I Was Saddam's Son

As the tabloid-style title suggests, this book is filled with the sort of sensational details that draw readers despite their better instincts. Thanks to an uncanny physical resemblance and an impeccable record as an Iraqi citizen and military officer, Yahia was forced to serve nearly four years as fidai (body double) to Uday Hussein, Saddam Hussein's reputedly violent son and heir. As an insider, Yahia was eyewitness to the regime's brutality. The authors provide accounts of palace life during the Iran-Iraq and Gulf wars, but they never lose sight of what really fuels their book: blood. Yahia chronicles the endless stream of tortures, rapes and murders he claims the Hussein clan thrives on. Near the end of the book, Yahia offers a vague admission of guilt for his cooperation with the regime: ""The simple truth was that, while Saddam fears the people, the people also fear Saddam. Anyone who values his own life had better play along.""In 1991, Yahia was severely tortured by Uday and unexpectedly released from service, then escaped to Europe. Originally published in Germany in 1994, this edition includes an epilogue by Wendl, the Austrian journalist who broke the news of Yahia's defection. An engrossing account of a car wreck of a life that one can't stop staring at. Illustrations not seen by PW. (Oct.)