A Most Wicked Conspiracy: The Last Great Swindle of the Gilded Age

by Paul Starobin

A tale of Gilded Age corruption and greed from the frontier of Alaska to the nation's capital.
In the feverish, money-making age of railroad barons, political machines, and gold rushes, corruption was the rule, not the exception. Yet the Republican mogul "Big Alex" McKenzie defied even the era's standard for avarice. Charismatic and shameless, he arrived in the new Alaskan territory intent on controlling gold mines and draining them of their ore. Miners who had rushed to the frozen tundra to strike gold were appalled at his unabashed deviousness.

A Most Wicked Conspiracy recounts McKenzie's plot to rob the gold fields. It's a story of how America's political and economic life was in the grip of domineering, self-dealing, seemingly-untouchable party bosses in cahoots with robber barons, Senators and even Presidents. Yet it is also the tale of a righteous resistance of working-class miners, muckraking journalists, and courageous judges who fought to expose a conspiracy and reassert the rule of law.

Through a bold set of characters and a captivating narrative, Paul Starobin examines power and rampant corruption during a pivotal time in America, drawing undoubted parallels with present-day politics and society.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, True Crime, American History, Audiobook, Politics

320 pages, Hardcover

First published May 5, 2020

Reviews

[Obsidian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Please note that I received this book via NetGalley. This did not affect my rating or review.

So not a bad historical nonfiction, just ultimately not gripping enough. Sometimes Starobin goes a bit paint by numbers with things. Only a few times does the subject matters in question come fully alive. We jump from the 1900s to the Alaska statehood and he tries to drive parallels between Alaska then and now that I really didn't see the linkages.

"A Most Wicked Conspiracy" follows Alexander John McKenzie, a lawman and politician that settled in (now) North Dakota. The book jumps around a bit, but focuses on McKenzie after he goes to what is now Alaska (Nome) in the 1900s. He sets up his own little fiefdom in Nome which allowed him to steal gold mines from the owners and have himself appointed as the owner and operators of said mine. McKenzie and his cohorts were definitely sleazy and even involves President McKinley (yeah when I was reading I found myself going wait is this Alexander or the President?) involved with this scheme. Starobin tries to set the stage a bit with going into the claim jumping that seemed the way to go in the area. You can get why people were upset though with what McKenzie did.

The setting of Alaska during the 1900s was interesting and Starobin definitely has done his research. You feel at times you are at one of the gold mines. That said, the political intrigues and the back and forths and even McKenzie's history and marriages started to go a bit stale for me after a while.

The ending leaves you a bit in the wind since there's no great reckoning (in my eyes) for some of the major players in this one.

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting topic but the writing was quite dry. Felt a bit like reading a more academic text. Still enjoyed learning about this scandal but it didn’t always hold my attention the way I would want with a book about a heist.

[AC · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the sunset of the days of the last real political bosses, robber barons, handpicked judges, and laws designed to help only them, Alexander McKenzie tries to wrest control of Alaskan gold mines from rightful claimants.

Author Paul Starobin has created an exceptionally readable book that traces McKenzie's beginnings from poor and broke to wealthy kingmaker. It is superbly researched, and conveys not just the sentiment of the day - moguls say who will be sent to Congress, who will be President, and woe be unto you if you buck their requests for money and/or support - but also the aspirations of those seeking their golden fortune in Alaska after the California gold rush had settled.

McKenzie, already a rich man by the time the Alaskan gold rush begins, decides there is never too much wealth, and ropes in various people to assist with his takeover of the existing (and some not yet existing) gold claims in Alaska. Among them are Senators, judges, lawyers, former lawmen, and every day people who believe they are buying shares of McKenzie's new company. He agitates for and receives the judge of his choice to be placed in Nome - and coincidentally, this same judge will hear the suits of the claim holders against corrupt lawyers and McKenzie. This is the same judge who (illegally) places the claims into receivership - with McKenzie as the receiver, thus freed to start taking gold out of the ground even while the other suits grind through the system, deliberately slowed by McKenzie and his cronies.

It's a fascinating look at the politics of the times - one might even be inclined to say the politics of our times haven't changed all that much.

It's also a great look at some unrecognized heroes, standing against corruption on a massive scale. They include Senators, Federal judges in the 9th Circuit Court in California, lawyers not taken in by McKenzie, and, as always, journalists.

In the end, the punishment for these misdeeds - as is so terribly often the case in circumstances like these - is not befitting the bad actors. In that respect, there certainly have not been many changes from then to now.

Fans (as I am) of books about businesses and their leaders behaving badly (such as The Smartest Guys in the Room about the downfall of Enron), history buffs, and anyone ever tantalized by treasure should appreciate this book.

