3.5 stars, rounded upThis nonfiction history tells the story of two British Officers who escape from a WWI Turkish POW camp. It highlights a chapter of the war that I had no clue about. What makes the tale so engaging is that they escape by means of an elaborate con, using a Ouija board. I appreciated Fox giving us the background on things like spiritualism, telepathy, the treatment of the mental ill and the history of the long con. In fact, her research and the details she’s able to provide are...

Thank you so much, everyone, for the lovely advance reviews of THE CONFIDENCE MEN so far. I'm thrilled that you find this remarkable true story as compelling as I did.FYI, I've created a hashtag for the book on social media: #FoxConfidenceMenWith warmest wishes,Margo

Besides chronicling one of the most ingenious hoaxes ever perpetrated (and one of the only known examples of a con game being used for good instead of ill), The Confidence Men explores the strategy that underpins all confidence schemes: the subtle process of mind control called coercive persuasion, colloquially known as brainwashing. The answers to this book’s central questions — How does a master manipulator create and sustain faith? Why do his converts persist in believing things that are pate...

This is the third non-fiction book by Margalit Fox I've read and enjoyed. I enjoyed this one the most. I've gotten all three books free of charge, but I would have enjoyed all of them, especially this one, even if I had paid for them.I re-read the book description above before I wrote this, and I don't think I am engaging in spoiler-ish behavior to say that the two heroes of this book eventually escape from the WWI Ottoman prison camp (not a fun place, but a lot less horrible than I thought it w...

Unfortunately, I was completely bogged down with way too much detail in this one. I’m sure the story will appeal to many others but as much as I love a good historical war story, this one didn’t work for me. The author goes into deep detail on explaining certain history that I felt could have been covered much quicker. From the description I was expecting another Great Escape, this was not it. I want to thank Random House Publishing Group along with NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to r...

interesting story if not amazing about the weird escape of 2 soldiers from turkish prison camp world war 1. the problem with the book is the too many notes and explanations. in the end we want a good story but with the structure of explanations in the main body plot we get lost. still worth the effort.

Ouija EscapeesReview of the Random House hardcover (June 2021)The Confidence Men is the incredible story of how two British officers in a World War One prisoner of war camp in the then Ottoman Empire managed to escape using their combined skills of telling tall tales, memory, sleight of hand and acting. Elias Henry Jones (1883-1942) and Cedric Waters Hill (1891-1975) were captured in the Mesopotamian theatre of the war, Jones after the Seige of Kut, and Hill when his bomber airplane was shot dow...

This stranger-than-fiction story of two World War I captives, one an English officer, the other Australian, that trick their way out of a Turkish prison camp via a long, elaborate con centered on a Ouija board is compelling and at times, funny as hell. My thanks go to Net Galley and Random House for the invitation to read and review. This book is for sale now. The beginning is grim; grim enough that I abandon this story twice before ordering the audio version from Seattle Bibliocommons to help m...

A readable yarn about the story of two soldiers in WWI Turkey—the British Elias Henry Jones and the Australian Cedric Hill—who used feigned abilities in telepathy and spiritualism to get out of the remote POW camp in which they were being held. Margalit Fox provides a little more historical context and benefit-of-hindsight analysis than might be gleaned from the accounts that both Jones and Hill wrote in later life, and some dry humour, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I was reading simply

In WWI, a number of British soldiers fighting the Ottoman Empire in the Middle East were taken prisoners by the Turks in battles that are not nearly as well known as those in France on the Western Front. Two of those men were British officers: Elias Henry Jones and Cedric Waters Hill. Jones was from an upper class family in Britain and Hill was from Australia. Incarcerated in a remote prison in the mountains of Anatolia (modern day Turkey) they searched for a means of escaping and came up with

[Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC] "Narrative is inherently seductive, and a propulsive tale can buoy the mark straight into the storyteller's hands..." This was a fantastic, fascinating read about a bizarre escape plot - complete with ghosts, treasure, and a madhouse stint. I often find that accounts from World War I get overlooked, so I am glad to have picked up this book. Fox recounts the experiences of Jones and Hill in a delightfully entertaining way; the two men quickly endeared themselves

The Confidence Men is a very detailed account of the life of British prisoners of war in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. The accounting is very explicit and not for the faint of heart. This non-fiction story does not spare one of the horrors of war – especially with those who do not value life.The ingeniousness of the British in exploiting their opportunities to escape was the only bright spot in this otherwise sordid, but true, tale.I especially appreciated the maps and illustrations thr...

I was excited to read a book about WWI, as I am most lacking in visiting this time period. Such an interesting subject matter, that these two would dare to think they could fool the powers that be to convince them in believing in the Quija board, and that they would be considered insane, and removed from the prison camp. Absolutely outrageous.... but! A great read! I so wish the author hadn't gone down numerous rabbit holes with additional information. I had to read this book in shifts to stay i...

