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Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake Audiobook
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(3.00) - 10,926 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The uproarious, bestselling true story of the world's most sought-after con man, immortalized by Leonardo DiCaprio in DreamWorks' feature film of the same name, from the author of Scam Me If You Can.
Frank W. Abagnale, alias Frank Williams, Robert Conrad, Frank Adams, and Robert Monjo, was one of the most daring con men, forgers, imposters, and escape artists in history. In his brief but notorious criminal career, Abagnale donned a pilot's uniform and copiloted a Pan Am jet, masqueraded as the supervising resident of a hospital, practiced law without a license, passed himself off as a college sociology professor, and cashed over $2.5 million in forged checks, all before he was twenty-one.
Known by the police of twenty-six foreign countries and all fifty states as "The Skywayman," Abagnale lived a sumptuous life on the lam—until the law caught up with him. Now recognized as the nation's leading authority on financial foul play, Abagnale is a charming rogue whose hilarious, stranger-than-fiction international escapades, and ingenious escapes-including one from an airplane-make Catch Me If You Can an irresistible tale of deceit.
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"This is the true crime book that inspired the fun movie starring DiCaprio and Hanks. Truly amazing what Abagnale, a guy who never finished high school, got away with, such as impersonating an airline pilot, a lawyer and a teacher...and all at a very young age. Sometimes the veracity of his claims may be in doubt, as after all, he was a con man, but even if half of it happened as he describes it, it serves as a lesson in human relations, namely that you should never trust what your eyes or ears tell you! Also, it's amazing what a man will do just to bed women, which is what Abagnale says motivated him to lie, cheat and steal. I finished this book in two days, but I had never read anything that had so many expressions I wasn't familiar with or words that were used in an unexpected context (for example, he writes "abroad", but doesn't mean "in a foreign land"), as well as some curious inaccuracies (for ex, a "glide scope" isn't a light, as he claims), but that's the refreshing aspect of this book, as it feels authentic, as if Abagnale himself was speaking, sort of like Holden Caulfield in Catcher in the Rye!"
— Tom (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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A book that captivates from first page to last.
— West Coast Review of Books -
Whatever the reader may think of his crimes, the reader will wind up chortling with and cheering along the criminal.
— Charlottesville Progress -
Zingingly told... richly detailed and winning as the devil.
— Kirkus Reviews
Catch Me If You Can Listener Reviews
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" Forget the movie of the same name starring Leonardo Dicaprio, although I could watch that over and over again. This is the REAL story of Frank Abagnale, told by the man himself. Just like any book/movie project, there's a lot of information in the book that got left out of the movie. The book has a conspiratorial feel, as if Frank is bringing the listener in on some crafty secret. It also servers as a technology history book, since most of what Frank accomplished could not be done with today's technology. "
— Twigsy, 4/3/2017 -
" Love this book! It's such a fine line between a brilliant inventor and a brilliant criminal. "
— Polly, 2/10/2014 -
" Good book. Fast, easy, highly entertaining read. "
— BrawnyBen, 2/2/2014 -
" A con man's autobiography. Is it true? Not that it really matters - the man can write almost as well as he can con and his descriptive passages, particularly of his time in a French jail, will stay with you. Need I say too that it's a great deal better than the film made from it, which I enjoyed nevertheless. "
— Gavin, 1/22/2014 -
" A lot like the movie, but a few surprises! "
— Debra, 1/5/2014 -
" As a work a fiction this was a really entertaining read. It was more detailed than the movie and also free of the movie's clunky additions. The book's abrupt end made me feel ripped off(that may have been intentional, ha-ha). But for that reason and that this book highly exaggerates the truth, I can only give it 3 stars. "
— Marc, 1/4/2014 -
" Great read about a very inventive and daring conman. I'm not surprised it has been made into a film. The nerve of the guy, and the lengths he'd go to pull off a scam - amazing! "
— Sephie, 12/9/2013 -
" This book was so fun, definitely top 10. Follow a young felon as he shares with you his mischievous adventures and tricks as a con artist! AMAZING! "
— Hedder, 12/9/2013 -
" I read this long before the movie ever came out. I was fascinated at what this man ...er boy... did! Faking it has new meaning after reading this book. This is the true story of Frank Abagnale and if you get the chance read the book then add the movie to your netflix queue. "
— Aimée, 12/3/2013 -
" Hard to believe that this was really possible to achieve at one time. Such a waste of talent by this young man. Interesting read and good ending.. "
— Diane, 11/29/2013 -
" The movie was almost as good as the book. "
— Maggie, 11/25/2013 -
" the book is better than the movie. duh. "
— James, 11/9/2013 -
" Books are almost always better than movies and this is a perfect example. The book is very interesting and worth reading. I wouldn't bother with the movie. "
— Sjlovealive, 10/20/2013 -
" The book was different than the movie. I got the feeling that he had a lonely, depressing life. "
— Linda, 8/19/2013 -
" A non-fiction thriller from my "Seductive Criminals" book club! "
— Katelyn, 7/31/2013 -
" Truly amazing and a lot better than the movie "
— Ray, 7/22/2013 -
" Audio- I thought this was even better than the movie and I really liked the movie. "
— Jason, 6/23/2013 -
" So much better then the movie....but most books are.... "
— Jennifer, 4/25/2013 -
" It's amazing what he pulls off, and he's so young. You really realize the genius behind the con-artist. Very entertaining and a super quick read. "
— Michelle, 9/27/2012 -
" really so interesting! can't wait to see the movie! "
— Samantha, 7/19/2012 -
" The movie didn't do Frank Abagnale justice. This autobiography by one of the most brilliant con men in history reads like a well-crafted thriller. "
— Meri, 2/22/2012 -
" If you like the movie you will love the book. A killed this book in a few days. A very good read. "
— Chris, 10/4/2011 -
" I was unable to put this down even after watching the film many times. Utterly fascinating. "
— Caitlin, 5/23/2011 -
" Way better than the movie (obviously), and it made me wonder why I'm so worried about following all of the rules. "
— Lauren, 5/14/2011 -
" A good quick read. Very interesting to see the difference between real life and the movie. "
— Jed, 5/12/2011 -
" what a fascinating adventure.....you took me to every places you visited.Bravo Frank! "
— Ipak, 5/3/2011 -
" hard to believe it's all true, though it may have been easier before internet and computers. Interesting to read the real story after you see the movie. "
— Ritarose, 4/25/2011 -
" This book is a proof that reality is much bigger than the movies. I've also watched the movie, which was quite disappointing. The book is much better and the story and events are far more impressing. Excellent read to anyone who likes crime novels. "
— Taly, 4/23/2011 -
" An interesting story, though I don't know if I would have liked it as much without seeing the movie first. "
— Jabberlockee, 4/13/2011 -
" You can't help but root for Frank in the book detailing his misdeeds. He's such a loveable larrikin!! And the scams he pulled, whilst impossible in todays security, were probably all the more brazen back in the day. Well worth a read. "
— Melinda, 4/9/2011 -
" It took me a little bit to get into, but I really liked the book. And no, I have not seen the movie (I know, I'm a terrible person right?) but I plan to after reading the book. It was very enjoyable "
— Emily, 4/9/2011 -
" I didn't love the writing, but the story left me gaping. "
— Kasey, 4/7/2011
About the Authors
Frank W. Abagnale, alias Frank Williams, Robert Conrad, Frank Adams, and Robert Monjo, was one of the most daring con men, forgers, imposters, and escape artists in history. In his brief but notorious criminal career, Abagnale donned a pilot’s uniform and copiloted a Pan Am jet, masqueraded as the supervising resident of a hospital, practiced law without a license, passed himself off as a college sociology professor, and cashed over $2.5 million in forged checks, all before he was twenty-one. Known by the police of twenty-six foreign countries and all fifty states as “the Skywayman,” Abagnale lived a sumptuous life on the lam—until the law caught up with him. Now he is recognized as the nation’s leading authority on financial foul play.
Barrett Whitener has been narrating audiobooks since 1992. His recordings have won several awards, including the prestigious Audie Award and numerous Earphones Awards. AudioFile magazine has named him one of the Best Voices of the Century.
About Barrett Whitener
Barrett Whitener has been narrating audiobooks since 1992. His recordings have won several awards, including the prestigious Audie Award and numerous Earphones Awards. AudioFile magazine has named him one of the Best Voices of the Century.