History's Greatest Lies: The Startling Truths Behind World Events Our History Books Got Wrong
Jan 2009 · Quarto Publishing Group USA
3.6star
5 reviews
Ebook
348
Pages
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About this ebook
Get the real facts you weren’t taught in school and learn how these myths have survived for so long.
Discover the stories behind history’s greatest lies and how—and why—the world’s biggest whoppers have survived textbooks and lesson plans for years. For instance, did you know the conquistador Hernán Cortés wasn’t as bloodthirsty as they say? Neither were the Goths, who were actually the most progressive of the Germanic tribes. Or, that a petty criminal with a resemblance to John Dillinger was probably assassinated instead of the notorious bank robber?
In History’s Greatest Lies, Weir sets the record straight through a fascinating examination of historical lies and myths and the true stories behind them. Each chapter pinpoints a misconception held as common truth in history.
For example:
Weir explains why each lie persevered in our minds through ulterior motives, responsibility shirking, or exaggerations. You’ll also discover the common threads that make up these falsehoods: the scapegoats, the spin needed to cast undeserving in a better light, and the frightful oversimplification of facts.
Praise for History’s Greatest Lies
“Weir takes no prisoners—and tells no lies—in his continuously surprising and always fascinating new book. Great falsehoods have shaped history even more than great truths; the enduring fascination of this highly original volume is discovering how much of what we accept for fact is just plain wrong.” —Joe Cummins, author of The War Chronicles: From Chariots to Flintlocks and History’s Greatest Untold Stories
Discover the stories behind history’s greatest lies and how—and why—the world’s biggest whoppers have survived textbooks and lesson plans for years. For instance, did you know the conquistador Hernán Cortés wasn’t as bloodthirsty as they say? Neither were the Goths, who were actually the most progressive of the Germanic tribes. Or, that a petty criminal with a resemblance to John Dillinger was probably assassinated instead of the notorious bank robber?
In History’s Greatest Lies, Weir sets the record straight through a fascinating examination of historical lies and myths and the true stories behind them. Each chapter pinpoints a misconception held as common truth in history.
For example:
- Emperor Nero did not fiddle as Rome burned
- Paul Revere had plenty of help in his midnight ride
- In terms of prisons, the Bastille wasn’t all that bad
Weir explains why each lie persevered in our minds through ulterior motives, responsibility shirking, or exaggerations. You’ll also discover the common threads that make up these falsehoods: the scapegoats, the spin needed to cast undeserving in a better light, and the frightful oversimplification of facts.
Praise for History’s Greatest Lies
“Weir takes no prisoners—and tells no lies—in his continuously surprising and always fascinating new book. Great falsehoods have shaped history even more than great truths; the enduring fascination of this highly original volume is discovering how much of what we accept for fact is just plain wrong.” —Joe Cummins, author of The War Chronicles: From Chariots to Flintlocks and History’s Greatest Untold Stories
Ratings and reviews
3.6
5 reviews
A Google user
- Flag inappropriate
November 25, 2011
I was attracted to this book, after browsing it, by the stories about Jesse James, Wyatt Earp, John Dillinger, and the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. I ended up reading the whole book. It was all interesting, though some readers may contest some of the author's points. I read the book in two days. It goes fast because there are many pictures and the typeface takes only a small part of the page, even without pictures.
A Google user
- Flag inappropriate
January 26, 2012
Interesting, but contains errors. Author refers to Tom McLaury as a teenager at the time of the OK Corral shooting. Tom McClaury was 28 at the tims.
About the author
William Weir
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