The Secret Man (book)
| Author | Frank Dux |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | ReganBooks |
Publication date | 1996 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 316 |
| ISBN | 978-0060391522 |
The Secret Man is an memoir by martial artist Frank Dux, published in 1996 by ReganBooks. In the book, Dux asserts he was recruited by Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director William J. Casey in a public toilet to work on covert missions, including destroying a fuel depot in Nicaragua and a chemical weapons plant in Iraq. Dux's claims in the book have been contested by several notable figures, including by Director of Central Intelligence Robert Gates, General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr., major general John K. Singlaub, as well as Soldier of Fortune magazine.
Content
The book begins with a forward by Lieutenant commander Larry Simmons, a novelist who formally commanded SEAL Team 5.
Reaction
Reviewing the book, Publishers Weekly said "It's hard to tell whether the author is merely posturing or expressing his fantasy life in a memoir that reads as if patterned on the early paperback Avenger series."[1] In an article about the book's disputed claims, The Plain Dealer said that Dux was either "James Bond, Rambo and the Karate Kid all rolled into one, or a fiction writer being peddled as a true American hero.[2]
Several notable figures refuted Dux's claims to have worked for the CIA. Robert Gates, William J. Casey's deputy and successor, said he had never heard of Dux, nor had anyone else he knew in the CIA. General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. and major general John K. Singlaub both denied Dux's assertions. Singlaub said he had never met Dux, and called the book "virtually a complete fabrication".[2] A CIA spokesman said the book was "sheer fantasy", adding that it was unusual for the CIA to comment on such matters though Dux's claims were "so preposterous that we thought it was necessary", also stating that it was convenient for Dux that Casey was dead and unable to refute the book himself.[3] Dux's website features a letter from Lieutenant commander Alexander Martin who professes that Dux was a covert operative,[4] though the existence of Martin himself is disputed.[5]
Singlaub wrote to HarperCollins, the company that owned the imprint ReganBooks which published the book, asking for it to be recalled.[2] ReganBooks refused to speak to The Plain Dealer about the allegations, and Dux did not return their calls.[2]
Lieutenant commander Larry Simmons said that after reading a few pages of the book he knew he had "been deceived into lending credibility to a fraudulent endeavor". Simmons, who had the same literary agent as Dux, was asked by his agent to write a "generic" forward for the book. Simmons posed with Dux for a photograph, which Dux featured in the book, with the caption saying he was "talking shop" with the SEAL Team leader. Simmons denied "talking shop" with him, adding that Dux was "not an American warrior. He is a con man."[3]
In a scathing review, Soldier of Fortune magazine described the book as a "literary laxative". The magazine opined there were many plot holes in the book, and in their review provided ten examples of these, such as Dux's "preposterous" claim that Casey personally handled his operations and ensured that no one else in the CIA would know of his existence, yet contradicts this by describing receiving documents and support from other personnel on numerous occasions, and also criticized some of the photographs in the book. One photograph shows Dux in a military uniform with a rifle that appears to be an M16 rifle, with the caption that that it was taken in 1983 in a trench. According to Soldier of Fortune, on closer inspection the rifle is actually an Italian-made .22 Long Rifle designed to look like an M16, a low-powered rifle designed for varmint hunting and not recommended for combat.[3]
References
- ^ "The Secret Man: An American Warrior's Uncensored Journey". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on February 10, 2019.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c d Howard, Michael (June 16, 1996). "CIA Calls Dux "Quack". Spy Agency Says "Secret Man" Exploits Just Work of Fiction". The Plain Dealer. p. 16A.
- ^ a b c "Full Mental Jacket". Soldier of Fortune (August 1996): 37–39.
- ^ Figueroa, Dariel (October 21, 2005). "Lies, Litigation, And Jean-Claude Van Damme: An Exploration Into The Reality Behind 'Bloodsport'". Uproxx. Archived from the original on January 25, 2019.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ Landman, Hugh. "The Insane Story Of Frank Dux, Whose Life Allegedly Formed The Basis For 'Bloodsport'". Ranker. Archived from the original on January 26, 2019.
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