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King Con: The Bizarre Adventures of the Jazz Age's Greatest Impostor
The spellbinding tale of virtuosic hustler Edgar Laplante--a Tom Ripley-meets-Jay Gatsby king of Jazz Age con artists, whose spectacular downfall came because he began to be seduced by his own lies.
For the devilishly handsome erstwhile vaudeville singer Edgar Laplante, the summer of 1923 was a prelude to one of the twentieth-century's most extraordinary adventures--an adventure that would require all his theatrical flair to deliver what would become the most demanding performance of his life. Aided by buckskins and a feathered headdress, Laplante reinvented himself as Chief White Elk: war hero, sports star, civil rights campaigner, Cherokee nation leader--and total fraud.
Under the pretense of recruiting for the military and selling government bonds, Laplante embarks upon a lucrative tour of the United States that attracts enormous crowds, picking up a naive Native American wife along the way to lend a further air of authenticity. Soon Laplante decamps to London to appeal to King George V on behalf of the Cherokee. By 1923 he's absconded to Paris, frequenting its decadent cabarets and rubbing elbows with the likes of James Joyce and Pablo Picasso.
As he moves down to the Riviera, he begins to set his sights on an even bigger mark: a prodigiously rich and glamorous Austrian countess. Laplante takes her as his lover and main benefactor. He cons her out of the equivalent of $42 million in today's currency. The countess bankrolls a lavish tour of Italy, where Benito Mussolini's fascist regime treats him like a visiting monarch. In every city, he tosses crisp banknotes from the window of their limousine to the fans who lay siege to his hotel. He's now a worldwide celebrity, and all that adulation (plus a spiraling drug problem) has deluded him into believe that he really is a Cherokee chief. The noose begins to tighten, as the countess's family intercedes...
King Con is a sumptuous recreation of this incomparably bizarre story. Never previously told in its entirety, Laplante's tale proves that truth really is stranger than fiction.
For the devilishly handsome erstwhile vaudeville singer Edgar Laplante, the summer of 1923 was a prelude to one of the twentieth-century's most extraordinary adventures--an adventure that would require all his theatrical flair to deliver what would become the most demanding performance of his life. Aided by buckskins and a feathered headdress, Laplante reinvented himself as Chief White Elk: war hero, sports star, civil rights campaigner, Cherokee nation leader--and total fraud.
Under the pretense of recruiting for the military and selling government bonds, Laplante embarks upon a lucrative tour of the United States that attracts enormous crowds, picking up a naive Native American wife along the way to lend a further air of authenticity. Soon Laplante decamps to London to appeal to King George V on behalf of the Cherokee. By 1923 he's absconded to Paris, frequenting its decadent cabarets and rubbing elbows with the likes of James Joyce and Pablo Picasso.
As he moves down to the Riviera, he begins to set his sights on an even bigger mark: a prodigiously rich and glamorous Austrian countess. Laplante takes her as his lover and main benefactor. He cons her out of the equivalent of $42 million in today's currency. The countess bankrolls a lavish tour of Italy, where Benito Mussolini's fascist regime treats him like a visiting monarch. In every city, he tosses crisp banknotes from the window of their limousine to the fans who lay siege to his hotel. He's now a worldwide celebrity, and all that adulation (plus a spiraling drug problem) has deluded him into believe that he really is a Cherokee chief. The noose begins to tighten, as the countess's family intercedes...
King Con is a sumptuous recreation of this incomparably bizarre story. Never previously told in its entirety, Laplante's tale proves that truth really is stranger than fiction.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published August 7, 2018
About the author
Paul Willetts
11 books13 followersPaul Willetts is the author of two previous works of non-fiction – Fear and Loathing in Fitzrovia and North Soho 999. Since making his literary debut in 2003, he’s edited four much-praised collections of writing by the bohemian dandy, Julian Maclaren-Ross. He has also compiled and worked as co-photographer on Teenage Flicks, a jokey celebration of Subbuteo, featuring contributions by Will Self, Graham Taylor, David Baddiel and others. His journalism has appeared in The Independent, The Times, The TLS, The Spectator, The Independent on Sunday and other publications.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
August 8, 2018
This book is about a con man, Edgar LaPlante, who roamed the United States back in 1918 to 1920 ’s using his skills of lying and scamming people to eke out a living. Since about the age of 13, he’s been everything including a vaudeville actor, snake oil salesman, and everything in between to make a dollar. He loves to get in front of a crowd and tell tall tales about himself, the bigger the lie, the better. He often went around dressing up as a native American, with full feather headdress, buckskins, and moccasins, calling himself Chief White Elk (among many aliases.) Just outlandish bullcrap. Or impersonating an athlete of some renown from earlier times named Tom Longboat, giving speeches and singing, a couple of times nearly being outed by people who knew the real Longboat, and having to move on during the middle of the night. Glib of tongue, he gets arrested here and there but manages to talk his way out of it more than once. He has a lot of nerve and uses it to pull off speeches in front of large crowds that other men would fail at.
