Catch Me If You Can: The True Story of a Real Fake

by Frank W. Abagnale

Book Overview

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.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0767905385
• Release Date: August 2000
• Publisher: Crown
• Length: 277 Pages
• Weight: 0.54 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 0.6" x 5.1"

Customer Reviews

A fun quick read.

It was really entertaining to get to read this story from the perspective of the conman. If you’re a fan of the show White Collar (Neal is actually inspired by Frank), then you’ll enjoy getting to read his real life exploits.

A Seriously Fun Book

It’s hard to believe this is true but apparently it is. It’s a quick read but definitely takes you on the ride of a lifetime. The only downfall to this book is that it leaves the reader wanting more.

This Book

I absolutely adore this story. Mr. Abagnale has such wit and charisma that it's easy to see why people loved and believed him. I can't imagine even coming up with these schemes when I was 16, let alone have the balls to act on them! Truly brilliant.

Highly entertaining

This book is an example of truth giving fiction a run for its money. I'm sure that the stories were polished just a bit for publication, but the fact that they are true makes the book all the more interesting. I would list this book as one of the ten best that I have read in the past year. The story contains humor, suspense, and a web of intrigue that will tempt any law abiding citizen. I'll never look at a pilot the same way again.

A keepsake for avid fans

Words and photos to the Catch Me If You Can screenplay document the action which takes place behind camera and script for this re-creation of a con artist's life. This official pictorial moviebook includes over a hundred color production photos along with archival photos from Abagnale's personal collection, making for a keepsake for avid fans.

Even better than the movie!

Catch Me If You Can is Frank Abagnale's account of his life as a con man. His book is thrilling, incredible, and true. When he was 16, Frank's parents separated and he ran away to New York City. Frank, armed with supreme confidence, charm, and intelligence, successfully posed as an airline pilot, attorney (he even passed the bar!), a physician, and a college professor, while living the good life with millions of dollars he got from passing bad checks in over 20 countries; and all of this before he was twenty-one years of age. Frank's wild exploits are told in a humerous, quick-paced style that is very readable. The joy he found in living the high life and romancing countless ladies around the world is matched by the the utter despair he faced in a brutal French prison where he was entombed in solitary confinement for months. It's clear that Frank knew he was doing wrong, but was so addicted to the high he got from conning that he didn't want to stop. Frank is now a respected authority on counterfeiting and, in fact, teaches at the FBI Academy. This is a very exciting book!

HIGHLY recommended

I bought this book for the subway ride, but I've had to restrain myself from reading it on lunch breaks and at night. I've only got two chapters left, and as much as I'm dying to read the rest, I don't want it to end! Very fluid, smoothly written, and by far the most enjoyable book I've read all year. The main character (and author) is extremely likeable despite his crimes, and his adventures are simply amazing. The biggest delight is knowing that this is actually a true story!

Hilarious!

I used to have a copy of the original 1980 edition of Abagnale's book, and lost a good friend several years ago when he skipped town with it. I've been waiting for the re-release anxiously.You might expect it to be hard to root for someone with multiple felony convictions to get away with it. In fact, Abagnale's story is so interesting and so funny that you can't help but like him. This is reinforced by the fact that he seems to have so much fun with it himself, often playing up a role more than he strictly needs to, with hilarious results.This book is terrific. There are no slack moments, no dull episodes, and some of them are outstanding (the time when he poses as a pediatrician and has to feign medical knowledge is perhaps the funniest thing I've ever read, followed closely by his attempt to pass himself off as an assistant attorney general). The fact that Abagnale has come clean and now works on the right side of the law is just one more reason to buy and read this tremendous book.