Absolutely stunning.The confluence of spiritualism, codified psychiatry and individual skills and fortitude all contributed to a breathtaking and complicated “long con” with the highest of stakes — escape from wartime captivity. Hill and Jones relied on planning, skill, luck and adept reading of the personalities around them to craft an incredibly complicated scheme by which they hoped to escape a geographically remote prisoner of war camp that was designed to confine military combatants deemed

There is no dearth of nonfiction books about World War I and II. Biographies and memoirs taking place during these periods give a face to the horrors of war. The story of how British officers, Harry Jones and Cedric Hill, makes for interesting reading. One can't help but be astonished at how they managed to fool so many people along the way through séances, madness leading to a psychiatric hospital stay that almost led to death, and ultimately to freedom.This story tells how the setting of World...

Margalit Fox is in the same league with Michael Lewis in being able to draw the significance of a historical event while telling the story with skill. In relating the gripping account of two POW’s in an Ottoman prison during WWI, Fox delves into the history and psychology of the con. The copious research she did grounds the book in Ottoman Turkey circa 1918, in the complex world of alliances which lead to what was then called the Great War. The escape scheme is audacious, the telling is most sat...

This is a prison break story like no other. Two British officers, Harry Jones and Cedric Hill, are determined to escape a remote prison camp in Turkey during World War I. But instead of the usual account which often includes tunnels, hiding in outgoing trucks, and brave runs through the dangerous night, this story gives us two men who manage to convince their captors to let them go.It’s not as easy as all that of course. Jones and Hill managed to instill the belief in the Commandant, translator,...

Definitely a recommend for anyone interested in WWI, the Con Game, escapes, or magic. Throughly entertaining, well-written and just a rip-roaring good time. At time humorous, at times horrifying, at times adventure bound, but always keeps you turning the pages.

Amazing, spell-binding true story of British POWs in WWI who run a long con to escape from a Turkish prisoner of war camp. The Sting meets The Great Escape.

This was moderately interesting but not as much as I'd hoped. A lot of long quotes, many drawn from the memoir published by one of the escapees and others regarding seances, spiritualism, and magicians. Some of this material dovetailed with a book I'd just read about Victorian-age spiritualists (the Fox sisters et al.), so I found it a bit repetitive. The author's prose wasn't objectionable, but it erred toward the factual and dry. I prefer books with a bit more sparkle. The escape in question w...

My rating: 3.5 stars

Thoroughly researched, incredibly detailed, well balanced - I can hardly recommend this book enough. It was informative (in terms of history, psychology, and magic) and gripping, and an approachable length for this genre. I admire how Fox writes an inspiring story without idolizing Hill or Jones. The book at once recognizes them for the con they pulled off and the hardships they suffered through, while acknowledging the biases and shortcomings of both men. With military history books frequently

A library pickup, one that just about leapt off the "new arrivals" shelf at me. Spiritualism! The occult! Daring escape attempts! Well, dang. Guess I have to pick that one up, I thought.A great yarn, the tale of two British officers who long-conned their Turkish captors with a spiritualist scam during the first world war. Fox expertly lays out their tale, mingling a deft storytelling hand with excellent historical context. The balance is just right...utterly immersive and highly entertaining. A

An absolutely thrilling story that kept me glued to its pages. This is a nonfiction account, but reads like fiction. Highly recommend!

Pretty interesting!

This is a fabulously detailed timeline of two British Officers who were captured and imprisoned by the Ottoman Empire. Their POW compound was in Eastern Anatolia and was nowhere near any of the Allied lines. One of them was a magician who would entertain the troops with his talent and the use of a Ouija Board which was very popular at this time.The use of the Board became very important to one of the guards at the Camp. A man they called Acmed was a member of the Officers group at the camp. He h...

Probably more like 2.5. At times astonishing but after awhile, the details of the planning became tedious (had to put it down for a week).

I was looking forward to reading this book, a side of WWI I knew nothing about, and the subject matter seemed intriguing. While the author clearly did quite a bit of research, it was incredibly detailed and for me, very slow paced. Perhaps because I was listening to the book, rather than reading it without access to the visuals in the book, it just seemed hard to follow. In the end, after getting 60% of the way through, I realized I just was not all that interested in telepathy. 2 star book for

Two British prisoners of war during WWI escape a remote prison in the middle of Turkey by dazzling their captors and others by using their knowledge of spiritualism and a Ouija board which was thought to drive people to insanity at the time. Feigning insanity allowed the to travel and escape. Lots of fun.

Two British Prisoners of War try to escape a prison camp by using a Ouija board, leading the camp commandant of a wild goose chase for treasure and faking madness.