Voodoo Histories: The Role of the Conspiracy Theory in Shaping Modern History
A history so funny, so true, so scary, it's bound to be called a conspiracy. "Meticulous in its research, forensic in its reasoning, robust in its argument, and often hilarious in its debunking, Voodoo Histories is a highly entertaining rumble with the century's major conspiracy theorists and...
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A history so funny, so true, so scary, it's bound to be called a conspiracy. "Meticulous in its research, forensic in its reasoning, robust in its argument, and often hilarious in its debunking, Voodoo Histories is a highly entertaining rumble with the century's major conspiracy theorists and their theories" (John Lahr).From Pearl Harbor to 9/11 to the assassination of JFK to the Birther movement, David Aaronvitch probes and explores the major conspiracy theories (and theorists) of our time. This entertaining and enlightening conspiracy theory book-aimed to provide ammunition for those who have found themselves at the wrong end of a conversation about moon landings or the Twin Towers-examines why people believe these conspiracies, and makes an argument for a true skepticism: one based on a thorough knowledge of history and a strong dose of common sense.
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Format: ebook
ISBN:
9781101185216 (110118521X)
Publish date: February 4th 2010
Publisher: Riverhead Books
Pages no: 400
Edition language: English
Category:
Non Fiction,
Writing,
History,
Science,
Journalism,
Politics,
Philosophy,
Sociology,
World War II,
Psychology,
World History,
Skepticism
Was hoping for a bit more of the psychology of why there's a tendency to believe in conspiracies on the whole, but still an interesting whirlwind tour of the bevy of theories out there and the "research" and theorists behind them.
Voodoo Histories is a fascinating look at conspiracy theories about history and public events, starting with the notorious Protocols of the Elders of Zion and continuing all the way through the present-day "Birther" and "Truther" movements by way of Stalin's show trials, McCarthyism, the deaths of J...
Nice treatise on the nature of conspiracy theories and why people believe them beyond any other reasonable explanation. The author looks at a number of past conspiracies going all the way back to the Priory of Sion, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, Senator Joseph McCarthy's Commie baiting and th...
Ocasionally interesting but a disappointment overall.
I thought this book would be a lot more intersting than I'm actually finding it. I mean, conspiracy theories! So interesting and awesome! And yet, dry, dry. I do not think I'll finish it.