Edgar even does a stint at selling Liberty War bonds, skimming from the profits for a time, shaming whites into buying by claiming to be a Native American who was injured fighting for America, and that they should be willing to at least buy bonds if they love their country. He did appear to sell a lot of them. At one point he took up with Burtha Thompson who claimed Klamath Indian ancestry through her mother, and a white father, with the title Princess, and the Native American name. Ah-Tra-Ah-Saun.which meant “Valley of the Mountain.” They made a stunt out of getting married, with the whole thing donated, and even a new car to use,
The second half is when Edgar later took his scams all over Europe, where he did more shows, and eventually did much better financially bilking people for money. Always on the verge of being busted. He does some really crazy things throughout the book to get attention, a real fame whore who is obsessed with getting his name in the papers all the time even though it brings him closer to being caught too. An interesting study. My thanks for the advance digital copy that was provided by Netgalley, author Paul Willets, and the publisher for my fair review.
Crown Publishing
Pub: August 7th, 2018
Edgar even does a stint at selling Liberty War bonds, skimming from the profits for a time, shaming whites into buying by claiming to be a Native American who was injured fighting for America, and that they should be willing to at least buy bonds if they love their country. He did appear to sell a lot of them. At one point he took up with Burtha Thompson who claimed Klamath Indian ancestry through her mother, and a white father, with the title Princess, and the Native American name. Ah-Tra-Ah-Saun.which meant “Valley of the Mountain.” They made a stunt out of getting married, with the whole thing donated, and even a new car to use,
The second half is when Edgar later took his scams all over Europe, where he did more shows, and eventually did much better financially bilking people for money. Always on the verge of being busted. He does some really crazy things throughout the book to get attention, a real fame whore who is obsessed with getting his name in the papers all the time even though it brings him closer to being caught too. An interesting study. My thanks for the advance digital copy that was provided by Netgalley, author Paul Willets, and the publisher for my fair review.
Crown Publishing
Pub: August 7th, 2018
August 26, 2018
Paul Willetts has an unerring knack of unearthing great stories. True stories that are more compelling and fascinating than most fiction.
I've read them all...
Fear and Loathing in Fitzrovia (2003)
North Soho 999: A True Story of Gangs and Gun-Crime in 1940s London (2007)
Members Only: The Life and Times of Paul Raymond; Soho's Billionaire King of Burlesque (2010)
Rendezvous at the Russian Tea Rooms: The Spyhunter, the Fashion Designer & the Man From Moscow (2015)
...and now comes King Con: The Bizarre Adventures of the Jazz Age's Greatest Impostor (2018).
First things first, it's another winner. For this book, Paul Willetts has crossed the Atlantic and relates the stranger-than-fiction tale of Edgar LaPlante, a vaudeville singer who morphed into a consummate con man.
In 1917, Laplante reinvented himself as native American Indian royalty, going by the name of Chief White Elk he was variously war hero, Olympian, civil rights campaigner, Cherokee nation leader.
In an era where communication between States and cities was slow to non-existent Edgar LaPlante was able to move on to a new city once people became suspicious, and so find a new group of gullible marks, the richer the more gullible it would appear, and systematically fleece them in turn.
To further spice things up, Edgar LaPlante was bisexual, and addicted to morphine, cocaine and alcohol, all of which made his behaviour ever more outrageous and outlandish, along with his wild claims.
Once he'd run out of road in north America he arrived in Europe working through England, France and the Riviera where he found a fabulously wealthy Austrian countess and her step daughter who believed his outlandish claims and from whom he swindled a fortune. The countess bankrolled a lavish trip through Italy that resulted in Edgar Laplante becoming a national star embraced by the Mussolini regime.
Needless to say, it couldn't last, but it makes for a great tale and another winner from the wonderful Paul Willetts.
