Dimensions
154 x 229 x 34mm
Arnold Schwarzenegger's unlikely rise to the face of the Republican Party is part American Dream/self-made man and a storyline from one of his movies (either Conan the Barbarian or True Lies). Now, scoop hunter Ian Halperin sifts through the myths and rumors to discover the truth, including his child abuse in Austria, the sex scandals, the years of steroids abuse, his wife Maria Shriver's secret battle with illness, and what impact he has actually had on California.
Going undercover in Austria, Halperin takes a candid journey through Schwarzenegger's past. He exposes the extent of the child abuse a young Schwarzenegger suffered at the hands of his father, Gustav. Exploring the revelation that Gustav was a member of the Nazi Party, he also investigates the allegations that Arnold Schwarzenegger himself expressed admiration for Hitler. The most shocking revelation from Schwarzenegger's past, however, is that the Governor who cracked down on illegal immigration himself once worked in this country illegally.
Halperin also infiltrates the exclusive world of body building, interviewing many who knew Schwarzenegger long before he was The Terminator. He presents in detail the extent of Schwarzenegger's early steroid use, contributing to his phenomenal success as a bodybuilder, which he has since acknowledged but downplayed.
Perhaps the biggest Schwarzenegger scandal, Arnold's reputation as a womanizer, also receives considerable attention. Among others, Halperin interviews Schwarzenegger's former mistress, an actress on the hit TV series Little House on the Prairie, who reveals intimate details of a seven-year extra-marital affair with Schwarzenegger. He also talks with Anna Richardson, the British TV personality and talk show host, who publicly accused Schwarzenegger of sexual harassment during his first gubernatorial campaign. Richardson is just one of many women who have agreed to talk on the record with Halperin about their experiences that earned Schwarzenegger the nickname "the Groper."
And Halperin considers Schwarzenegger's future challenges, including his struggles with Maria Shriver's extremely secret and very serious illness, as well as his political future and aspirations. Halperin goes into depth covering Schwarzenegger's political career, revealing him to be an extraordinarily effective governor of California whose accomplishments, especially in environmental initiatives, have been overshadowed by the current fiscal crisis that threatens to unfairly tarnish his political legacy. Probing the sincerity of Schwarzenegger's political affiliations, Halperin reveals that, although he publicly endorsed John McCain for President, he told aides that Schwarzenegger actually supported Barack Obama. It's not the first time that Schwarzenegger revealed himself to be a closet Democrat like his wife and the rest of the Kennedy clan.
Filled with judicious research and even more shocking revelations, Halperin's tenth journalistic feat proves to be his best yet.
