Crafty Crooks & Conmen

By: Nigel Blundell and Sue Blackhall

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Synopsis: From Clifford Irving and his Howard Hughes hoax to the great imposter Frank &“Catch Me if You Can&” Abagnale—a fascinating history of the art of the con. They&’re shrewd, cunning, devious—and charmingly trustworthy. While the criminal exploits of these tricksters, frauds, and swindlers can&’t be condoned, it&’s near-impossible not to be awed by their audacity and ingenuity. Take Victor Lustig, the &“Bouncing Czech&” who sold the Eiffel Tower—twice; John Stonehouse, a philandering politician who faked his own death to escape his sins; the impotence cure of the bizarre Dr. John Brinkley who transplanted goat testicles on gullible men; embarrassingly successful Goldman Sachs embezzler Joyti De-Laurey; or Robert Hendy-Freegard, a car salesman and serial seducer who convinced scores of women he was an MI5 agent. Here, too, are the exploits of a &“friend of the stars&” who infiltrated a royal castle; a fake Scots &“laird&” who operated from the heart of Scotland Yard; evangelists who fell from grace; and other pilferers, parasites, artful dodgers, charming bastards, femme fatales, big fat liars, and grand masters of dishonorable mention.