The "unputdownable" (Dave Eggers, National Book award finalist) story of the most infamous American con man you've never heard of: James Strang, self-proclaimed divine king of earth, heaven, and an island in Lake Michigan, "perfect for fans of The Devil in the White City" (Kirkus)

A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice
Longlisted for the 2021 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction
Finalist for the Midland Authors Annual Literary Award
A Michigan Notable Book
A CrimeReads Best True Crime Book of the Year

"A masterpiece." -- Nathaniel Philbrick

In the summer of 1843, James Strang, a charismatic young lawyer and avowed atheist, vanished from a rural town in New York. Months later he reappeared on the Midwestern frontier and converted to a burgeoning religious movement known as Mormonism. In the wake of the murder of the sect's leader, Joseph Smith, Strang unveiled a letter purportedly from the prophet naming him successor, and persuaded hundreds of fellow converts to follow him to an island in Lake Michigan, where he declared himself a divine king.

From this stronghold he controlled a fourth of the state of Michigan, establishing a pirate colony where he practiced plural marriage and perpetrated thefts, corruption, and frauds of all kinds. Eventually, having run afoul of powerful enemies, including the American president, Strang was assassinated, an event that was frontpage news across the country.

The King of Confidence tells this fascinating but largely forgotten story. Centering his narrative on this charlatan's turbulent twelve years in power, Miles Harvey gets to the root of a timeless American original: the Confidence Man. Full of adventure, bad behavior, and insight into a crucial period of antebellum history, The King of Confidence brings us a compulsively readable account of one of the country's boldest con men and the boisterous era that allowed him to thrive.

• We started tracking this book on July 17, 2020.
• This book was $14.99 when we started tracking it.
• The price of this book has changed 20 times in the past 1,935 days.
• The current price of this book is $1.99 last checked one day ago.
• The lowest price to date was $1.99 last reached on November 2, 2025.
• This book has been $1.99 2 times since we started tracking it.
• The highest price to date was $14.99 last reached on January 2, 2021.
• This book has been $14.99 2 times since we started tracking it.
• This book is currently at its lowest price since we started tracking it.

• HistoryAmericasUnited States19th CenturyAntebellum
• HistoryAmericas
• HistoryUnited States19th CenturyAntebellum

• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 440 Pages
• File Size: 256 KB