America by Heart

America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag is the second book by Sarah Palin. It was released on November 23, 2010, and has been described as containing selections from Palin's favorite speeches, sermons, and inspirational works, as well as vignettes about Americans she met in the fall of 2009 while on her book tour for Going Rogue: An American Life.[1][2] One million copies were printed for the first run, and a digital edition has been available since the release.[2] She embarked on a 16-city book tour in America's "heartland" that began on November 23, 2010.[3] The book made number two on The New York Times Best Seller list during its second week of release.[4] America by Heart was the fifth best-selling nonfiction book of 2010, according to Publishers Weekly, with 797,955 copies sold.[5]

America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith, and Flag
AuthorSarah Palin
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
SubjectPolitics and government
GenreBiography
PublisherHarperCollins
Publication date
November 23, 2010
Media typeHardcover (large print and audiobook available)
Pages272
ISBN978-0-06-201096-4
OCLC649799997
Preceded byGoing Rogue: An American Life 
Followed byGood Tidings and Great Joy 

Pre-publication controversy

Several days before the book's release, the website Gawker published excerpts in which Palin criticized Levi Johnston (the father of her grandchild), the TV show American Idol, Hollywood filmmakers, Michelle Obama, Barack Obama, the Obamas' former pastor Jeremiah Wright, and John F. Kennedy for the speech he made about his religion while campaigning for President in 1960. Palin posted the following message on her Twitter page:

The publishing world is LEAKING out-of-context excerpts of my book w/out my permission? Isn't that illegal?[6]

Within 48 hours, Palin's publisher had sued Gawker for copyright violations and had obtained a federal court order requiring Gawker to remove the material from its website,[6] despite Gawker Media's claim of fair use.[7] The American Spectator called the legal action a "huge victory".[8]

On November 20, 2010, Palin published her own "Exclusive Sneak Peek" of the book on her Facebook page.[9] On the day the book was officially released, The Guardian printed extracts from the book on American values, criticism of Barack Obama and his health care legislation, criticism of Levi Johnston and the younger generation.[10]

Reviews

Human Events magazine describes the book as patriotic and optimistic in tone and as bringing life to words from historical figures such as Ronald Reagan, John F. Kennedy and Abigail Adams.[11]

Townhall columnist Katie Pavlich recommends the book to "any American who believes in faith, family, love of country and even history". She describes the book as having a personal touch but as emphasizing faith-guided conservative principles much more than Palin's earlier book, Going Rogue.[12]

Amanda Marcotte's review in the Guardian claims that America by Heart is divisive and succeeds in "stoking the feelings of resentment in her target audience against the usual cadre of villains," while containing a subtext which implies that white fundamentalist Christians are the real Americans and that America is the only nation with the right to having feelings of "exceptionalism."[13]

The New York Times says the book is full of the patriotic reflections promised by the title, but it is also a road map to the political attacks Palin would make on Barack Obama if she were to run for U.S. President in 2012.[14]

References
  1. Montopoli, Brian (May 11, 2010). "Sarah Palin's New Book: 'America by Heart'". Political Hotsheet. Archived from the original on 15 May 2010. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
  2. Italie, Hillel (May 12, 2010). "Sarah Palin's book, 'America By Heart,' out Nov. 23". USA Today. Associated Press. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
  3. Brad Knickerbocker (November 21, 2010). "Sarah Palin's 'America by Heart' sure to stir friends – and enemies". The Christian Science Monitor.
  4. Jennifer Schuessler (December 3, 2010). "Inside the List". The New York Times.
  5. "The Winning Game: 2010 Hardcovers: Facts & Figures 2011".
  6. Sarah Yin (November 21, 2010). "Gawker Removes Leaked Sarah Palin Book Excerpts". PC Magazine. Retrieved November 21, 2010.
  7. Lyneka Little (November 22, 2010). "Gawker Ordered to Remove Sarah Palin Book Excerpts". The Wall Street Journal.
  8. Robert Stacy McCain (November 20, 2010). "'Huge Win' for Palin Publisher vs. Gawker". The American Spectator. Archived from the original on November 22, 2010. Retrieved November 22, 2010.
  9. Sarah Palin (November 20, 2010). "An Exclusive Sneak Peek at 'America by Heart'". Facebook.
  10. "Sarah Palin's America by Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith and Flag - extracts". The Guardian. U.K. November 23, 2010.
  11. Jedediah Bila (November 23, 2010). "Book Review: Sarah Palin's 'America by Heart'". Human Events. Archived from the original on November 24, 2010. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
  12. Katie Pavlich (November 23, 2010). "Sarah Palin's America By Heart". Townhall.
  13. Amanda Marcotte (November 23, 2010). "Sarah Palin's heartland Americans: Though transparently ghostwritten, America by Heart epitomises Palin's incoherent, yet visceral appeal to angry conservatives". The Guardian.
  14. Michael D. Shear (November 24, 2010). "New Palin Book Offers a Road Map for a Run Against Obama". The New York Times.
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