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The Big Con: The Story of Confidence Men

by David Maurer

4.0

About the book

The classic 1940 study of con men and con games that Luc Sante in Salon called “a bonanza of wild but credible stories, told concisely with deadpan humor, as sly and rich in atmosphere as anything this side of Mark Twain.”

The Big Con is a treasure trove of American lingo (the write, the rag, the payoff, ropers, shills, the cold poke, the convincer, to put on the send) and indelible characters (Yellow Kid Weil, Barney the Patch, the Seldom Seen Kid, Limehouse Chappie, Larry the Lug). It served as the source for the Oscar-winning film The Sting.

...author's account as he delved into the depths of the grift in the 1940s...slice of Americana that seems to have been forgotten ...worth a read.

Amazon Reviewer

Categories:

Crime Mystery Research True Crime Historical Biography History Psychology Non-fiction

Language:

English

Length:

315 pages

Author:

David Maurer
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