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Non-Fiction Book Reviews
The Stingray: The Lethal Tactics of the
Sole Survivor
by Peter Lance
Shadow Lawn Press, 2000.
Trade Paperback, 288 pages.
ISBN: 1885840039.
Ordering information:
Amazon.com.
Survivor, the smash hit reality television show of
the summer of 2000, was an entertainment phenomenon. The winner of
the grueling contest, Richard Hatch, was infamous for his
cutthroat tactics and notable lack of clothing. Hatch became
the man that America loved to hate, as he formed and
reformed alliances on the island and maneuvered his way
to winning the $1 million dollar prize. After the winner was
announced, Hatch teamed with Emmy award-winning
investigative reporter and bestselling author Peter Lance
for a six figure tell-all book deal with St. Martin's Press.
But Hatch misrepresented that he had permission from
CBS to tell his story, and the deal fell apart at the last minute.
Feeling as betrayed as the other members of Rich's tribe,
Lance decided to write the book anyway. After all, he had
spent all summer with Richard listening to his life story. And
what a story it was.
From his boyhood as an overweight, unhappy, sexually abused
child to his stints at West Point and in the corporate world,
Richard Hatch maintained one guiding principle: putting himself
first. The Stingray is the only unbiased, true insider's telling
of both Richard Hatch's life and his underhanded tactics
on the island. The most shocking facts in the book, however, are those which
show that CBS, through producer Mark Burnett,
deliberately manipulated the show
and its outcome, which would be a violation of federal
game show laws, similar to what happened in the infamous
quiz show scandals of the
1950s. Another revelation is the extent of the
so-called "Life Rights" contracts which the contestants
signed, giving up most of their rights to make money
off their newfound fame. Using his reporter's skills
and instincts, Lance turns in a first-rate insider's look
at a true media phenomenon, and raises some very
provocative and disturbing questions about the
veracity of what was portrayed to millions of television viewers
as "reality".
With a fast-paced,
compelling delivery, Lance's book reads more like a
fast-paced thriller than a nonfiction work; you won't be
able to put it down. The outrageous and creative caricatures of
Hatch by popular artist Zeebarf are an added attraction to the book.
This is a must-buy for any Survivor fan.
--Claire E. White
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