Strang is every person who has ever tried anything risky in America. This was a worthwhile read, gave me hope!

Highly recommend. It’s a good giftable book for anyone who is just entering the workforce

I'm a sucker for stories of 19th-century charlatans, especially those adjacent to my Mormon upbringing. James Strang insisted that Joseph Smith had appointed him as his successor after Joseph's death, then thought that wasn't far enough. He called himself the divine king of earth and heaven, and set up his commune on an island in Lake Michigan near the Upper Peninsula. The book brings in a lot of the contemporary happenings and Con[fidence] Men that were forging visions of an America still in its infancy.

This is the story of James Strang, probably one of the greatest American confidence men, or con men, that you may not have heard of. Strang basically formed a cult, an offshoot of the Mormons, made his base in a small island in the Great Lakes with a few followers, and then declared himself Prophet of God and King. That is a very basic summary. The man held various jobs, often transformed himself from one con to the next, and was even a Michigan state legislator for a time. He was a con man at a time when con men were rising in the United States during the antebellum period. Antebellum United States was a volatile time, but it was also a time of innovations as well as risks and rule breaking. As the author writes, "the mid-nineteenth century was a time when everything-- even time itself-- seemed indeterminate, malleable, open to new rules" (13). James Strang took full advantage.

For starters, we get Strang's story from his rise to his death. Though this is a modern book, in some ways the narrative reads like a mid-nineteenth century novel written by someone like Hawthorne or Melville, authors who were active at the time. This makes the story a bit more immersive for readers. It is also an engaging story that one just keeps on reading.

A strength of the book is that it gives a broad and detailed picture of antebellum United States. The author tells us about the many events going on at the time as well as various personalities who were active at the time. To give readers an idea, here is a very small list of some of the people and things going on at the time, in no specific order:


Daguerre was inventing the "power to freeze time" (that would lead to photography).
Samuel F.B. Morse and the telegraph (1844).
Alexis de Tocqueville was visiting the U.S. (1831).
So did Charles Dickens at one point.
The Mexican-American War (1848).
Herman Melville writes the book The Confidence Man.
P.T. Barnum in 1842 introduces General Tom Thumb to the world.


For me, such details made the story more interesting and helped me to visualize the era better. This book is not just a biography. It is a well written history of the United States at the time through the lens of James Strang's life. You are bound to learn new things and/or see them in a different light from reading this book.

In addition, it is a well researched and documented book. The author often uses primary sources to help tell the story. Some of those newspaper clips can be quite interesting on their own. The book features as well a pretty extensive set of notes at the end and a bibliography.

Overall, I really liked this book. It was an interesting read about a chapter of United States history I do not know about until now. Though it can feel a bit lengthy in the middle-- the pace slows a bit-- all in all it is a good read. I am sure with a bit of editing this story could be a movie on one of the streaming services.

I'd recommend this book for public and academic libraries, especially for readers who enjoy historical biographies, U.S. history, and books about crimes and cons. We already bought a copy at our library.

Part true crime, part biography, part history, this book is entirely captivating. Miles Harvey's knack for research and lively storytelling is almost unparalleled--think Erik Larson or Ron Chernow. If you liked Devil in the White City, you'll love The King of Confidence.

I struggled with this one. While I found the topic interesting, it dragged in parts. Definitely wasn’t nearly as good as “Devil in the White City.”

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book, which I voluntarily chose to review.

The story of Joseph Smith and his successor of leadership in the Church of Latter-Day Saints is the topic for this book. Focusing on James Jesse Strang, who has not publicly named, but assumes the leadership role is his. He claims Joseph Smith told him in a letter prior to Smith’s assassination. This is a book that reads like thriller fiction. He is all confidence man and Miles Harvey has brought this part of history to life. His lust for power was eventually destroyed, but it’s quite a story.

3.5 stars!
James Strang vanished in New York in the 1840s only to reappear as a Mormon prophet years later, proclaiming his devotion to the religion. He convinces his followers to move to an island in Lake Michigan which he names Beaver Island. He becomes the monarch and lives as though he is immune from all governing bodies that the United States tries to impose on him and his colony. Creating his own bible and laws, he takes on 6 wives and fathers many children all while leading a group of devout Mormons.

James Strang is fully profiled along with his wives in this microhistory. I found it to be monotonous at times and I found myself wishing that more of his followers were depicted as I was curious about the circumstances of their lives. This nonfiction work was extremely well researched, leaving no detail behind. It wrapped up well as it explains what ultimately happened to Strang as well as the status of America at that time. While this one did lose my interest at times, I think it was just a personal thing because I wasn’t fully invested in the topic.

The United States in the mid-19th century was wild, filled with social upheaval, political corruption, and people migrating west in search of a better life. (Except for the migrating westward part, this reminds me of the U.S. today.) Another parallel between the antebellum period and the present-day U.S. is the fascinating emergence of leaders whose goal it is to con others into believing them, following them, possibly even worshipping them. We have a (not yet indicted) charismatic criminal in the White House, and in the mid-1800s there was James Strang. (Truly, as I read about Strang, with his devoted followers, I kept thinking about the rally last weekend…) Miles Harvey tells the little-known and extremely interesting story of James Strang in The King of Confidence.

I loved reading this book…in one way, it gave me hope that we will indeed get past the current situation. On the other hand, it reminded me how incredibly gullible and willing to accept wild beliefs that people are, leading me to wallow in my fear that we are completely screwed. James Strang came along at a time when people were desperate for someone to lead them. Although he was an avowed atheist, when Joseph Smith, the leader of the new Latter Day Saints religion known as Mormonism was murdered, Strang jumped on the opportunity to fill the vacuum left by Smith’s death. He somewhat miraculously presented a letter naming him as the successor to the prophet and persuaded hundreds of Smith’s followers to move to an island in Lake Michigan where he would lead them in (to?) glory.

Seriously, people believed this? How much did they need something to hang onto that they would fall for such a blatant con? Oh wait, election of 2016…but I digress. Strang would eventually control as much as a quarter of the state of Michigan, living a polygamous life, and perpetrating a boatload of fraudulent activities before being assassinated. What a wild ride!

Reminiscent of wonderful narrative nonfiction such as Erik Larson’s Devil in the White City, The King of Confidence is a biography of Strang, a history of LDS activity Immediately after Joseph Smith died, and a wonderful presentation of U.S. society in the years leading up to the Civil War all at once. Thanks to Little, Brown & Co. and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Brilliantly summed up by its own subtitle, The King of Confidence: A Tale of Utopian Dreamers, Frontier Schemers, True Believers, False Prophets, and the Murder of an American Monarch is a fascinating glimpse into the dramatic world of antebellum America. Perfect for fans of Erik Larson or Gary Krist, The King of Confidence is sure to be a hit with narrative nonfiction readers.

This book is the story of “the most infamous American con man you’ve never heard of, James Strang.” It got that part right. Before picking up this book, I’d never heard of Strang, but now I feel like I know more about him than 98% of people thanks to this new microhistory book from the author of The Island of Lost Maps. Basically, Strang claimed to be the successor of the Mormon leader and convinced a bunch of people to move with him to an island in Lake Michigan. Like most cult leaders, he just wanted power and sex (from all women, including underaged girls).

As with my 98% of such stories that pique my interest, they completely lost me at the harem theme. I am fascinated by cults, and I think half of the reason i enjoy leaning about them is that I want a few that are about something more original that dudes wanting power and sex. It’s old. I’m bored. Do something else. ANYTHING ELSE. Ritualistic cannibalism? Awesome. Weird occult rituals (that don’t involve sex), okay. Vampires? Sure. Whatever. For the love of all things fluffy come up with something better.

This book is interesting enough. I will say I spaced out here and there, but that’s not the author’s fault. I lose interest now and again following stories about old, dead white men who have little original characteristics. Though, con artists do entertain me, and that’s why I kept going with this one. The religious aspects did take away some of my enjoyment, though, because rarely do such religious themes have anything to do with faith, and I don’t often like people who take advantage of others just because they can, unless those being taken advantage of deserve it.

If you’re a fan of microhistory, though, esecially lesser known stories, I’d say give this one a go. It’s well researched and well written. Also, the summary is pretty accurate, so if it sounds appealing, you’re likely to enjoy the outcome without unpleasant surprises.

I enjoy a good nonfiction book that teaches me about a bit of history I was formerly unaware of. And how could I pass up one that’s compared to The Devil in the White City? The King of Confidence gives us James Strang, who goes from being an avowed atheist to the successor of Joseph Smith for a portion of the fledgling Mormon church. A charlatan of the first order, Strang declared himself a divine king and took an island in Lake Michigan as his kingdom.
The writing at times is overly flowery. But the story itself is great fun and paints a fascinating picture of the times. “...in antebellum America, reality was porous”. This was the age of P. T. Barnum, another confidence man of the first order. Despite being a book about a single individual, Harvey does an excellent job of showing us how the turbulent temperament of the country allowed for so many cons, so many false utopias. In fact, I enjoyed the book the most when it concentrated on what defined the decade and painted a broad picture.
On rare instances, it did drag which keeps it from being a five star book. But for those who enjoy nonfiction, make sure to add this to your reading list.
My thanks to netgalley and Little, Brown and Company for an advance copy of this book.

I really enjoyed reading this extensively researched and well-written book. While I'm aware of some aspects of LDS history, I had never heard of "King" James J. Strang. This era of American history, following the Second Great Awakening, has long been of interest to me, specifically the rise of Utopian communes and spiritualism. Anyone interested in this era of American history would enjoy this book.

A striking account of an enigmatic character. This is the story of America's most infamous con man: James Strang, You have probably never heard of him but in the middle of the 19th century he was the self-proclaimed divine king of earth, heaven, and an island in Lake Michigan, Harvey uses this seemingly crazy tale to late out many aspects of the social and political culture of antebellum America. This was time with disturbing parallels to our times. A good book for anyone interested in U.S. history but of particular interest to those of us in the great lakes area where much of the action takes place.

Love this! A bit of history I knew nothing about. Fascinating and timely--many modern day parallels.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of The King of Confidence.

I'm not a fan of non-fiction but the premise of The King of Confidence was interesting so I was pleased when my request was approved.

The author brings us the story of James Strang, one of many flimflam men of his day, but who rose from obscurity to become a lawyer, a politician and a king, before succumbing to his own foolishness, folly and deluded beliefs.

The author paints a picture of the Antebellum period, filled with corruption, filthy, dirty politics, desperate people looking for a better way of life, and the hucksters and shysters that lurked in every nook, cranny and some right out in the open.

Strang was charismatic, a good speaker and a talented liar in his own right, but he was also a product of the turbulent period he grew up in; when desperate factions of people sought hope in anything and anyone, when slavery and suffragette rights were brimming on the horizon, bringing a new host of trials and tribulations to the world, and people disappeared regularly to escape creditors and angry victims.

It was time of great social and political upheaval, but also great change; the Gold Rush, industry in timber and textiles is booming, the influx of immigrants from Ireland, and amidst all this, Strang prospered, more or less, not because of his talent as a con man, but also because of the people he duped.

Strang would never have thrived if his followers did not believe in him as much as he did.

The author crafts a narrative filled with anecdotes and humor (the research is thorough and copious) to demonstrate to readers the tone and setting of Strange's current environment; the power players, his family and social circle, and how all these elements colluded to perpetuate his house of lies.

The King of Confidence is also about human nature, how people are willing to believe in anyone who offers hope during a time of great anxiety and tension; how we are a product of our environment and politics, but we must also be responsible for our own actions and how we choose to act in the face of such malicious individuals.

James Strang was a man who was able to swoop into a fledgling Latter Day Saints movement while it was suffering a crisis, draw away a schismatic slice, and use them to build his own little theocratic island kingdom And somehow, that is only a part of his almost unbelievable but very, very real story.

Long relegated to the margins of history, Strang’s curious place in America’s past has been brought back into the spotlight by Miles Harvey’s excellent and thickly detailed new biography of this opportunistic prophet-king. It’s not only one of the most genuinely entertaining historical reads that I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying in a while, but this book is frankly a very welcome reminder that absurd con men trying to sell themselves as savior-leaders are by no means solely a present-day phenomenon.

When we lived along Lake Michigan people would ask me if I knew about the King of Beaver Island. I had never heard of him. All I knew was that quilter Gwen Marston lived on Beaver Island. I had seen photos of her home and studio and the classes she held there. A lovely place.

Then along comes Miles Harvey's The King of Confidence: A Tale of Utopian Dreamers, Frontier Schemers, True Believers, False Prophets, and the Murder of an American Monarch, finally my chance to learn about this Michigan king.

I'll cut to the chase: Harvey's book is rollicking, page-turning, riotous good fun...and a sobering reminder of the American penchant to be taken in by quacks, con-men, and self-aggrandizing wannabes.

As a boy, J. J. Strang dreamed of the big achievements awaiting him--like marrying the girl Victoria who was destined to become queen of England. He wanted to be king.

Over his life, Strang reinvented himself, from teacher to lawyer, from atheist to the heir to Mormon founder Joseph Smith, from self-proclaimed king to pirate to legislator. And from husband to one wife to husband to a harem.

Harvey could have given us a somber, and perhaps tedious, exploration of Strang's place in American history, with insights into our current political craziness as well as Strang's antebellum social, economic, and political craziness.

OK; he did cover these themes. But with pizazz and ironic fun to create an entertaining narrative that makes one want to keep reading.

Chapters have lively titles and chapter quotations. Such as,"In which one charlatan is run out of town, only to be replaced by an even greater scoundrel", the following quote being a discussion between the Duke and the King from Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Yes, this is a book that Michiganders must read, but also those interested in how Americans gravitate to extremes during troubled times. Harvey's insights into human nature and society transcends time and place

I was given a free ebook by the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.