Saddam's lawyer promises hole truth in tell-all

Who ever said the Iraqis can't get the hang of the American way of life? Following the lead of nearly every red-blooded American involved in a big news story, word has come down down that Saddam Hussein's lawyer plans to do the obvious: write a book.

And already, he's sounding like a high-powered New York publicist.

"The book will contain information never before revealed and many secrets about the fall of Baghdad," said Khalil al-Dulaimi. In an interview with a reporter for Middle East Online, he added that the book will include 200-300 letters, poems and other works written by Hussein, as well as "stories he revealed to me during more than 140 interviews in jail."

Al-Dulaimi claims he "wrote down every single word" Hussein told him during their conversations - topics of which ranged from the fall of Baghdad to the future of Iraq.

He also spoke to Hussein about his capture. The Iraqi leader was reportedly pulled from a hole in the ground, but al-Dulaimi claims the American press got that all wrong. "The story about the hole is not true . . . This is one of the secrets that will be revealed in the book."

Secrets unveiled, attacks on the press . . . it's all as American as a Dateline NBC special . And al-Dulaimi isn't the only Iraqi looking for a book deal. The same article reports that other lawyers on Hussein's defense team are "mulling plans to write their memoirs about the trial that led to Saddam's execution."

No word yet of any "six-figure" contracts or deals. But give 'em a few years. They'll learn.

SPEAKING OF DATELINE NBC . . .

I guess it's only right that after luring seemingly millions of child predators out from under their rocks - and keeping parents everywhere up nights worrying - Dateline NBC's Chris Hansen offers this new title: To Catch a Predator: Protecting Your Kids From Online Enemies Already in Your Home (Dutton, $24.95).

But here's a warning: It looks like the book is heavy on ever-more nightmarish stories, and light on ways to keep kids safe.

In other words: more worry on the way.

ROCKY ALUMNI

It's been nearly 24 years - and four manuscripts - since Mark Stevens worked for the Rocky. The former crack reporter and genuinely nice guy also spent time as a field producer for The McNeil/Lehrer NewsHour and 11 years as communications director for Denver Public Schools - all while writing novels in his free time and chasing down publishers.

Finally, his hard work has paid off with his debut, Antler Dust (Paandaa Entertainment, $24.95), a mystery set in the Colorado Flat Tops Wilderness. Bestselling suspense-master Stephen White lauds the book as "a wonderful, compelling debut - you won't find a fresher, more satisfying voice." And if you like this one, there's three more novels stashed in a drawer somewhere in Stevens' home, waiting to find audiences of their own.

Stevens will appear at the Tattered Cover in LoDo Thursday, 7:30 p.m. Information: 303-436-1070.

PAPER CLIPS

Notable books, recently released in paperback:

• Abide With Me, by Elizabeth Strout (Random House,$23.95).

• Riding Rockets: The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut, by Mike Mullane (Scribner, $15).

• Fantasyland: A Sportswriter's Obsessive Bid to Win the World's Most Ruthless Fantasy Baseball League, by Sam Walker (Penguin, $15).

• Queen of the Underworld, by Gail Godwin (Ballantine, $14.95).