"The Artful Dodger," A New Book by the Author of The Downfall Dictionary

When I started this blog back in 2008, I had no idea just how bizarre some of the stories I uncovered would be. In the 10 years I've written entries for this site, I've catalogued such strange tales as the congressman who castrated two men and the senator accused of betraying both the Union and the Confederacy during the Civil War.

One interesting historical narrative I encountered was only tangentially related to the figure I covered for one post. In researching Thomas Miller, the Alien Property Custodian who was convicted of taking kickbacks, I learned that he had seized property from a World War I draft dodger as well as German nationals.

The newspaper stories related to Grover Cleveland Bergdoll were so enticing that I couldn't believe his history had fallen by the wayside. Here was a man who had trained with the Wright Brothers and earned fame as a pilot, only to become infamous when he evaded the draft, tricked his guards into releasing him from prison by claiming to have buried a gold cache, and made a high-profile escape to Europe.

After many years of research and writing, I've published a history on Bergdoll's life. The Artful Dodger: The 20-Year Pursuit of World War I Draft Dodger Grover Cleveland Bergdoll, can be purchased as a print edition for $25 or for Kindle for $9.99.

Any readers of this blog are sure to be fascinated by this story. I hope you can pick up a copy and leave a review!