"ThePolitician," which went on sale Saturday, chronicles the association ofauthor Andrew Young with John Edwards, beginning as Edwards was electedto the U.S. Senate in 1998 and extending through two unsuccessful bidsfor the Democratic nomination for president. Their close bond endedwhen Edwards used Young to hide an affair with a campaign staffer andthe fact that Edwards had fathered her child.

"It is anindisputable fact that I willingly participated in this ruse," Youngsaid in the prologue to his book, clearly referring to Edwards' affairwith Rielle Hunter, who was hired by the campaign to producepromotional videos.

Still, Young's portrayal of the Edwardses inthe 300-page book suggests that "the ruse" may have been John Edwards'persona as a down-to-earth champion of the working class and ElizabethEdwards' image as a valiant cancer survivor.

John Edwards builthis presidential campaigns on eliminating the divide between America'srich and poor, yet he lived an extravagant lifestyle and never appearedcomfortable rubbing elbows with lower-income people, Young writes. Hepreferred private jets, hid his luxury cars and imported suits duringcampaign appearances, built a lavish estate outside Chapel Hill andeven used plastic water bottles to conceal the wine he drank.

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