Hoax

Hitler's Diaries, Lincoln's Assassins, and Other Famous Frauds

Nonfiction, Social & Cultural Studies, True Crime, Social Science, History
Cover of the book Hoax by Edward Steers Jr., The University Press of Kentucky
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Edward Steers Jr. ISBN: 9780813141602
Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky Publication: March 28, 2013
Imprint: The University Press of Kentucky Language: English
Author: Edward Steers Jr.
ISBN: 9780813141602
Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky
Publication: March 28, 2013
Imprint: The University Press of Kentucky
Language: English

Did a collector with a knack for making sensational discoveries really find the first document ever printed in America? Did Adolf Hitler actually pen a revealing multivolume set of diaries? Has Jesus of Nazareth's burial cloth survived the ages? Can the shocking true account of Abraham Lincoln's assassination be found in lost pages from his murderer's diary?

Napoleon famously observed that "history is a set of lies agreed upon," and Edward Steers Jr. investigates six of the most amazing frauds ever to gain wide acceptance in this engrossing book. Hoax examines the legitimacy of the Shroud of Turin, perhaps the most hotly debated relic in all of Christianity, and the fossils purported to confirm humanity's "missing link," the Piltdown Man. Steers also discusses two remarkable forgeries, the Hitler diaries and the "Oath of a Freeman," and famous conspiracy theories alleging that Franklin D. Roosevelt had prior knowledge of the planned attack on Pearl Harbor and that the details of Lincoln's assassination are recorded in missing pages from John Wilkes Booth's journal.

The controversies that Steers presents show that there are two major factors involved in the success of a hoax or forgery -- greed and the desire to believe. Though all of the counterfeits and conspiracies featured in Hoax have been scientifically debunked, some remain fixed in many people's minds as truth. As Steers points out, the success of these frauds highlights a disturbing fact: If true history fails to entertain the public, it is likely to be ignored or forgotten.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Did a collector with a knack for making sensational discoveries really find the first document ever printed in America? Did Adolf Hitler actually pen a revealing multivolume set of diaries? Has Jesus of Nazareth's burial cloth survived the ages? Can the shocking true account of Abraham Lincoln's assassination be found in lost pages from his murderer's diary?

Napoleon famously observed that "history is a set of lies agreed upon," and Edward Steers Jr. investigates six of the most amazing frauds ever to gain wide acceptance in this engrossing book. Hoax examines the legitimacy of the Shroud of Turin, perhaps the most hotly debated relic in all of Christianity, and the fossils purported to confirm humanity's "missing link," the Piltdown Man. Steers also discusses two remarkable forgeries, the Hitler diaries and the "Oath of a Freeman," and famous conspiracy theories alleging that Franklin D. Roosevelt had prior knowledge of the planned attack on Pearl Harbor and that the details of Lincoln's assassination are recorded in missing pages from John Wilkes Booth's journal.

The controversies that Steers presents show that there are two major factors involved in the success of a hoax or forgery -- greed and the desire to believe. Though all of the counterfeits and conspiracies featured in Hoax have been scientifically debunked, some remain fixed in many people's minds as truth. As Steers points out, the success of these frauds highlights a disturbing fact: If true history fails to entertain the public, it is likely to be ignored or forgotten.

More books from The University Press of Kentucky

Cover of the book Black Greek-letter Organizations in the Twenty-First Century by Edward Steers Jr.
Cover of the book Sidelined by Edward Steers Jr.
Cover of the book A History of Education in Kentucky by Edward Steers Jr.
Cover of the book Mamoulian by Edward Steers Jr.
Cover of the book Relics of the Christ by Edward Steers Jr.
Cover of the book Next Door to the Dead by Edward Steers Jr.
Cover of the book The Philosophy of Charlie Kaufman by Edward Steers Jr.
Cover of the book Aid Under Fire by Edward Steers Jr.
Cover of the book Cecil B. DeMille's Hollywood by Edward Steers Jr.
Cover of the book Thomas Ince by Edward Steers Jr.
Cover of the book Pop Culture and the Dark Side of the American Dream by Edward Steers Jr.
Cover of the book A Concise History of Kentucky by Edward Steers Jr.
Cover of the book Clark Clifford by Edward Steers Jr.
Cover of the book Camera Clues by Edward Steers Jr.
Cover of the book Cultivating Race by Edward Steers Jr.
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy