The Faith and Values of Sarah Palin: What She Believes and What It Means for America »

Stephen Mansfield is the New York Times best-selling author of The Faith of George W. Bush, The Faith of Barack Obama, Benedict XVI: His Life and Mission, and Never Give In: The Extraordinary Character of Winston Churchill among other works of history and biography. Founder of both The Mansfield Group, a consulting and communications firm, and Chartwell Literary Group, which creates and manages literary projects, Stephen is also in wide demand as a lecturer and speaker. For more information, log onto www.MansfieldGroup.com.

David A. Holland is an author, speaker, media consultant and award-winning copywriter who writes the popular blog BlatherWinceRepeat.com and the satirical ChrisMatthewsLeg.com. He is the co-author of Paul Harvey’s America, as well as numerous articles, essays and opinion pieces. David makes his home with his wife and daughters in Dallas, Texas. For more information, log onto  DavidAHolland.com.

As the world grew to know Sarah Palin people began to see the force behind her: a deep, lifelong Christian faith that is the lens through which she views the world, the bedrock of her politics, and even a primary influence upon her personality.

Publishers Weekly

Mansfield, who has already written about the faiths of George Bush and Barack Obama, joins with writing partner Holland to analyze the faith of the next logical subject: Sarah Palin, a Pentecostal who is among the probable contenders for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. Palin, the authors rightly note, is among America's most polarizing figures. This analysis sheds some light on the topic, but not much. The authors say they've done research, but much of their reconstruction of Palin's life and career in Alaska is unsourced and merely rhetorically overheated (Palin's pastor is a "beloved man of god). A chapter about Palin's husband, Todd, is especially lightweight and speculative ("He seems to have lost a sense of himself during this time). Although they spend much time delineating her leadership qualities, they are largely silent about her decision to resign as Alaska's leader. The public record, including Palin's own words, is sufficient for this to have been a more substantive analysis of an important topic. (Sept.)

Introduction 1

Section 1 Beginnings

1 Roots of Faith and Daring 11

2 Profile: The Great Land 21

3 Warrior Rising 31

4 The Turning 41

5 Profile: To Be Pentecostal 53

6 Todd 63

Section 1 Afterword Four Truths From Sarah Palin's Beginnings 71

Section 2 Politics

7 Into the Fray 79

8 Realignment: The Culture War Comes to the Valley 91

9 The Palin Political Brand 103

10 "If I Die, I Die" 115

11 Five Smooth Stones 129

Section 2 Afterword Six Pillars of Sarah Palin's Politics 143

Section 3 The National Stage

12 McCain 149

13 Profile: Faith and the Election of 2008 159

14 Going Rogue? 169

15 The Politics of Personal Destruction 179

16 Palin and the Frontrunners for 2012 193

Section 3 Afterword Seven Things Sarah Palin Needs to Know 205

Epilogue 215

Acknowledgments 219

Notes 221

Index 235