Fakes, Frauds, and Flimflammery: Even More of the World's Most Outrageous Scams

By Andreas Schroeder

Book Overview

Since 1991, Andreas Schroeder has been a regular on the very popular national CBC-Radio show "Basic Black" with Arthur Black. Each month, Schroeder recounts, with wry understatement, yet another outrageous scam or particularly notable rip-off, leaving his listeners speechless with disbelief, amusement, and even grudging admiration. Such was the popularity of his two previous story collections that he has done it again. Stories Include: Another Day, Another Picasso: The decades-long career of aristocratic forger Elmyr de Hory, some of whose Picassos, Matisses, Van Goghs, and Braques still lurk in art museums and reference books, masquerading as the real thing. Making Hay in Cathay: A damning expos? of that thirteenth-century con artist, Marco Polo, which is sure to have readers questioning everything they learned in school. Gangs That Couldn't Loot Straight: Three tales to prove that incompetence can be elevated to an art form. Extortion by Remote Control: How a technologically inventive bomber (calling himself Dagobert Duck) managed to hold one of Germany's largest department stores hostage and baffle the police for almost two years. Each story is told in Schroeder's wicked, deadpan style, which covers a certain underlying glee at the shenanigans of truly ingenious characters despite their questionable morals.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0771079540
• ISBN13: 9780771079542
• Release Date: March 1999
• Publisher: McClelland & Stewart
• Length: 264 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Real humor can't be put down.

I bought this book not having read any others by the author. But had heard him on the CBC show BASIC BLACK. The stories in the book are amazing feats of real fraud. Fantastic characters, excellent research. I couldn't put it down. Better than fiction!