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Book Synopsis

The Con Man's Formula: Hope + Fear = Desperation

From the Gilded Age, through WWII, America was rife with ne'er-do-wells with their never-ending search for the next Big Score. Between 1850, and 1950 lawlessness melded with ingenuity, fueled by optimism and ruthlessness: America was dangerous, and buzzing, and where opportunity came to take flight. At anyone's expense.

The gall and gumption of these hustles strain credulity. Fake diamond fields? War with Canada? Sir Francis Drake's unclaimed fortune? All was fair in the quest for something-for-nothing.

The scammers in this volume range from Soapy Smith, the King of the Frontier Con Men, to the eponymous Ponzi; from the undeniably unscrupulous, to the ill and ill-advised. Fans of clever schemes and schadenfreude alike will be entertained by these tales of the rise and fall of some of America's greatest hucksters.

A Century of Swindles

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    Order before 4pm today for delivery by Tue 23 Jun 2026.

    A Paperback by Railey Jane Savage

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      Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
      Publication Date: 1/1/2021 12:09:00 AM
      ISBN13: 9781493053681, 978-1493053681
      ISBN10: 149305368X

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      The Con Man's Formula: Hope + Fear = Desperation

      From the Gilded Age, through WWII, America was rife with ne'er-do-wells with their never-ending search for the next Big Score. Between 1850, and 1950 lawlessness melded with ingenuity, fueled by optimism and ruthlessness: America was dangerous, and buzzing, and where opportunity came to take flight. At anyone's expense.

      The gall and gumption of these hustles strain credulity. Fake diamond fields? War with Canada? Sir Francis Drake's unclaimed fortune? All was fair in the quest for something-for-nothing.

      The scammers in this volume range from Soapy Smith, the King of the Frontier Con Men, to the eponymous Ponzi; from the undeniably unscrupulous, to the ill and ill-advised. Fans of clever schemes and schadenfreude alike will be entertained by these tales of the rise and fall of some of America's greatest hucksters.

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