The subtitle says it all; A Perfect Swindle, A Cunning Revenge and a Small History of the Big Con. The book intermingles education and drama against a suspenseful and emotional, period backdrop. Imagine an historically accurate, "The Sting" complete with real life descriptions of all the major players and how they interacted with each other and their marks. Throw in where they came from and how they wound up, including the mark’s revenge and you end up with a thoroughly enjoyable read.