The Confidence Men: How Two Prisoners of War Engineered the Most Remarkable Escape in History
(Libby/OverDrive eBook, Kindle)

Book Cover
Average Rating
Contributors
Published
Random House Publishing Group , 2021.
Status
Available from Libby/OverDrive

Available Platforms

Libby/OverDrive
Titles may be read via Libby/OverDrive. Libby/OverDrive is a free app that allows users to borrow and read digital media from their local library, including ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines. Users can access Libby/OverDrive through the Libby/OverDrive app or online. The app is available for Android and iOS devices.
Kindle
Titles may be read using Kindle devices or with the Kindle app.

Description

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The Great Escape for the Great War: the astonishing true story of two World War I prisoners who pulled off one of the most ingenious escapes of all time.FINALIST FOR THE EDGAR® AWARD • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, NPR • “Fox unspools Jones and Hill’s delightfully elaborate scheme in nail-biting episodes that advance like a narrative Rube Goldberg machine.”—The New York Times Book ReviewImprisoned in a remote Turkish POW camp during World War I, having survived a two-month forced march and a terrifying shootout in the desert, two British officers, Harry Jones and Cedric Hill, join forces to bamboozle their iron-fisted captors. To stave off despair and boredom, Jones takes a handmade Ouija board and fakes elaborate séances for his fellow prisoners. Word gets around, and one day an Ottoman official approaches Jones with a query: Could Jones contact the spirit world to find a vast treasure rumored to be buried nearby? Jones, a trained lawyer, and Hill, a brilliant magician, use the Ouija board—and their keen understanding of the psychology of deception—to build a trap for their captors that will ultimately lead them to freedom. A gripping nonfiction thriller, The Confidence Men is the story of one of the only known con games played for a good cause—and of a profound but unlikely friendship. Had it not been for “the Great War,” Jones, the Oxford-educated son of a British lord, and Hill, a mechanic on an Australian sheep ranch, would never have met. But in pain, loneliness, hunger, and isolation, they formed a powerful emotional and intellectual alliance that saved both of their lives. Margalit Fox brings her “nose for interesting facts, the ability to construct a taut narrative arc, and a Dickens-level gift for concisely conveying personality” (Kathryn Schulz, New York) to this tale of psychological strategy that is rife with cunning, danger, and moments of high farce that rival anything in Catch-22.

More Details

Format
eBook
Street Date
06/01/2021
Language
English
ISBN
9781984853868

Discover More

Excerpt

Loading Excerpt...

Author Notes

Loading Author Notes...

Similar Titles From NoveList

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for titles you might like if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
These books have the genre "nonfiction that reads like fiction"; and the subjects "soldiers" and "southwest asia and north africa (middle east) history."
These books have the subjects "prisoners of war," "escaped prisoners of war," and "prisoner-of-war escapes."
Readers intrigued by how prisoners of war in the offbeat Confidence Men could possibly use a Ouija board to fool their captors will find some answers in Through a Glass, a well-researched history of spiritualism's early-20th-century heyday. -- Michael Shumate
These books have the appeal factors richly detailed and evocative, and they have the genre "nonfiction that reads like fiction"; and the subjects "prisoners of war," "prisoner-of-war camps," and "prisoners of war, american."
These books have the appeal factors cinematic and richly detailed, and they have the genre "nonfiction that reads like fiction"; and the subjects "soldiers" and "concentration camps."
Prisoner of war escapes make for dramatic reading in Hero of the Empire, featuring a little-known episode early in Winston Churchill's career, and the offbeat Confidence Men, in which two World War I British officers bamboozle their way to freedom. -- Michael Shumate
These books have the appeal factors richly detailed and evocative, and they have the subjects "soldiers," "infantry," and "war."
These books have the subjects "somme, 1st battle of the, 1916" and "battles."
Readers seeking compelling and richly detailed books about World War I will appreciate these suspenseful stories of Allied prisoners of war making daring escapes. -- Malia Jackson
These books have the appeal factors richly detailed, and they have the genres "nonfiction that reads like fiction" and "history writing -- military"; and the subjects "prisoners of war," "escaped prisoners of war," and "prisoner-of-war camps."
Readers interested in richly detailed and compelling history writing about the ingenuity and resilience of prisoners of war will appreciate these suspenseful life stories of men determined to escape their captors in both World Wars. -- Laura Cohen

Similar Authors From NoveList

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for other authors you might want to read if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
These authors' works have the subjects "writing methods and systems," "excavations (archaeology)," and "archaeology."
These authors' works have the subjects "writing methods and systems," "excavations (archaeology)," and "archaeology."
These authors' works have the genre "history writing"; and the subjects "translating and interpreting," "women scientists," and "research."
These authors' works have the subjects "excavations (archaeology)," "archaeology," and "antiquities."
These authors' works have the subjects "excavations (archaeology)," "archaeology," and "antiquities."
These authors' works have the subjects "excavations (archaeology)," "archaeology," and "antiquities."
These authors' works have the appeal factors richly detailed and well-researched, and they have the genre "history writing"; and the subjects "excavations (archaeology)," "archaeology," and "antiquities."
These authors' works have the subjects "excavations (archaeology)," "archaeology," and "translating and interpreting."
These authors' works have the subjects "excavations (archaeology)," "archaeology," and "antiquities."
These authors' works have the subjects "excavations (archaeology)," "archaeology," and "antiquities."
These authors' works have the genres "biographies" and "history writing."
These authors' works have the genre "history writing"; and the subjects "writing methods and systems," "language and languages," and "linguistics."

Reviews from GoodReads

Loading GoodReads Reviews.

Citations

APA Citation, 7th Edition (style guide)

Fox, M. (2021). The Confidence Men: How Two Prisoners of War Engineered the Most Remarkable Escape in History . Random House Publishing Group.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Fox, Margalit. 2021. The Confidence Men: How Two Prisoners of War Engineered the Most Remarkable Escape in History. Random House Publishing Group.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities (Notes and Bibliography) Citation, 17th Edition (style guide)

Fox, Margalit. The Confidence Men: How Two Prisoners of War Engineered the Most Remarkable Escape in History Random House Publishing Group, 2021.

Harvard Citation (style guide)

Fox, M. (2021). The confidence men: how two prisoners of war engineered the most remarkable escape in history. Random House Publishing Group.

MLA Citation, 9th Edition (style guide)

Fox, Margalit. The Confidence Men: How Two Prisoners of War Engineered the Most Remarkable Escape in History Random House Publishing Group, 2021.

Note! Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy. Citation formats are based on standards as of August 2021.

Copy Details

CollectionOwnedAvailableNumber of Holds
Libby110

Staff View

Loading Staff View.