Mischief, Mayhem, and Americans at Their Finest
By Paul Martin
Prometheus Books, $18.95, 304 pages
If the scandalous side of history piques your interest, then it’s a safe bet you’ll want to get your hands on a copy of Villains, Scoundrels, and Rogues: Incredible True Tales of Mischief and Mayhem, as it comes packed with twenty-eight unbelievable stories of history’s lesser-known evildoers. You’ll be even more intrigued when you realize this book only includes Americans, and you might find yourself scratching your head about what could possess a person to do any of the things these folks did.
“Parker remains a faceless character, a clown who fostered a tragedy. But what might have happened if Parker had done his duty and not abandoned his President?”
The book starts out with the obvious hardcore villains, then moves on to the more mediocre scoundrels and ends it all with the less noteworthy rogues. This reviewer personally would have reversed the order, starting with the least amount of mayhem and saving the best stuff for last. As it is, this reviewer’s only complaint is that you get to the punch right away and it fizzles from there. The order did not detract from my enthusiasm, however, and this reviewer definitely recommends picking this book up.
Reviewed by Kim Heimbuch
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