Bidwell's Travels

Austin Bidwell was one of the most notorious confidence men of the 19th century—the mastermind behind the audacious 1873 forgery that nearly swindled the Bank of England out of a fortune. In this remarkable memoir, Bidwell recounts his extraordinary life of crime, his daring schemes across two continents, his eventual capture, and the long years he spent in the grim confines of an English prison. Part adventure, part confession, and part searing indictment of the penal system, Bidwell's Travels offers a fascinating first-hand glimpse into the criminal underworld of the Victorian age and the man who lived to tell the tale. A Raven's Gate Classics edition with atmospheric new cover art.