasilla High. It describes her career as a broadcast journalist and young mother, and gives details on her move to the political arena that has culminated in making her a household name. From staff firings in Wasilla to her controversies with the Alaska Oil and Gas Commission, from her support of Todd Palin's snow machine races to her own love for moose and caribou hunting and salmon fishing, and culminating with the almost manic excitement of the 2008 election, Lorenzo Benet has built up a detailed picture of a fascinating and extraordinarily complex woman -- an introduction to a Sarah Palin that the world is only just coming to know.

About the Author

Lorenzo Benet is an assistant editor at People magazine and the New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Lives of Danielle Steel: The Unauthorized Biography of America's #1 Best-Selling Author; Scott Hamilton's memoir, Landing It: My Life On and Off the Ice; and Star Parker's Pimps, Whores And Welfare Brats -- The Stunning Conservative Transformation of a Former Welfare Queen.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Threshold Editions (February 17, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439142343
• ISBN-13: 978-1439142349
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #4,401 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #31 in	Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Leaders & Notable People > Political
  #77 in	Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Specific Groups > Women

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Skimpy, October 27, 2009

By	Bren808 - See all my reviews

Not much information about what makes her tick. It was an outsider looking in (not from a close viewpoint, either).

17 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Insightful Journey, February 12, 2009

By	T. Harris (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I found this book very enlightening and appreciated the personal perspective vs. the political slant I expected. During the election, Sarah's gaffes gave ample opportunity for the press to paint the Palin portrait with one color. Trailblazer reflects the journey that paved the way for her seemingly baffling appointment as the Vice Presidential nominee in a way that begins to shed light and understanding on what poised Palin for this position. Given the roar from the crowd that what made her special was that she is "just one of us," I thought the author's choice to tell the story in a straight forward and simple manner accurately reflected the same ease in which people connect with Palin. I found it to be an honest and unbiased account of the story preceding her tipping point which led to an explosion on the world stage.

30 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Balanced Account, February 12, 2009

By	Penrod Sidney "Political Maven" (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

Trailblazer is a wonderfully researched book. I learned more about Sarah Palin by reading it than all of the other biographies combined. That's probably because Lorenzo Benet, a correspondent for many years with People Magazine, is an excellent journalist and writer. His book presents a blend of the personal and political and he carefully avoids indicting Palin for her politics. Benet did a great job of writing a balanced book, so that whatever your feelings about Palin, you will come away with a good understanding of the woman who was the first Republican woman to run for vice president. I highly recommend this book.