Famous imposters (1910) by Bram Stoker ( ILLUSTRATED )

Bram Stoker, best known as the manager of London's Lyceum Theatre and author of Dracula, turns his attention to historical deception in this 1910 work. The text offers a survey of charlatans and rogues who practiced make-believe during their respective eras. Stoker examines royal pretenders like Perkin Warbeck, who claimed the throne of King Henry VII, alongside magicians such as Paracelsus and Cagliostro. He also covers witches, clairvoyants, women masquerading as men, and various other hoaxers. The book is illustrated and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform in 2016, though the original content dates to 1910. Stoker approaches these subjects with a cheerful and withering eye for their cons. The narrative draws on traditions of fraud across different periods, focusing on individuals who bedeviled and delighted audiences through deception. This edition includes illustrations that accompany the text. Readers interested in historical biography, theater history, or the study of social fraud will find this volume engaging. Those seeking modern horror fiction or supernatural thrillers may be disappointed by the nonfiction nature of the work. The book suits those who appreciate Stoker’s managerial perspective applied to historical figures rather than his fictional creations.