3666. Drake's Fortune: The Fabulous True Story of the World's Greatest Confidence Artist, by Richard Rayner (read 20 Dec 2002) This is a new book which as soon as I saw it I knew I would have to read, the account of the Drake Estate swindle being of legend in this part of Iowa. Unfortunately, though this is a subject which cries out for details, footnotes, and careful writing, the author seeks to turn it into a novel, with pointless digressions and obvious signs of non-careful research, making it hard to tell what is accurate and what is exaggerated. But the story is a fantastic one and I am sad the author did not do a better job telling it. After reading the book it is fun to read the opinion in Hartzell v. U.S., 72 F. 2nd 569 (C.C.A. 8, 1934), which tells the story well from a legal standpoint. ( )