This book caused me to puzzle, once again, about the success of confidence men in gaining large followings. I've read some books that present the psychology behind this, but I remain puzzled at some level.

What this book did well: First, the author did a wonderful job of setting the context of the times during which the events portrayed took place -- a time of P.T. Barnum, pre-Civil-War tensions, relatively few laws, and corruption in both the political and judicial systems. He gave a history of one spin-off of the Mormon religion that I'd never heard of. I was able to see many parallels between then and now.

What he did less well: It is clear that the title character, Mr. Strang, must have had a great deal of charisma in order to attract so many followers, and wives. However, that charisma didn't come through in the was he was portrayed. He just looked silly and/or corrupt. I was left wondering whether he was simply a liar, or whether he was delusional. The book didn't draw any lessons or insights, other than that con men will always be with us.

Entertaining slice of American history. Although we've had our moments, things seem much calmer in Canada. ( )

Shortly before this, I had read Jack Kelly's "Heaven's Ditch." That one wasn't very good in my opinion, but "The King of Confidence" picks up right where that left off, and is a far better read. The construction of the Erie Canal connected western New York to a whole new world of beyond its traditional borders. It created new opportunities for ambitious individuals looking to "test radical ideas" or beliefs or break tradition. Joseph Smith was among those who participated in the “spiritual wildfire” of that era, eventually creating a new sect called Mormonism. But after Smith’s death in 1843 there was a power vacuum. The militant Brigham Young stepped up, but then so does wanted shyster James Jesse Strang.

Strang, a known fraud and former U.S. postmaster, was traveling the states looking for the next get rich quick scheme or job. Then, “miraculously” in 1844, he shows a letter from “Joseph Smith” naming him heir to the Mormon Church. He also produces three clay tablets, with unknown symbols etched on them that only he can “translate.” Before Young can dismiss this rival, he has to flee with his followers to Utah to escape federal charges of counterfeit. This leaves Strang to consolidate the scraps utilizing the tricks of “a confidence man.” Through the most outlandish methods you will ever read, Strang takes over Beaver Island in Lake Michigan and sets himself up as self-proclaimed King – with diadem and scepter- of a Mormon colony. To maintain control, Strang encourages his followers to steal from, attack and oust “the gentiles.” At one point he is even captured in a night raid, but the court fails to convict without sufficient proof. He becomes judge and jury, and is even elected to the Michigan House of Representatives, because of course the votes were unanimous. But it’s still not enough for Strang’s ego, and he fights for the governorship of Utah to oust Brigham Young. But just like Young, Strang’s life will end in the most violent way.

“King of Confidence” is incredibly engaging, and you will not want to put it down. Thankfully the author didn't spend chapter upon chapter on the formation of the Church. Smith is dead by this time, and Young is leading a whole other branch of Mormonism. The two appear only as needed, and Strang’s escapades are so wild that there’s no need for filler. We also get to know Mary, his wife, who has the patience of a saint and refuses to let her children join the Church. She is often left destitute by her husband and is eventually kicked off the island. But not before Strang marries Elvira Field and 3 others to replace her. Strang’s hypocrisy of practicing polygamy and preaching against it rankles his followers as you can imagine. You get to know Strang’s cronies as well, which include outcasts like “Dr.” Atkyn, con artists like John C. Bennett and violent muscle men like Jonathan and Isaac Pierce. Overall an amazing read and before you think to yourself, "how could anyone fall for this?" One can easily draw similarities between Strang's "confidence man" image and certain political personalities of today. ( )

As a Michigan native who once spent a family week on Beaver Island as a kid, I couldn't pass this one up. I knew only barely that once upon a time there had been a weird guy who proclaimed himself king of the island, and now Miles Harvey has given us the full, sensational, lurid, melodramatic scoop. The mid-19th century antebellum period was an inflammatory time in American history, with all manner of cults, sects, spiritualists, con men, zealots, and flim-flam... up to and including the Mormons (see Jon Krakauer's eye-opening [b: Under the Banner of God|18207879|Victory Under the Banners of God|Vinton C De Villiers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1374638874l/18207879._SX50_.jpg|25627848] for some background useful to reading this one). James Strang hailed from a region in western New York state that was such a hotbed of utopians and kooks it was known as the "Burned-Over District." John Brown was from there too.

