Missileman: The Secret Life of Cold War Engineer Wallace Clauson

by John Clauson, Alice Sullivan (Contributor)

John Clauson grew up believing he was the son of an IBM salesman when actually he was the son of a math savant who worked with the Department of Defense on their missile program during the Cold War. Missileman is the true account of how Wallace Clauson kept his real work hidden from his family and his neighbors for fifty years. Moving every few years, even living for a period Zurich, Switzerland, Clauson led a life full of anxiety and suspicion. Missileman is a story of intrigue and wonder and discovery as son John Clauson reveals how his father, a stealth government agent working against the Russians during the Cold War, somehow managed to maintain a double life and keep his family safe and sheltered from the many dangers inherent in his secret life as a missileman.

320 pages, Hardcover

Published August 8, 2017

Reviews

[Timothy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating account of a Cold War savant who helped the U.S. stay a step ahead in a frightening arms race. As told by his son, the life of Wallace Clauson was like a protagonist from an Ian Flemming or John Le Carre novel.

My rating is based on the subject matter and a history that I lived through with references to incidents and people that made the news through my youth. Along with the nostalgia factor, I was enthralled by details that illuminated some of the behind-the-scenes activities to world-shaping conflicts.

Despite the inherent fascination of the subject matter, I gave this four rather than five stars as I felt the writing could have been better organized. It was fluent enough and easy to read, but the pace and flow were spotty. Further, as a biographical work that required some depth of research, it would strengthen the credibility of the work if more of that process had been revealed, either in the text or through more footnotes and endnotes.

Nonetheless, there are some thrilling anecdotal bits here and the ties to history I lived through make the entire book a volume I'm happy to have found - if entirely by accident. Sitting at our Saturday morning writing session, DeeAnn and I overheard some conversation about the book between its author and someone ostensibly planning a movie. I hope it comes to pass.

[Dave C. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This seems to be a rather embellished story of one of the thousands of Cold War engineers and scientists who worked on government programs between WWII and the 1980s with various defense contractors. There would have been no need for an engineer to live a "secret life" as described in order to work on classified government programs- all that was necessary was to not describe the details of your work to your family and friends. (I have personal experience with this.)

The author also covered much of the book on the the radio program "Our American Stories" in a very confusing and rambling manner; and many of the details he described about his father's life and work seemed highly unlikely and even bizarre - such as government recruitement as a high school student, working on classified programs while also attending college, hiding out from the Russians at his relative's farm for one year, etc. I think perhaps Wallace Clausan (with a B.S. in engineering, no advanced degree) worked on a few classified government programs in his career at IBM, and yes, probablly made some contributions to the cause. But then later in life fed his son some "tall tales" about his life and work before he passed on. There is really no way to tell the truth of this without more government documentation and evidence than was was provided in the book.

[Nona · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the account of Wallace Clauson’s secret life fascinating. To his family he was an IBM salesman but actuality, he was a math savant, recruited at eighteen-years-old to work with the U.S government, building the missile program. The shocking revelation of his part during the Cold War is revealed to his youngest son, John as they build a fence around John’s home.
This account was more interesting to me since I have a niece, by marriage, that is the granddaughter of Wallace Clauson. What a rich heritage she and her family has.

[Joy Kidney · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fascinating story on several levels, with roots in small-town Iowa and a terrible accident. Wallace Clauson's intriguing story is told around his son's buying a house and his father's insistence on helping build a fence and a garden. The son can barely believe his father's revelations about the important part he'd played in world events, but memories come to him that begin to make sense. And his father is dying of cancer.

John Atanasoff, early computers, Nuclear missiles, the Cold War, the Yom Kippur War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, secrets, Fermi, Einstein. An incredible biography.

[Roger E.Kassebaum · Rating 4 out of 5]

MissileMan

I gave this rating because of it's subject matter and the family life revealed.
Some parts of chapters are repeated several times. It's an excellent read for me in that the author gives us his love of his family and most men truly love their Father!

[Judith Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book.

Great history lesson about forgotten hero's who never get the praise they deserve. Very proud of W. Clauson but also sad that our world puts people in positions of obscurity.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating read. Anyone who is a history buff, especially WWII or the Cold War, should not miss this.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating story but it didn’t always flow well and at times was difficult to follow.

[Tom Pyle · Rating 1 out of 5]

Interesting story, but a lot of material was repeated, many typos throughout, and I didn't enjoy reading it as much as I had hoped.