This is an eminently readable and enjoyable book. Five stars.

Contains photos and extensive notes.

Thanks to NetGalley and PublicAffairs for the advanced copy.

[Tiffany · Rating 2 out of 5]

Starobin has produced a semi-solid historical work about Alaska gold mining and the men that worked to enrich themselves, often duplicitously. I had a lot of trouble getting into this book. Often the formulaic format and structure left me wanting. The information was interesting, but many of the attempted mirrorings didn't work for me. I would recommend this work to others because I do think something can be gained from reading the book. While this type of book is usually right up my reading preference alley, I struggled, but I know that doesn't mean others will do the same.


Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the DARC of this work in exchange for my honest review.

[Becky Loader · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you think politics didn't always have a tinge of graft--in this case of golden graft--you better think again.

Alexander McKenzie is a swindler who makes the Wizard of Oz look like a Sunday School teacher.

When gold is discovered in Alaska, the rush is on. In 1900, the territory of Alaska just doesn't have the structure in place to regulate all the claims and goings-on. Well, that never stops someone who wants to get rich. McKenzie is a shrewd man who wheels and deals with claims, jump claims, judges, and just about every legal (and illegal) tool known to humankind. Oh, my, what an end to the Gilded Age.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light, entertaining read lacking any real analysis or depth. Although billed in the title as the "last, great swindle" of the era, it wasn't much of a swindle and it appears to have fallen apart almost immediately. I expected a convoluted tale of conspiracy and cons when really all that was involved was some basic petty corruption to get a judge appointed who would do the mastermind's bidding. The author also falls into the common trap in books of this nature as seeing his topic as more important than it really is. For example, in his epilogue he implies that the 17th Amendment, direct election of Senators, was passed as a result of this conspiracy. I was able to find no analysis of the 17th that even mentioned this incident. That said, this was a quick, moderately entertaining read about a topic I had not previously been aware of.

[Alan Braswell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr. Starobin weaves a narrative tale of the discovery of gold in the Alaskan wilderness.
As word gets out the stampede begins with people false hopes and dreams to be smashed by a political foe who goes by the name of 'big Alex'. Alex McKenzie fits the time of the gilded age. With political bosses who have control of the election and robber barons. McKenzie is one who controls the votes in both North and South Dakota. He bribes his way into power with first the railroads and then the higher up in the corridors of power.
The story falls flat in several incidences and Mr. Starobin seems to not get the story back on track.
A tale that is not heard of in the history texts but overall a good story of swindlers from the gilded age.
Thanks to NetGalley for this advance copy.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Most Wicked Conspiracy proves that where there is gold, there will be thieves. The book, a nonfiction exploration of one of the biggest scandals of the Gilded Age, follows Alexander McKenzie's attempts to seize the most gold-rich lands of Alaska.

Fun things this book includes
- a secret second family
- lots and lots of bribery
- rampant xenophobia

While an interesting book, the writing is definitely dry. It's a solid 3.5/5, and would definitely be good for anyone particularly interested in the Gilded Age.

(Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.)

[Ben Denison · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Alaska, Nome, the gilded age , and the whole gold mining craze of the time. I thought I’d really like this book. And It’s a somewhat interesting story but if never really grabbed me. I had to struggle through it, most of which listened to on a 12 hour drive back from Colorado.

It is history all should know, powerful business men, bad communications that allowed for corrupt practices to go unnoticed for a while. Political connections, and power to abuse of the local folks trying to do business too. I can’t really fault the author, but it just didn’t grab my interest where I just had to get back to it.

[Gary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Certainly not an Eric Larsen, but a good tale nonetheless. Also a lesson on how good government can be undermined, which certainly continues today. Unfortunately I found the prose a bit confusing in places, with explanations of how certain actions were justified or pulled off a bit lacking, and the parade of characters sometimes hard to follow. Could be me (probably was). Or a bit more clarity could be in order. Still, an enjoyable read.

[Daniel Socie · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has a very slow beginning describing all the players and their background. But a great insight as to how corrupt the gilded age is. Even going as far as how presidents would not interfere with such corruption

[J.J. · Rating 2 out of 5]

I never really got vested in the story even though it was a history I knew little about. Good for research but not as a "reading" book.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Today’s post is on A Most Wicked Conspiracy: The Last Great Swindle of the Gilded Age by Paul Starobin. It is 320 pages long and is published by Public Affairs. The cover is a picture of the Nome beaches with gold panners and two pictures in the top corners who are Willaim McKinley and Alexander McKenzie. There is mild foul language, no sex, and mild violence in this book. The intended reader is someone who is interested in American history, Alakan gold rush, and true crime. There Be Spoilers Ahead.
From the back of the book- A tale of Gilded Age corruption and greed from the frontier of Alaska to the nation's capital.

In the feverish, money-making age of railroad barons, political machines, and gold rushes, corruption was the rule, not the exception. Yet the Republican mogul "Big Alex" McKenzie defied even the era's standard for avarice. Charismatic and shameless, he arrived in the new Alaskan territory intent on controlling gold mines and draining them of their ore. Miners who had rushed to the frozen tundra to strike gold were appalled at his unabashed deviousness.

A Most Wicked Conspiracy recounts McKenzie's plot to rob the gold fields. It's a story of how America's political and economic life was in the grip of domineering, self-dealing, seemingly-untouchable party bosses in cahoots with robber barons, Senators and even Presidents. Yet it is also the tale of a righteous resistance of working-class miners, muckraking journalists, and courageous judges who fought to expose a conspiracy and reassert the rule of law.

Through a bold set of characters and a captivating narrative, Paul Starobin examines power and rampant corruption during a pivotal time in America, drawing undoubted parallels with present-day politics and society.


Review- An interesting account of true crime and gold. Starobin brings the story of an almost forgotten swindle to modern readers. Alexander McKenzie was a self-made man who thought that money would get him out of everything he did, no matter what it was. Starobin did a great job of telling this story, with good notes and he explains the legal aspects of the case so that the reader can follow what exactly McKenzie was doing. He was brazen in his crimes, just believing that nothing could touch him or stop him. So when everything falls apart because of that belief is it very satisfying to read even if I wanted him to get more jail time than he did. If you like historical true crime then you should read this.


I give this book a Four out of Five stars. I get nothing for my review and I borrowed this book from my local library.

[Jordan Stivers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this twisty-turny who's-gonna-win presentation of the Alaskan gold rush. It's a very human, narrative accounting of the facts, so if you like your history to have life to it then look no further. The reader, while getting a very thorough retelling of the events themselves, meets so many fascinating unique characters along the way. I think that's what I most enjoyed about this book. Every person who plays a role in the affair is not just accounted for with a boring biography but you get a real sense of who they are as a person and why they would act the way they do. That's my favorite thing about history: it's made up of real people with real motivations and flaws.

Of course the most interesting to me was the man at the center of it all. McKenzie was so interesting to me the whole way through, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't root for him a little bit (even though I knew how it all ended coming into the book). This is a great tale of corruption in government, back in a time when it was pretty much out there for the world to see. There's so much to learn from the Gilded Age in these current times. I would absolutely recommend this one to any reader but those interested in history and/or politics will enjoy it that much more.


Note: I received a free Kindle edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher Perseus Books, and the author Paul Starobin for the opportunity to do so.

[Zeb Kantrowitz · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's rare to find a book that's well written, factual and interesting to read. Some non-fiction books read like the Bible with the focus on people begating people and the driest descriptions possible. This book is a totally different bird.

The book starts with the discovery of gold in Alaska (no not the Klondike, which is in Canada) on the coast of the Bering Sea (near today's Nome). The gold is in two places, rivers and creeks just inland (where claims are staked) and the open beach just above the water line and available to anyone who works an area, but loses it once they stop mining.

Enter the bad guy (boooo!) who wants it all for himself (and his investors, many who are Senators and other lowlifes). Using every type of skullduggery and abuse of law a consortium works to take over miners claims but also the open area by the sea. They not only want the current gold producing area, but they try (using a battery of lawyers and judges) to steal the gold that has already been deposited in a bank vault.

Enter the 9th Circuit Court in San Francisco who legally takeover the court case and eventually rule for the little guys. Reading about the mechanization behind the lawsuit reads like a "Monty Python" movie. Fun was had by all, of course except for the poor loser.

[Brendan (History Nerds United) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book should have been boring. Ultimately, it is about a scandal not widely publicized, involving people we mostly never hear of, and settled without any murders or other major outbreaks of violence.

And yet, I loved this book.

Starobin does precisely what you should do when writing about a little-known story in history: get on with it. Starobin sets the stage to understand the main characters and the setting of Nome, Alaska and gets to the story. He doesn’t waste time and focuses on the pivotal points of the story. He explains who someone is and then highlights their attributes in the way they act during this episode in history. His pacing makes what could have been a very humdrum story into something you don’t want to stop reading.

He also points out a few scenarios where American politicians, lawyers, and judges did their jobs because they cared about the country. It did happen from time to time!

[Paul Lunger · Rating 5 out of 5]

With "A Most Wicked Conspiracy: The Last Great Swindle of the Gilded Age", Paul Starobin tells the story of Alexander McKenzie & his attempt to fully control the Nome Gold Rush at the turn of the 20th century. This unique and fascinating novel explains this at times forgotten tale of how one politician tried to completely swindle the gold miners of this region & use his political capital to do so simply because he could. The book is a reminder at times of the control & power that the bosses had in that era & also how for the most part the US government was willing to "overlook" these transgressions no matter how many people were hurt by it or the ultimate price. Starobin carefully weaves his tale through all the various events through this gold rush as well as the aftermath which includes defiance by McKenzie as well. Overall, this is a book that anyone with an interest in history or even of this particular era will find fascinating.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well written, highly readable book about government corruption and the Nome Gold Rush in the waning years of the 1800s. Any time someone comes to me and assures me that we are living in the times of the greatest greed and corruption I assume they have not read much history. Things now are no better or worse than they have ever been. People are nasty and the biggest differences are the highs and lows of a particular generation. The bald-faced greed depicted in these pages certainly well depicts the corruption of the Gilded Age. Change the people and locations and you have Teapot Dome or the corruption of the Clinton Machine in modern times.

If you have an interest in a non-fiction book about corruption in politics, this book is well written and highly readable. I recommend it.

[Paul · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have read a few books about the Alaska Gold Rush, and I'm sort of surprised that it doesn't seem to be as well-known as the San Francisco Gold Rush. Sort of a similar set of stories, with some more harrowing parts due to the snow.

That said, this book was not really about the interesting stuff. It was a lot of details about a specific kind of swindle / land speculation brought about by a Tamany-hall style boss Alex McKenzie and how he saw an opportunity to try to run a scam on the gold fields in Alaska. I don't think I felt like I could draw any general lessons from it, though. Maybe I'm just sort of familiar with the idea because it's a common plot, but it seemed like a pretty stock-standard story about running a scam in a semi-lawless area.

2.5 of 5 stars

[Denice Langley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone who says history is boring should read this book! I lived in Alaska for 30 years so am familiar with many of the characters and their actions/ reactions in this outstanding book of history told by an obvious fan of the era. But I had not read or heard of this particular man who used the law and the courts as his personal tools to steal from any and everyone. It's fascinating now to know that these crimes were committed openly, everyone knew but felt unable to do anything about them. Paul Starobin has done an excellent job of bringing history to life, wildly entertaining life. A must read for lovers of Alaska history.

[Jordan McPeek · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written light history with emphasis on the story. I say it's light history because it's not an academic work that's debating a new interpretation or placing it in some grand theme or whatever. It's just a story of scandal with all kinds of interesting angles.

It moves along at a good clip, often reading like a legal thriller. Enough details are added to the setting and characters to add colour without bogging down the flow. All said, it's fine tale of small town corruption that rippled right up to the White House.

The audiobook narrator did a great job.

[Caleb J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is book of Micro history about Gilded age fraud in the Alaskan gold rush worthy of reading. It is interesting for the most part but I fear suffers slightly from something I find difficult to put my finger on. I read Mr. Starobin's other book, "Madness rules the hour" and had a similar feeling. Good but lacks a compelling force of others authors I've read. Well researched but on the dry side with a focus on details rather than delivery. Not a ringing endorsement but his endeavor is a very good one for those obsessed with slices of history as I am. 3 stars...maybe 3 1/2.

[Jim Stennett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well-written and researched look at Gilded Age politics and corruption. Really more of a 4.5 stars rating. It was refreshing to read that political corruption can be stopped dead in its tracks by the will of the people and a dependable judiciary. Students of the Gilded Age, Alaska, political corruption, the McKinley Administration or the Age of Expansion will benefit from reading this study.

[Katie Killingsworth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This sounded intriguing when it popped up in my Libby, so I decided to give it a try. Not gonna lie~ I was a little lost with all the political and legal jargon, and I lost track of all the different moving pieces. It’s not something I would have sought out for myself, but it ended up being pretty interesting, overall! I had heard of the California gold rush, but I wasn’t aware of all that happened in Alaska!

[Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting Alaska history, but a bit of a slog as a read. I found it to be a well-researched work, but the web created by McKenzie was so layered that I had to flip back to the list of characters multiple times.

[Sandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of a crime in Alaska interesting story of gold in Alaska and the crime that gold miners

[Edward ott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some men never have enough.

[Matthew Mirliani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Often an illuminating snapshot of America and its mindset as it transitions from The Gilded Age to the Progressive Era.

[Beth Hodges · Rating 2 out of 5]

writing is pretty dry. i made it about half way through and dnf.

[BDW · Rating 4 out of 5]

In our modern gilded age, it's good to look back and see that we have been here before. This tale of a wild gold mining town, and the political boss who launched a scheme to take it over reads like a crazy Hollywood plot but it's all real.