James was an odd kid. As a teenager, he decided his destiny was to be a great leader, and the reasonable way to achieve that was for him to marry a certain teen-aged girl of royal family in England named Victoria. Right, that ought to do it. He was intense, driven, smart, and became a Mormon and a lawyer who could outtalk most of his adversaries. He married young, and his wife couldn't stand him. Once in the Mormon ranks, he wrangled and connived and manipulated his way up the echelons. But it was never enough for James. New York, Wisconsin, up into Michigan, where there was this large island in the lake that was just sitting there, not being used by anybody (except, um, some native Americans, hardy fishermen, and farmers). It belonged to the federal government and who cares about that, so how perfect would it be for a kingdom that was only waiting for a King! His wife didn't last too long there after he went off and he picked up a young man he introduced as his nephew and set to work as a dedicated, clever secretary. Only he wasn't a nephew... *she* was an ambitious young woman he'd married on a trip to New York, and passed as his nephew assistant for over a year. Even though he spouted opposition to "plural marriage," he seemed to like "spiritual wives" just fine and produced several very corporeal offspring among four wives. He robbed, stole, lied and bullied his way over a few hundred sad souls, stuffing ballot boxes, changing political parties, evading arrests and convictions, to become a state legislator in Lansing. (Let's be fair: he was an ardent abolitionist.) His minions staged piratical raids on passing ships, farms, and towns along Lake Michigan's coastline. He finally crossed a line for one local on the island who had refused to become a Mormon, and whose wife declined to wear the pantaloons Strang had decreed was required for all women on the island. The population splintered, coalesced, and it all came to a bloody end as the officer of a military ship in the harbor hummed a tune and looked the other way.

Harvey tells this dramatic tale a bit in the style of the time, with chapter headings like "In which various people whip their neighbors, bludgeon their colleagues, hack their enemies to death, and bring the United States to the verge of civil war while James Strang insists there's absolutely nothing to worry about." He lives up to the billing, with all manner of scoundrels and drinking and fighting and politics. Strang was so very strange, driven to the point of megalomania, that I wish Harvey had allowed himself a little armchair psychologizing of his subject: the grandiosity, the utter amorality of his behavior while professing deep religious belief (never mind that he made a lot of it up). Was he just crazy? Was he a sociopath or a psychopath? Did he *really* hear angels, or was all of it a scam? Harvey doesn't choose to speculate. Nearly 75 pages of notes and bibliography; and about a full page devoted to listing by name the librarians who helped him (which endears him to me forever). Loads of fun to read, and once again, a timely reminder of the damage that demagogues do. ( )

A very readable, sometimes irreverently told history of "King James", the mid-nineteenth century confidence man and self-proclaimed King of Beaver Island.

James Strang "ruled over" a Mormon splinter community on Beaver Island in Lake Michigan. The book details his conversion from a youthful atheist confidence man to the supposedly anointed successor to Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon religion. He convinced a group of Mormon faithful to follow him to Beaver Island in Lake Michigan where they established what they thought of as a Mormon colony.

Strang however, tried to use the colony as a springboard, combined with criminality and corruption, to achieve his life long dream of royalty and power. Proclaiming himself "King of Heaven and Earth" in a ceremony on the island, he had grandiose visions of one day ruling as King over all of the United States.

Instead, as you might guess, it all ended badly for Strang.

Miles Harvey has done a good job of conveying the broader context of America before the Civil War. It was a time of fervent religiosity (the Second Great Awakening), of fervent conflict over abolition versus slavery (including the rise of John Brown), and of fervent "hucksterism" (including the rise of PT Barnum).

And yet, I ended reading this book with mixed thoughts. While I did enjoy all of that context, it didn't fully become part of the flow of the main story, at points seeming more like "padding".

I give The King of Confidence 3 Stars ⭐⭐⭐ - I liked the book despite my issue above. Having grown up in Michigan I have heard of the King of Beaver Island before, but never knew the full story until reading this book. ( )

True account of the life and times of James Jesse Strang, self-annointed King of Beaver Island (in this world and the next). Harvey's well-documented book carefully shows the rise of arguably America's greatest confidence man. Romance, gender-bending, murder, crime, political intrigue: this book has it all. Nonfiction writing at its best. ( )