- Paperback
- Publisher: Knightsbridge Pub Co Mass; Reprint edition (August 1990)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1877961841
- ISBN-13: 978-1877961847
- Product Dimensions: 17 x 10.7 x 2 cm
- Shipping Weight: 204 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Book Description
Soon to be a major motion picture -- a no-holds-barred account of the most notorious literary hoax of the twentieth century, written by the perpetrator himselfBefore Oprah and TheSmokingGun.com had ever heard of James Frey, there was Clifford Irving. In 1971, he burst onto the literary scene, claiming to have been granted the right to pen the authorized biography of the famously reclusive icon Howard Hughes. Forged documents seemed to bear out his claims, and McGraw-Hill awarded him a contract for the then-enormous sum of $750,000. When Hughes himself emerged from seclusion to denounce Irving as a charlatan, McGraw-Hill stood by their author. It wasn't until Hughes filed suit, and Swiss bank officials got involved, that Irving finally confessed. The Hoax, first published in 1981, is Irving's explosive account of his own misdeeds -- and the inspiration for a soon-to-be released movie starring Richard Gere.
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
About the Author
Clifford Irving grew up in New York and became a novelist. Following his 1972 jail sentence he has continued with his writing career, and now divides his time between Mexico and Colorado with his wife.
--This text refers to the
Perfect Paperback
edition.
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Customer Reviews
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Truth is more Complex than Falsity,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Hoax (Hardcover)
This book has the ring of truth to it, and that is unmistakeable. It's the story of a writer who hoodwinked the world by writing the hoax autobiography of billionaire Howard Hughes, and paid the price by going to prison. It reads like a novel, in the sense that it's thrilling, and you understand Clifford Irving to the bone. It's well-paced, filled with memorable characters and incidents, and if there were ever a book to nail down the sin of greed in both individuals and corporations, this is it. I loved it.
2.0 out of 5 stars
At Least This One was (Maybe) Honest,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Hoax (Hardcover)
This is a good read, a good read about a master forger and a man who refuses to repent. A sociopath in action. Mr Irving claims this book is honest, the truth, but since he is writing about a giant lie, it's hard to believe this is as honest as he would have us believe. If you are are interested in the mind of a sick man, then this book is for you.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.3 out of 5 stars (20 customer reviews) 18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Whodunit From The One Who Did It,
By Bicycle Day - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Hoax (Paperback)
I was a young person at the time of the world-wide controversy surrounding the publication of the Hughes "autobiography," and needless to say it was front-page news.By this time Hughes had not been seen or heard from by the public for more than a decade and many people felt he was dead, perhaps in an accident around the time he "disappeared." And in the shroud of mystery emerges a book on his life that Hughes granted the author - Irving - unprecedented access through a series of interviews on his life. Then came the debate on the validity of the book, which was only solved by the eccentric billionaire ending his silence - not in front of a camera, but through a long-distance phone call to a panel of journalists who knew Hughes from years past. I purchased The Hoax as one who was absolutely fascinated in how Irving nearly pulled off the crime. And if it wasn't for the phone call by Hughes to state the book was a fraud it can be argued that the debate would have continued for years, but Irving's deception would have been successful. The reality was Irving believed Hughes was too ill to repudiate the book. The Hoax remains one of the favorite books I ever read. 17 of 19 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Truth is more Complex than Falsity,
By A Customer - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Hoax (Hardcover)
This book has the ring of truth to it, and that is unmistakeable. It's the story of a writer who hoodwinked the world by writing the hoax autobiography of billionaire Howard Hughes, and paid the price by going to prison. It reads like a novel, in the sense that it's thrilling, and you understand Clifford Irving to the bone. It's well-paced, filled with memorable characters and incidents, and if there were ever a book to nail down the sin of greed in both individuals and corporations, this is it. I loved it.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Incredible thrilling true tale,
By JVB - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Hoax (Paperback)
I had avoided reading this book, although several friends recommended it. Finally I read it, because there's a movie coming out soon (Richard Gere plays Irving) based on the events. I discovered that it's an amazing story about a man who defied and bilked the literary establishment and the Howard Hughes hierarchy and at the same time -- this was in 1972 -- enraged Richard Nixon's White House and may indeed have been the prime reason that the Nixon gang broke into the Watergate (to find out if Irving had given the Democrats secret information about Hughes' "loans" to Nixon).Yes, Irving was a rogue, but what a delightful and literate rogue. Moreover, the book is one of the best written first-person narratives I've ever read; it's wise and witty at the same time as it's a gripping tale. People wonder if Irving told the truth in the book. I believe it has an unmistakeable ring of truth. You can't fake that, ever. Clifford Irving's many novels are next on my list. |
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