Whitaker Wright, Horatio Bottomley, Ivar Kreuger, Clarence Hatry, Leopold Harris, John Stonehouse, 'the point of greatest interest' writes the author, 'is to isolate the moment where they stepped off the high path they were treading and took the first fatal step towards criminality.' In spite of their misdoings, some of these men who swindled innocent shareholders out of their money, commanded loyalty and affection from their friends and employees. The essential difference between fraud and most crimes is that no physical force is involved. Only the force of persuasion.