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Frank Dux
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The Secret Man: An American Warrior's Uncensored Story Hardcover – January 1, 1996

by Frank Dux (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 61 ratings
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Chronicles the exploits of a former CIA hitman who performed highly classified missions and who masked his covert operations under his international reputation as a martial arts black belt
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    316 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Harpercollins
  4. Publication date
    January 1, 1996
  5. Dimensions
    6.5 x 1.5 x 9.75 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0060391529
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0060391522
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

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. Dux describes himself as "sleek and agile," a professional martial artist "considered by many the fastest human alive," a man able to break bullet-proof glass with a blow from his bare hand, "a great hunter." He was a contract operative for William Casey, who supposedly recruited him in a urinal after introducing himself as "head of the fucking CIA." The missions Dux recounts include killing a mass murderer and aiding the U.S.S.R. in investigating what proved to be a scam anthrax scare. He writes sketchily of the Iran-Contra scandal. He also relates a bit of his background, a heritage of forebears in the Hagganah and Mossad. Dux attempts to settle scores as well, disputing exposes of his martial-arts prowess that appeared in the Los Angeles Times and in various magazines. Telling of his recent surgery for brain tumors, he speculates that his affliction and the tumor that killed Casey in 1987 could have been instigated through a bioagent. Dux stresses that, as a CIA operative, he worked "on the edge of a psychological razor"?which, with this tell-all, slips. Photos not seen by PW. $50,000 ad/promo; author tour; available on audiocassette from HarperAudio.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Harpercollins; First Edition (January 1, 1996)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 316 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0060391529
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0060391522
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.32 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1.5 x 9.75 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 61 ratings

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Frank Dux

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
61 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Happy Squirrel
5.0 out of 5 stars Iconic and collectible For Dux And Bloodsport fans.
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2024
Verified Purchase
This is the autobiography of the man that Bloodsport, the film staring Jean Claude Van Damme was based off of, and created from. Frank Dux is a talented Martial Arts Master, filmaker, fight choregrapher, and quite possibly the American equivalent of James Bond.
One person found this helpful
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jason capley
5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it.
Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2024
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Never finished the book. Someone tossed it in the trash at work.
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Passin' Through
5.0 out of 5 stars Frank Dux and James Hydrick
Reviewed in the United States on June 8, 2016
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Frank Dux was James Hydrick mentor in Salt Lake City. You might say they both were hillbilly martial artists who became government agents and fought Kumites. With respect for the other derogatory reviews, on a field level the CIA does recruit from the streets and prisons. Hydrick was recruited by the LA cop Michael Ruppert who later gained fame in bashing the CIA in 9/11. Hydrick went to Latin America, as did Dux, to gather intelligence against the Contras that was passed to Ruppert to Senator Edward Boland that sparked the Boland Amendment.

You may also rag all you want about Hydrick as an SVP, but he served his country well in other places around the world as an NGO (non-government agent) with a team that resembled the Dirty Dozen. He mixed with Richard Marcinko who he describes as ‘Mean, nasty and a great team leader’ and with Bo Gritz who described Hydrick as ‘The man on our team who gets in and out of places that cockroaches can’t go.’ The same Hydrick appeared on That’s Incredible, Sally Jessie Raphael and others at (...)

Frank Dux came to Salt Lake in the 1980s where Hydrick had the largest dojo in the free world and trained him primarily in explosives, intelligence and counter-terrorism. It was as simple as making bombs out of toilet tanks and resisting torture. Dux told Hydrick that they were ‘connected’ and their relationship was like father and son. Dux would return from traveling, Hydrick described to me in interviews, looking beat up and like he needed a beer, bath and bed.

Dux was a great fighter and described to Hydrick how he had trained in Thailand and participated in the underground contests in USA. Of course, Dux became famous in ‘Bloodsport’ which was the springboard for this autobiography ‘The Secret Man’.
4 people found this helpful
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Lionel Scotti
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic TRUE story!
Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2023
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Fantastic True Life story of Frank Dux!
One person found this helpful
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JohnDrakeMI6
5.0 out of 5 stars Frank Dux a real life Master of martial arts and super secret agent!
Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2015
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I know Frank Dux and he is the real deal !!!
Read this very exciting and accurate book.
Frank is a Master of the Kumite which was also made famous by actor
martial artist Jean Claude Van Dam. Kudos to Van Damn as well!
I have been in martial arts for over 45 years and these guys are serious.
I am former U.S. Secret Service and the book is great !!!
2 people found this helpful
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Charles C. Hardin
1.0 out of 5 stars Fails as fact and as fiction
Reviewed in the United States on July 5, 2011
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The number of factual errors in this alleged autobiography would stun James Frey and Stephen Glass. General John Singlaub directed the Phoenix Project? No. Bill Casey was short? No. A Makarov pistol is incredibly heavy? Hell, no.