Read it and, if you haven't already, read everything he's ever written.
I've read them all...
Fear and Loathing in Fitzrovia (2003)
North Soho 999: A True Story of Gangs and Gun-Crime in 1940s London (2007)
Members Only: The Life and Times of Paul Raymond; Soho's Billionaire King of Burlesque (2010)
Rendezvous at the Russian Tea Rooms: The Spyhunter, the Fashion Designer & the Man From Moscow (2015)
...and now comes King Con: The Bizarre Adventures of the Jazz Age's Greatest Impostor (2018).
First things first, it's another winner. For this book, Paul Willetts has crossed the Atlantic and relates the stranger-than-fiction tale of Edgar LaPlante, a vaudeville singer who morphed into a consummate con man.
In 1917, Laplante reinvented himself as native American Indian royalty, going by the name of Chief White Elk he was variously war hero, Olympian, civil rights campaigner, Cherokee nation leader.
In an era where communication between States and cities was slow to non-existent Edgar LaPlante was able to move on to a new city once people became suspicious, and so find a new group of gullible marks, the richer the more gullible it would appear, and systematically fleece them in turn.
To further spice things up, Edgar LaPlante was bisexual, and addicted to morphine, cocaine and alcohol, all of which made his behaviour ever more outrageous and outlandish, along with his wild claims.
Once he'd run out of road in north America he arrived in Europe working through England, France and the Riviera where he found a fabulously wealthy Austrian countess and her step daughter who believed his outlandish claims and from whom he swindled a fortune. The countess bankrolled a lavish trip through Italy that resulted in Edgar Laplante becoming a national star embraced by the Mussolini regime.
Needless to say, it couldn't last, but it makes for a great tale and another winner from the wonderful Paul Willetts.
Read it and, if you haven't already, read everything he's ever written.
April 2, 2018
Think Charles Ponzi was slick? Edgar Lapointe, a.k.a. Chief White Elk, was an imposter extraordinaire who hoodwinked audiences and newspaper readers across America and Europe. Paul Willetts spins the rollicking tale of this audacious con man with wit, razor-sharp insight and dazzling storytelling. Hang on for a wild ride.
August 14, 2018
For me, Paul Willetts is non-fiction in reverse. Typically, on the rare occasions that find me dipping into works of non-fiction, it’s strictly because of an abiding interest in the subject matter. Books about Robert Mitchum, books about Japanese Snow Monkeys, books about whatever obsessions could stand a bit more obsessing over. With the works of Paul Willetts, though, it’s the other way round -- a complete and total unfamiliarity with the subject matter on my part, but a deep love of his writing, coupled with his considerable merits as a researcher and his overly-keen eye for fascinating subjects. In that sense, he completes a Holy Triad of contemporary UK non-fiction authors sharing space on my shelves alongside Max Décharné and Keiron Pim.
With King Con, Willetts introduces the reader to Chief White Elk -- Indian chief, fund raiser, political campaigner, a towering hero of both college football and of The Great War, first class Olympic runner, owner of oil fields, a renowned doctor, and a film star who shared the screen alongside Valentino, Chaplin, and a young John Wayne.
Except for the fact that he was none of these things.
In reality, he was Edgar Laplante -- a drifter, a grifter, a masterfully manipulative white man, a consummate and pathological liar, a swindler, a sweet-talker, a fraud and a huckster extraordinaire, and undoubtedly one of the greatest con men to ever run a racket. King Con traces our Edgar’s route throughout North America, to England, and from there to France, Brussels and Italy, where he was feted and heralded by the ruling fascist party in a staggering rise to embezzled riches totaling nearly $60 million USD in today’s currency, all the while overindulging in every dark excess offered throughout the Jazz Age.
Naiveté and stupidity are not, as some would have it, newer additions to basic human evolution, just as identity theft is not a byproduct of the Digital Age.
Paul Willetts’ greatest gift as a writer has always been his ability to transcend the form, and to write non-fiction that reads and engages like novels of the highest order, and always with his own voice shining throughout. Exhaustively researched and painted with all the creativity and light and shading of a master artist, all of his works reward the reader, and King Con is no exception.
With King Con, Willetts introduces the reader to Chief White Elk -- Indian chief, fund raiser, political campaigner, a towering hero of both college football and of The Great War, first class Olympic runner, owner of oil fields, a renowned doctor, and a film star who shared the screen alongside Valentino, Chaplin, and a young John Wayne.
Except for the fact that he was none of these things.
In reality, he was Edgar Laplante -- a drifter, a grifter, a masterfully manipulative white man, a consummate and pathological liar, a swindler, a sweet-talker, a fraud and a huckster extraordinaire, and undoubtedly one of the greatest con men to ever run a racket. King Con traces our Edgar’s route throughout North America, to England, and from there to France, Brussels and Italy, where he was feted and heralded by the ruling fascist party in a staggering rise to embezzled riches totaling nearly $60 million USD in today’s currency, all the while overindulging in every dark excess offered throughout the Jazz Age.
Naiveté and stupidity are not, as some would have it, newer additions to basic human evolution, just as identity theft is not a byproduct of the Digital Age.
Paul Willetts’ greatest gift as a writer has always been his ability to transcend the form, and to write non-fiction that reads and engages like novels of the highest order, and always with his own voice shining throughout. Exhaustively researched and painted with all the creativity and light and shading of a master artist, all of his works reward the reader, and King Con is no exception.
September 27, 2018
This is a fun biography of a scam artist, Edgar LePlante.
In the 1920's, a Rhode Island native of French-Canadian descent named Edgar LaPlante was, by all accounts, a talent but unexceptional Vaudeville artist. He possessed a decent baritone and played a fair piano, but his talents fell well short of top-billing in New York's crowded theater scene.
And then, the teen signed on with a patent medicine show that traveled about upstate New York selling snake oil. The show runner, taking advantage of LePlante's olive-skinned Mediterranean coloring, had the lad dress and act as a native American. And thus, was born Cheif White Elk... or Doctor Tawanna... the native American character LaPlante used to con people across America and Europe.
I was amazed at how enjoyable this book was to read. Part of me wanted LaPlante to get caught. He was conning good people... though much of his proceeds went to real native American charities. But on the other hand, he was harming people, especially his native American wife, who honestly through him a Cherokee chief.
But when he crosses the Atlantic and cons a wealthy, aristocratic heiress, things get real interesting. Instead of hoarding the money, he gave most of it away in lavish tips. Sure, he lived like royalty, but he passed it on. Living like the Disney fantasy of what a king or prince would live like. And then, he finds himself rubbing shoulders with Mussolini and his black shirts, and things get hinky.
I'll say no more to avoid spoilers. But let's say it's a captivating tale of early-modern roguery. Before the internet and the wire services and near instantaneous news and inter-agency cooperation between police departments.
If you want to understand how people fall for cons, read this. It maybe won;t understand it, but it's a great tale of a con artist grifting. In a way, it reminded me o=f THE PRODUCERS since LaPlante's deception was so bald-faced and yet so many bought it.
Four stars.
In the 1920's, a Rhode Island native of French-Canadian descent named Edgar LaPlante was, by all accounts, a talent but unexceptional Vaudeville artist. He possessed a decent baritone and played a fair piano, but his talents fell well short of top-billing in New York's crowded theater scene.
And then, the teen signed on with a patent medicine show that traveled about upstate New York selling snake oil. The show runner, taking advantage of LePlante's olive-skinned Mediterranean coloring, had the lad dress and act as a native American. And thus, was born Cheif White Elk... or Doctor Tawanna... the native American character LaPlante used to con people across America and Europe.
I was amazed at how enjoyable this book was to read. Part of me wanted LaPlante to get caught. He was conning good people... though much of his proceeds went to real native American charities. But on the other hand, he was harming people, especially his native American wife, who honestly through him a Cherokee chief.
But when he crosses the Atlantic and cons a wealthy, aristocratic heiress, things get real interesting. Instead of hoarding the money, he gave most of it away in lavish tips. Sure, he lived like royalty, but he passed it on. Living like the Disney fantasy of what a king or prince would live like. And then, he finds himself rubbing shoulders with Mussolini and his black shirts, and things get hinky.
I'll say no more to avoid spoilers. But let's say it's a captivating tale of early-modern roguery. Before the internet and the wire services and near instantaneous news and inter-agency cooperation between police departments.
If you want to understand how people fall for cons, read this. It maybe won;t understand it, but it's a great tale of a con artist grifting. In a way, it reminded me o=f THE PRODUCERS since LaPlante's deception was so bald-faced and yet so many bought it.
Four stars.
May 8, 2019
This was bonkers. There's not much else to say.
Read for the 2019 Read Harder Challenge: a book published prior to 1/1/19 with fewer than 100 reviews on Goodreads
Read for the 2019 Read Harder Challenge: a book published prior to 1/1/19 with fewer than 100 reviews on Goodreads
July 31, 2018
The story of the false Chief White Elk and his many aliases is jaw-dropping, but not unbelievable. The book covers roughly 10 years of Chief White Elk's life, the first half spend in the US during and after WWI, and the second half touring Europe. The author traces Edgar's exploits through media coverage, mostly, as Edgar moved to keep one step ahead of the newspapers and the law. Edgar changes quite a bit over these 10 years, starting as a vaudeville entertainer who leaves his hotel bills unpaid and ending a prince in Italy, showering money on adoring fans (or simply needy individuals willing to shout his assumed name) on the streets. And then eventually all of this catches up with him.
It's a very entertaining read, a window on the shadowy culture just outside the law first in the US (mainly the wild wild west) and then in Europe. He was hardly the only charlatan capitalizing on the new -- and somewhat hypocritical -- sympathy for Native Americans in the early 20th century. And he actually did some of what he said he would -- he actually recruited soldiers for the first World War, he actually advocated for the rights of Native Americans. He was just also a sociopath.
The voice of the author, Paul Willetts, was strangely both ever-present and under-present at the same time, and this voice bothered me a bit as I read. The author's judgement of Edgar, adding often that he probably skimmed some off the top, maybe had drugs on him, might have taken a lover, likely lied about something else, stepping beyond the evidence in a judgmental tone over and over again, became a little annoying. Yes, I know he's a terrible person. I promise I won't side with him. But let me read the story. At the same time, the author is not present at all in terms of what the evidence was, how it was found, and how reliable it was, which I have come to expect in a nonfiction book. So he was both there too much and not enough. At times the author's voice sounded a little juvenile, maybe the voice of a young person who I would pat on the head and say that he shows great promise. But he's too old for showing promise. It should be here. So the voice of the author was my biggest complaint.
But overall it's a good read and a great story. A good escape to the jazz age, during which we can shake our heads and wonder how it actually happened that a con man and performer was able to be so successful. And then go back to the news and shake our heads and wonder the same thing.
I got a copy to review from First to Read.
It's a very entertaining read, a window on the shadowy culture just outside the law first in the US (mainly the wild wild west) and then in Europe. He was hardly the only charlatan capitalizing on the new -- and somewhat hypocritical -- sympathy for Native Americans in the early 20th century. And he actually did some of what he said he would -- he actually recruited soldiers for the first World War, he actually advocated for the rights of Native Americans. He was just also a sociopath.
The voice of the author, Paul Willetts, was strangely both ever-present and under-present at the same time, and this voice bothered me a bit as I read. The author's judgement of Edgar, adding often that he probably skimmed some off the top, maybe had drugs on him, might have taken a lover, likely lied about something else, stepping beyond the evidence in a judgmental tone over and over again, became a little annoying. Yes, I know he's a terrible person. I promise I won't side with him. But let me read the story. At the same time, the author is not present at all in terms of what the evidence was, how it was found, and how reliable it was, which I have come to expect in a nonfiction book. So he was both there too much and not enough. At times the author's voice sounded a little juvenile, maybe the voice of a young person who I would pat on the head and say that he shows great promise. But he's too old for showing promise. It should be here. So the voice of the author was my biggest complaint.
But overall it's a good read and a great story. A good escape to the jazz age, during which we can shake our heads and wonder how it actually happened that a con man and performer was able to be so successful. And then go back to the news and shake our heads and wonder the same thing.
I got a copy to review from First to Read.
August 21, 2018
I found this a fascinating biography of a man who would do anything for money but work. And even though Edgar LaPlante fashioned a fabulous lifestyle, for a short while, in the early 1920's it seems his confidence game skills were not rooted in amassing wealth. He gave away large sums of the money he cajoled out of his pigeons, wealthy Austrians with a hyphenated surname, to people in dire straits, beggars and the like. In Italy, as he conned his noble benefactors into pennuary, he was feted by members of Mussolini's National Fascist Party.
How did this handsome and intelligent son of hard-working French-Canadian immigrants to Rhode Island become the toast of fascist Italy? By taking the persona of a Native American chief on a quest to bring the grievances of his "people" before the League of Nations. At that time Native Americans, even those who had served with the American Expeditionary Forces at the front in World War I, were not US citizens.
That otherwise intelligent people were taken in by LaPlante's often confusing and sometimes contradictory tales are a tribute to the man's intellect. I kind of found myself admiring the audacity of this phoney. And what I found the most admirable was, early in his career as an ersatz Native American, he truly seemed committed to the cause of Indian civil rights.
How did this handsome and intelligent son of hard-working French-Canadian immigrants to Rhode Island become the toast of fascist Italy? By taking the persona of a Native American chief on a quest to bring the grievances of his "people" before the League of Nations. At that time Native Americans, even those who had served with the American Expeditionary Forces at the front in World War I, were not US citizens.
That otherwise intelligent people were taken in by LaPlante's often confusing and sometimes contradictory tales are a tribute to the man's intellect. I kind of found myself admiring the audacity of this phoney. And what I found the most admirable was, early in his career as an ersatz Native American, he truly seemed committed to the cause of Indian civil rights.
August 15, 2018
In King Con, Paul Willetts takes us on a breathless adventure hot on the heels of the exceedingly hot-footed Edgar Laplante, the most fantastic of fantasists you’ve probably never heard of, either under his own name, or the countless aliases he took on and threw off during an astonishing and turbulent life, as though they were items of clothing.
Vaudeville singer, Great War hero, oil baron, distinguished surgeon, Olympic athlete and football star; not to mention philanthropist, human rights campaigner, charity fundraiser and Native American (or possibly Canadian) Indian, Chief White Elk, an impossibly youthful 60-year-old, fluent in no fewer than 21 languages. These are just a few of the identities Laplante adopted - and with astonishingly successful results - to charm his way through a world in which he rubbed shoulders, and sometimes much else besides, with kings, popes, aristocrats, Hollywood stars and top-level fascists in both America and Europe, along the way using his good looks, considerable talents and sharp eye for a fast buck, to take full advantage of the public and the press’s gullibility and increasing hunger for a taste of Jazz Age celebrity.
Gripping, and always entertainingly told, Mr Willetts paints such a lively and vivid picture of this most irresistible and imaginative of con artists, that on finishing the book you might want to immediately check your wallet, just to make sure that you, too, haven’t fallen victim to the charms of King Con.
Vaudeville singer, Great War hero, oil baron, distinguished surgeon, Olympic athlete and football star; not to mention philanthropist, human rights campaigner, charity fundraiser and Native American (or possibly Canadian) Indian, Chief White Elk, an impossibly youthful 60-year-old, fluent in no fewer than 21 languages. These are just a few of the identities Laplante adopted - and with astonishingly successful results - to charm his way through a world in which he rubbed shoulders, and sometimes much else besides, with kings, popes, aristocrats, Hollywood stars and top-level fascists in both America and Europe, along the way using his good looks, considerable talents and sharp eye for a fast buck, to take full advantage of the public and the press’s gullibility and increasing hunger for a taste of Jazz Age celebrity.
Gripping, and always entertainingly told, Mr Willetts paints such a lively and vivid picture of this most irresistible and imaginative of con artists, that on finishing the book you might want to immediately check your wallet, just to make sure that you, too, haven’t fallen victim to the charms of King Con.
Shelved as 'dnf'
August 1, 2018Edgar LaPlante was a con artist in the early 20th century, moving from place to place on false identities. I don't know if he had specific motives or if this was related to mental illness. While this book is well written and probably a great read for the right reader, that person is not me. When I was reading the book, I found it interesting and did not want to put it down. However, when I did put it down, I found I had no interest in returning to it and ending up reading only about 20%. In the end, all the dissimulation just turned me off. Good writing and construction, frustrating topic (for me). I received an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. As I did not finish, I will not assign a rating.
July 27, 2018
This ARC from First To Read and Penguin Random House sounded so interesting to me. Unfortunately, I was conned! Edgar was an imposter who ran cons and pretended to be Chief White Elk for years and years all over the world. The facts were so interesting but it wasn’t delivered in a way that I enjoyed reading. I really admire the author for all the research time this had to have taken. However, it fell a little flat for me.
March 25, 2018
King Con is a book about an imposter, but a very talented one! It's almost hard to believe that someone could pull off a stunt like this for YEARS! A gullible populace is a con man's best friend.
September 25, 2018
Somewhat interesting book, but at the end it just wasn't very fun to read. The cons that Edgar pulled seemed very repetitive to me and I never really got hooked into this book.
September 20, 2019
In another time, Edgar Laplante easily could have started a world religion with his amazing ability to dupe the gullible. Instead of becoming Joseph Smith, or L. Ron Hubbard, Edgar chose to swindle exceptionally naive women for his personal gain.
The book is well researched, decently written but Edgar’s antics were mostly one note: pretend to be a Native American, then make absurdist claims to test the credulity until he crossed the cornice. As a con man, he was both brilliant and moronic, unable to keep a dollar in his pocket and pushing the envelope as far as possible. At first, funny and deeply interesting but like a joke told too many times, it starts to loose its panache. His Phillip Glass-ian repetition, is repeated as-nausea at the expense sadly of a good story. It’s not the author’s fault, there’s only so many booze-and-cocaine fueled bi-sexual escapades as an Indian Chief that can be retold before it becomes a little bland. Edgar isn’t complicated save his insane ego, calling up news papers when feeling slighted and his seemingly nuanced arguments on behalf of native Americans and seemingly obsessed with being a Native, giving him a Rachel Dolezal-esq character.
The first three-quarters were great but by the end, I was ready to wrap it up. I enjoyed it overall, as Edgar might just very well be the most successful huckster confidence man of all time, sans maybe Donald. I can’t tell if Edgar has a propensity for guile or just a singular exploit in the social moires of the time. Most likely it’s both.
With a bit of temperance, he’d been a Trumpian character exhibiting a presidential narcissism and sociopathy. Fortunately, there wasn’t a Bannonite to articulate and direct his sociopathic behavior for self gain.
I can’t decide if this was 3 or 4 stars.
The book is well researched, decently written but Edgar’s antics were mostly one note: pretend to be a Native American, then make absurdist claims to test the credulity until he crossed the cornice. As a con man, he was both brilliant and moronic, unable to keep a dollar in his pocket and pushing the envelope as far as possible. At first, funny and deeply interesting but like a joke told too many times, it starts to loose its panache. His Phillip Glass-ian repetition, is repeated as-nausea at the expense sadly of a good story. It’s not the author’s fault, there’s only so many booze-and-cocaine fueled bi-sexual escapades as an Indian Chief that can be retold before it becomes a little bland. Edgar isn’t complicated save his insane ego, calling up news papers when feeling slighted and his seemingly nuanced arguments on behalf of native Americans and seemingly obsessed with being a Native, giving him a Rachel Dolezal-esq character.
The first three-quarters were great but by the end, I was ready to wrap it up. I enjoyed it overall, as Edgar might just very well be the most successful huckster confidence man of all time, sans maybe Donald. I can’t tell if Edgar has a propensity for guile or just a singular exploit in the social moires of the time. Most likely it’s both.
With a bit of temperance, he’d been a Trumpian character exhibiting a presidential narcissism and sociopathy. Fortunately, there wasn’t a Bannonite to articulate and direct his sociopathic behavior for self gain.
I can’t decide if this was 3 or 4 stars.
October 1, 2018
This book was the perfect way to finish the summer of grifters. Edgar Laplante was truly the king of all conmen—he makes Anna Delvey look morally upright. I was amazed at how much heartache Laplante put himself through in order to pull off bigger and bigger scams.
Laplante didn't even need to live a lie! He was a talented singer and performer in his own right. If you're interested in vaudeville, you will love this book. Also, an important theme is how Laplante exploited the U.S. and Western European obsession with Native American culture. He dressed up in native costumes and said he was collecting money on behalf of various tribes throughout the book. He was a real bad dude! But definitely not a boring one.
Laplante didn't even need to live a lie! He was a talented singer and performer in his own right. If you're interested in vaudeville, you will love this book. Also, an important theme is how Laplante exploited the U.S. and Western European obsession with Native American culture. He dressed up in native costumes and said he was collecting money on behalf of various tribes throughout the book. He was a real bad dude! But definitely not a boring one.
January 27, 2019
Fascinating story of a man I'd never heard of but who perpetrated some remarkably bold and multi-cultural scams.
Posing as an American Indian chief, Edgar Laplante somehow stayed one step ahead of authorities in multiple states and countries, running up unpaid hotel bills, singing and making great orations to adoring audiences, and even once almost winning an audience with the King of England.
I listened to the book at 1.5 speed through the Libby app through the SF Public Library.
Two aspects of the book I didn't love: 1. It wasn't clear to me how the author was able to piece all of the remarkable story together, given when it all took place and how most of his life was a myriad of lies and deception. 2. I would have liked more about Edgar's childhood and family. Why did his dad dislike him so much (besides the obvious)? Why did he become such a huckster? (Beyond some of the influences of his schooling.)
But overall, a very entertaining story!
Posing as an American Indian chief, Edgar Laplante somehow stayed one step ahead of authorities in multiple states and countries, running up unpaid hotel bills, singing and making great orations to adoring audiences, and even once almost winning an audience with the King of England.
I listened to the book at 1.5 speed through the Libby app through the SF Public Library.
Two aspects of the book I didn't love: 1. It wasn't clear to me how the author was able to piece all of the remarkable story together, given when it all took place and how most of his life was a myriad of lies and deception. 2. I would have liked more about Edgar's childhood and family. Why did his dad dislike him so much (besides the obvious)? Why did he become such a huckster? (Beyond some of the influences of his schooling.)
But overall, a very entertaining story!
December 26, 2018
An amazing and sad tale of an extraordinarily talented man who used his gifts to defraud. It's hard to believe could get away with the lies he told and yet he did. Crippled by drug and alcohol abuse, he died penniless, letting slip millions of dollars (in today's figures) slip through his fingers. I can't help but wonder if he ever wanted to clean up his act, but couldn't without any to help move him in that direction.
I gave three stars because the stories felt repetitive. I think I could have had the same impression with an abridged version.
I gave three stars because the stories felt repetitive. I think I could have had the same impression with an abridged version.
January 19, 2019
sometimes a book can be too complete. i don't need to know each and every move made by laplante. sacrificing a little bit of the book's thoroughness, in favor of moving things along a little bit, might have made this a mroe engaging read. it's certainly fascinating, in terms of subject matter, but as far as pacing goes, it's like having an 8 year-old tell you the plot of their favorite movie: "and then he did this, and after that, he went here, and then he said ..."
no, thanks.
no, thanks.
July 19, 2021
A bizarre story of an expert con crook. Things have not improved with con scams just adapting, not going away. Truly amazing how he got women to adore him so much despite what he did to them.
Good book but I started to tire of the great exploits and the incredible luck the “Chief” had for years. I got to the point where I just wanted to see if there was a fall and how hard, or not, it would be.
Good book but I started to tire of the great exploits and the incredible luck the “Chief” had for years. I got to the point where I just wanted to see if there was a fall and how hard, or not, it would be.
May 5, 2023
I could not get into this book. I even read ahead a few chapters. So I didn't finish it. I was not familiar with this person. It was good writing but there are other things I want to read. I had received this book in my library book box a few months ago. If you like this period of time and you know of this person I'm sure it would be a good book to read.
March 11, 2019
Before media and technology, an insane person could make up wild lies and scam people. Today we do this via the internet. Far too long of a take of repeated lies. He should have run for President of the USA? Not worth it.
September 17, 2019
I read 2/3 of this book before my interest in the fake-Indian con man just fell off a cliff. Not the fault of the writing or research, just that the dude didn't seem all that horrible to me. Maybe more about how he harmed his victims would have compelled me to keep going.
March 3, 2020
Good read - page turner. Crazy story. Redefines “brazen”. Who knew you could come up with that much money pretending to be an Indian Chief? And also - crazy that the world was so disconnected that the same scam worked over and over for years
December 27, 2018
Detailed and very well researched, but repetitive and not very interesting. Needed more about his early life and a better understanding of his character, not just a list of lies he told.
January 9, 2019
A wild ride!
July 4, 2019
Listened to audiobook.
July 11, 2020
An interesting story let down by writing that is often boring, especially in the first half before the really crazy stuff happens in Europe. The second half is more entertaining.
February 8, 2022
I wanted to love this book. The story is INSANE. But the delivery was horrible. Too many lists of activities. Too many of the same details over and over again.
February 27, 2022
An interesting look at early 20th century culture.
January 26, 2019
If I told you King Con: The Bizarre Adventures of the Jazz Age's Greatest Impostor by Paul Willetts was fiction, you would totally believe my statement. The misadventures and audacity of Edgar Laplante sound far-fetched and unbelievable except that he was completely real. Dissect the title of this book, and you understand this entertaining story. My key lesson from reading this book is that truth absolutely can be stranger than fiction.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2019...
Reviewed for Penguin First to Read program.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2019...
Reviewed for Penguin First to Read program.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews