<p/><br></br><p><b> About the Book </b></p></br></br>Between 1850 and 1950, lawlessness in America melded with ingenuity fueled by ruthlessness. Opportunity came knocking, and the unscrupulous answered the knock. The scammers in this volume range from the undeniably unscrupulous, to the ill and ill-advised. Fans of clever scheme...<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br>From the Gilded Age through WWII, America was rife with ne'er-do-wells on a never-ending search for the next big score. Between 1850 and 1950 lawlessness melded with ingenuity, fueled by optimism and ruthlessness: America was dangerous, buzzing, and where opportunity came to take flight. The perfect conditions for swindlers. The gall and gumption of their hustles strain credulity. Fake diamond fields? War with Canada? Sir Francis Drake's unclaimed fortune? Apparently, all was fair in the quest for something-for-nothing. The scammers in this volume range 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 swindlers.<p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br>"Chiselers, cheaters, swindlers and their marks: This lively and witty survey of a colorful period of enterprising and audacious cons reads like a rapid-fire telegraph from another time. Railey Jane Savage's perspective is historical, but - one very real lesson from this entertaining and deeply researched book is that, as long as people want to get rich quick, there will also be enthusiastic schemers dangling dreams on a dime. The only thing that has really changed between those times and this ... are the hats." - Amy Dickinson, Ask Amy advice columnist, NPR contributor, and NY Times bestselling author of Strangers Tend to Tell Me Things<br><br>Railey Jane Savage relishes language almost as much as she does her delicious characters, and her book travels swiftly through the ages in some top-notch storytelling. She struts that fine line between an enchantment with her swindlers' deeds and a skeptical independence that pins them in place with historical contextualization--an unbeatable combination.--Amy Reading, author of The Mark Inside: A Perfect Swindle, a Cunning Revenge, and a Small History of the Big Con<br><p/><br></br><p><b> About the Author </b></p></br></br>Railey Jane Savage lives and works in Ithaca, NY, where her abiding love for history's forgotten moments - swindles, or otherwise - grows against the dramatic background of the Finger Lakes. With an English degree from Smith College, she splits her time between writing and editing.