A Confederacy of Dumptys: Portraits of American Scoundrels in Verse

Following the success of New York Times bestsellers Dumpty and Trumpty Dumpty Wanted a Crown, award-winning actor, author, and illustrator John Lithgow presents the third book in his runaway hit series. A Confederacy of Dumptys takes us through a history of twenty-five ‘American Scoundrels’ in this all-new collection of satirical poems and illustrations.

While the Trump Era was rife with corruption and abuse of power, it was nothing new. Through Lithgow’s cutting humour, you will read about a rogues’ gallery of villains, the powerful men and women who were corrupt, venal, criminal, adulterous, racist, or just plain disgusting. With dark and lyrical stories from across American history, you will learn about long forgotten figures and bad actors of today, from the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan and the creator of pyramid schemes, to unsavoury presidents, the Watergate scandal, and the Capitol insurrection. Including poems featuring Richard Nixon, Leona Helmsley, Boss Tweed, Typhoid Mary, Newt Gingrich, Bill Barr, Donald J. Trump, and more. Skipping through time and across America, and delivered with classic Lithgow wit and style, A Confederacy of Dumptys is an exuberant reminder of how not to repeat history.