A "fascinating" memoir--and the inspiration for the movie starring
Richard Gere--from the man behind the forged autobiography of Howard
Hughes (Time).
Novelist Clifford Irving's no-holds-barred account of his faked
autobiography of Howard Hughes--one of the greatest literary hoaxes of
the twentieth century--is the ultimate caper story.
The plan was concocted in the early 1970s, when eccentric billionaire
Hughes was already living as a recluse in the Bahamas. An American
author, Irving pitched the scheme to his friend, fellow writer Richard
Suskind: Through forged letters and fake interviews, they would recount
Hughes's life "in his own words." Meanwhile, Irving's wife would open a
Swiss bank account in the name of "Helga R. Hughes" using a fake
passport. Their success hinged on the assumption that Hughes would never
resurface to challenge the book, as he had not spoken to the press in
over ten years.
Conning Irving's own publisher of nearly a decade out of a six-figure
advance, the three conspirators embarked on a hoax that would fool
journalists, handwriting experts, and even a lie-detector test. It was
not until Hughes himself emerged from seclusion to denounce Irving that
the book was exposed as fraud.
This madcap, bestselling memoir "is a story which reads like the best
thriller fiction and which contains the seeds of a dozen movie scripts.
Mysterious meetings, false passports, a beautiful Danish baroness, Swiss
bank accounts . . ." The Hoax is a masterpiece of international
intrigue and startling revelations (The Tatler, England).
"Brilliant!" --Newsday
"A masterpiece!" --CBS Radio
"Spellbinding!" --Publishers Weekly
"Sensational!" --New York Daily New
