Fantastic - Softcover

Laurence Leamer, author of three Kennedy bestsellers, presents the definitive biography of Arnold Schwarzenegger, his rise to fame and power, and his marriage to Maria Shriver. The life of Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the most extraordinary success stories of our time. An immigrant with a heavy accent from a village in Austria, he became the greatest bodybuilder in history, the number one movie star in the world, the Republican husband of a Kennedy Princess, and the governor of the greatest of American states. Fantastic shows how and why this man of willful ambition and limitless drive achieved his unprecedented accomplishments. Leamer has had exclusive, intimate interviews with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, his closest associates, including his elementary school friends in Austria, his mentors, bodybuilding competitors, lifelong friends, first serious girlfriend, political rivals, agents, publicists and producers, many of whom have never been interviewed before. Leamer captures the public and private Schwarzenegger, a political/cultural figure unlike any other, who could change the face of politics in our country. This intimate book is studded with news-making revelations: - The untold story of Arnold's traumatic relationship with his father - How Arnold's first mentor, a Jewish partisan in WW II, helped shape the youth - The intimate story of Arnold's first great love and the five years the couple lived together - Why Arnold married Maria Shriver and the startling story of their wedding day - The star who hated Arnold and tried to ruin his career - How Arnold overcame the sordid sexual revelations and prevailed politically - How Maria took over management of her husband's campaign - The game plan that may bring Arnold to the White House