Fake History: Ten Great Lies and How They Shaped the World
Jun 2021 · Hachette UK
4.5star
6 reviewsreport
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320
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About this ebook
'A brilliant and important book ... Five Stars!' Mark Dolan, talkRADIO
'An important new book' Daily Express
An alternative history of the world that exposes some of the biggest lies ever told and how they've been used over time.
Lincoln did not believe all men were created equal.
The Aztecs were not slaughtered by the Spanish Conquistadors.
And Churchill was not the man that people love to remember.
In this fascinating new book, journalist and author Otto English takes ten great lies from history and shows how our present continues to be manipulated by the fabrications of the past.
He looks at how so much of what we take to be historical fact is, in fact, fiction. From the myths of WW2 to the adventures of Columbus, and from the self-serving legends of 'great men' to the origins of curry – fake history is everywhere and used ever more to impact our modern world.
Setting out to redress the balance, English tears apart the lies propagated by politicians and think tanks, the grand narratives spun by populists and the media, the stories on your friend's Facebook feed and the tales you were told in childhood. And, in doing so, reclaims the truth from those who have perverted it.
Fake History exposes everything you weren't told in school and why you weren't taught it.
'An important new book' Daily Express
An alternative history of the world that exposes some of the biggest lies ever told and how they've been used over time.
Lincoln did not believe all men were created equal.
The Aztecs were not slaughtered by the Spanish Conquistadors.
And Churchill was not the man that people love to remember.
In this fascinating new book, journalist and author Otto English takes ten great lies from history and shows how our present continues to be manipulated by the fabrications of the past.
He looks at how so much of what we take to be historical fact is, in fact, fiction. From the myths of WW2 to the adventures of Columbus, and from the self-serving legends of 'great men' to the origins of curry – fake history is everywhere and used ever more to impact our modern world.
Setting out to redress the balance, English tears apart the lies propagated by politicians and think tanks, the grand narratives spun by populists and the media, the stories on your friend's Facebook feed and the tales you were told in childhood. And, in doing so, reclaims the truth from those who have perverted it.
Fake History exposes everything you weren't told in school and why you weren't taught it.
Ratings and reviews
4.5
6 reviews
J Evans
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January 19, 2025
An interesting Book other than typos at times such as 1945 being when Britain stood alone rather than 1940.
santasjugglincousin !
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July 20, 2025
decent book easy to read
About the author
Author of bestseller Fake History, Otto English is the pen name of journalist Andrew Scott. From 2010, Scott began writing and tweeting about politics and history, gaining attention for his itinerant blog, he moved into journalism and has since written for Politico, the Independent, New Statesman, Daily Mail and many other publications. He has always been fascinated by the writing of history and the creation of political narratives, and has spoken about them on BBC News, BBC Radio 4 and LBC He lives in south-east London with his wife and two children.
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