Even if we put those objections aside, the book is crap. It reads like Ton Clancy fanfic, complete with cheesy dialogue, poorly motivated plot developments, and tales of derring-do.

Dux's actual military records are public, and they don't support even a little of his story. As for that 300-man kumite, where are all those guys he beat, and where were their trainers, cutmen, cornermen, etc.? What secluded island would not make note of such a giant influx of people, yet be small enough that the secret could be kept?

Sorry, Frank, but it's no dice. You've committed the worst error a self-aggrandizing BS artist can make: You're boring.
47 people found this helpful
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Diane E. Malone
5.0 out of 5 stars Real Covert Ops Agent working overseas. The true story upon which the movie "Blood Sport" was based.
Reviewed in the United States on November 12, 2020
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Amazing true story of a covert ops agent of the American Government. I spoke to the author, while he was on a radio show. He is an inspirational man!
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ilosby
2.0 out of 5 stars Ugh.
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2016
Verified Purchase
I bought this book knowing Frank Dux was exaggerating (lying about) the things he did. Even so, I stopped about halfway through.

It was so over the top, he made Richard Marcinko look like a Boy Scout. This book is a throwback to the Navy SEAL/Delta/Special Forces books of the 80's and early 90's, just more poorly written. Everyone knows an autobiography is written to out yourself in the best light, but Frank steals the sun and puts it directly above himself.

He name drops and is always around the fringes of real events (or his version of them), so he can say he was there, but no one saw him. Frank actually merited a mention in BG Burkett's book Stolen Valor, due to his claims.

I'll give this another shot come summer, when I can sit out in the sun and snooze when I get bored.
23 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

craig paulin
5.0 out of 5 stars ... guy and what I have read so far is good so thanks for the book and can't complain about ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 5, 2016
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Delivered quick and always wanted to read about this guy and what I have read so far is good so thanks for the book and can't complain about the service thanks again.
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Eileen Taylor
5.0 out of 5 stars This man has led an amazing life. I haven't finished it yet but it ...
Reviewed in Canada on April 28, 2015
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the book rocks. This man has led an amazing life. I haven't finished it yet but it is really interesting. love that the book is in such good shape for being second hand.
One person found this helpful
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Blackmane
3.0 out of 5 stars A Legend in his own mind...
Reviewed in Canada on September 12, 2023
Verified Purchase
Seldom has such a flight of fancy been put forth as being a true story...

Frank Dux has created a fantasy narrative fit to place him among the likes of the Heroes of Old. He truly crafted a personal mythology that still has some fooled to this very day.

When he wrote this book, his web of lies was already beginning to unravel, but he manages to weave justifications for that into the narrative as well. The fact that his military record shows no service outside the USA, with no medals of any sort whatsoever he chalks up to a coverup of his clandestine activities. Indeed, the way he frames it, the total lack of evidence to support any of his claims simply means that what he is telling you is 100% true! That is probably the greatest work of genius in this book.

I give it three stars because while it did leave me entertained, the ending was rather weak. Felt like it simply trailed off. Even the final confrontation with the "evil villain" he was chasing throughout the whole book felt lackluster.

Does Frank prevail? Of course he does! He's Frank!
In his telling he is the greatest ninja, the best fighter, has lots of sex, has all the underworld connections, etc. Sadly for entertainment purposes though, even after conveying all this he tones it down in parts to try and convince you that the story is true. If he had just realized that the lies would be called out (the book was pulled from circulation after the publisher was told about all the lies) and went full out instead of pulling back in a couple of places, this would easily has become a 4 star book.

But is it worth buying?
Yes. You need to read the tale of the Canadian born American ninja Kumite champion covert CIA operative fight choreographer. He really did do the fight choreography for Bloodsport, and the movie is based on the lies he told of his fighting experience.
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