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The Big Con: Great Hoaxes, Frauds, Grifts, and Swindles in American History
Covering American cons and hoaxes past and present, including the Great Moon Hoax of 1835, the controversy over subliminal messaging (do bands, filmmakers, and advertisers really put secret messages in their works?), the panic about satanic daycare operators in the 1980s, and recent Internet scams, this book provides a fascinating, fact-based look at infamous frauds across the centuries. Offering an engaging mix of history, sociology, and psychology, author Nate Hendley gives readers an appreciation of how prominent scams, cons, confidence men, and hoaxes have impacted American society, past and present.
Each entry details the scheme or hoax and the pertinent con artist/schemer involved, examining the sociological, cultural, political, and/or economic effect of the scams. Each topic is accompanied by a short bibliography of further reading selections. As the old saying goes, There is a sucker born every minute--and there has always been a keen-eyed swindler to take advantage of the situation. The Big Great Hoaxes, Frauds, Grifts, and Swindles in American History explores this sordid underbelly of American civilization and invites readers to revel in the felonious experience.
Each entry details the scheme or hoax and the pertinent con artist/schemer involved, examining the sociological, cultural, political, and/or economic effect of the scams. Each topic is accompanied by a short bibliography of further reading selections. As the old saying goes, There is a sucker born every minute--and there has always been a keen-eyed swindler to take advantage of the situation. The Big Great Hoaxes, Frauds, Grifts, and Swindles in American History explores this sordid underbelly of American civilization and invites readers to revel in the felonious experience.
380 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 6, 2016
3 people are currently reading
49 people want to read
About the author
Nate Hendley
31 books31 followersMy name is Nate Hendley and I am a Toronto-based journalist, writer, and speaker.
My latest book, Atrocity on the Atlantic is a full account of the torpoedo attack on Canadian hospital ship, Llandovery Castle, in the First World War. Sinking hospital ships violated international treaties, so the sub commander had his deck gun shell lifeboats containing survivors to kill any witnesses to his war crime. One lifeboat with two-dozen survivors escaped to bear witness.
The sinking was condemned by the public, press, and politicians, around the world. In 1921, the attack was prosecuted at the Leipzig War Crimes Trials (the little-known attempt to bring German war criminals to justice after the Great War). In its ruling, the Leipzig court set a legal precedent that guided subsequent war crime prosecutions, including the Nuremberg Trial.
Sadly, for all the impact it had, the Llandovery Castle tragedy soon faded from memory.
As published by Dundurn Press, my book details the attack, profiles medical staff on board the ship, and discusses the long wake of a forgotten war crime that continues to influence international law.
My last book, The Beatle Bandit, was about Matthew Kerry Smith, a troubled young man who robbed a Toronto-area bank in 1964 disguised in a Halloween mask and a "Beatles" wig. A bank patron tried to intervene and was killed in a gunfight with Smith. This murderous heist fueled a nationwide debate about guns, capital punishment, and the death penalty.
As published by Dundurn Press, The Beatle Bandit won the Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence for Non-Fiction 2022. It was also nominated for the Toronto Heritage Book Awards 2022.
I have written several other books, primarily in the true-crime genre. Previous books have focused on organized crime, Bonnie and Clyde, gang bosses Al Capone and Dutch Schultz, wrongful murder convictions, and cons and hoaxes, among other topics.
For more information about my books and background, visit my website at http://www.natehendley.ca
I host a blog, which can be viewed at https://crimestory.wordpress.com/
I am a member of the Canadian Freelance Guild (CFG) and the Crime Writers of Canada (CWC).
I live next-door to Jeanne, world's greatest girlfriend.
I do public presentations based on my books. For more information, contact me at: nhendley@sympatico.ca.
My latest book, Atrocity on the Atlantic is a full account of the torpoedo attack on Canadian hospital ship, Llandovery Castle, in the First World War. Sinking hospital ships violated international treaties, so the sub commander had his deck gun shell lifeboats containing survivors to kill any witnesses to his war crime. One lifeboat with two-dozen survivors escaped to bear witness.
The sinking was condemned by the public, press, and politicians, around the world. In 1921, the attack was prosecuted at the Leipzig War Crimes Trials (the little-known attempt to bring German war criminals to justice after the Great War). In its ruling, the Leipzig court set a legal precedent that guided subsequent war crime prosecutions, including the Nuremberg Trial.
Sadly, for all the impact it had, the Llandovery Castle tragedy soon faded from memory.
As published by Dundurn Press, my book details the attack, profiles medical staff on board the ship, and discusses the long wake of a forgotten war crime that continues to influence international law.
My last book, The Beatle Bandit, was about Matthew Kerry Smith, a troubled young man who robbed a Toronto-area bank in 1964 disguised in a Halloween mask and a "Beatles" wig. A bank patron tried to intervene and was killed in a gunfight with Smith. This murderous heist fueled a nationwide debate about guns, capital punishment, and the death penalty.
As published by Dundurn Press, The Beatle Bandit won the Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence for Non-Fiction 2022. It was also nominated for the Toronto Heritage Book Awards 2022.
I have written several other books, primarily in the true-crime genre. Previous books have focused on organized crime, Bonnie and Clyde, gang bosses Al Capone and Dutch Schultz, wrongful murder convictions, and cons and hoaxes, among other topics.
For more information about my books and background, visit my website at http://www.natehendley.ca
I host a blog, which can be viewed at https://crimestory.wordpress.com/
I am a member of the Canadian Freelance Guild (CFG) and the Crime Writers of Canada (CWC).
I live next-door to Jeanne, world's greatest girlfriend.
I do public presentations based on my books. For more information, contact me at: nhendley@sympatico.ca.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 24, 2017
An enjoyable, educational read. Most enjoyable was reading on modern hoaxes, and books such as Sybil, The Amityville Horror and a Million Little Pieces. Recommended reading for sceptics!
December 3, 2017
The book was a disappointment. I expected more depth on the stories. And some of it read as an introduction to the various types of cons there are.
May 21, 2018
I didn't have time to read this through. But lots of great short stories about cons. Everything from explaining 3 card monty to the bigger scams. I need to re-rent to give a proper review.
June 6, 2018
The Big Con casts a wide net, exploring everything from online malware and phishing scams and famous hoaxes to fake mediums and promoters of quack remedies. As he assembled this entertaining and informative collection, Hendley was determined to do more than simply glorify the exploits of con men. The text is sprinkled with tips on how to avoid common scams. It's a great primer on fraudsters and their methods.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews