Cheats, Charlatans, and Chicanery

Since 1988, Andreas Schroeder has been a regular contributor to CBC-Radio’s “Basic Black,” entertaining listeners with outrageous – and always very funny – tales of daring scams and rip-offs. In Scams, Scandals, and Skulduggery (1996), he collected seventeen of the stories that received the greatest listener response. Now, in Cheats, Charlatans, and Chicanery, he has done it again, collecting another seventeen of his best tales of knavish frauds and thefts, carried out by ingenious – and often lovable – rogues. Stories Include: Getting Naked for Big Bucks: How a bevy of disgruntled writers got together to pen a steamy bestseller called Naked Came the Stranger. The Man Who Bought Portugal: How Alves Reis planned to take over the Bank of Portugal – with its own money. Stuff and Nonsense at the Ends of the Earth: How explorers Peary, Cook, and Byrd bluffed their way into the history books. Impersonating Roger: How butcher’s son Arthur Orton became an unlikely celebrity in Victorian England as “The Tichborne Claimant.” Once again, Andreas Schroeder tells his wonderfully wicked tales with the sly and deadpan humour that his many fans will recognize – and that new readers are sure to enjoy.