Voodoo Histories: The Role of the Conspiracy Theory in Shaping Modern History

by Aaronovitch, David
4.8 out of 5 Customer Rating
ISBN: 9781594484988
Availability:
$8.49
Used - Trade Paperback - 9781594484988

Available Offers

Pickup at HPB West Lane Avenue Out of stock at HPB West Lane Avenue Check other stores
FREE -
Ship to Me
$3.99 - Get it Jun 21 - 24

Overview

"Meticulous in its research, forensic in its reasoning, robust in its argument, and often hilarious in its debunking... a highly entertaining rumble with the century's major conspiracy theorists and their theories." --John Lahr, National Book Critics Circle Award-winning author of Tennessee Williams

From an award-winning journalist, a history so funny, so true, so scary, it's bound to be called a conspiracy.

Our age is obsessed by the idea of conspiracy. We see it everywhere- from Pearl Harbor to 9/11, from the assassination of Kennedy to the death of Diana. In this age of terrorism we live in, the role of conspiracy is a serious one, one that can fuel radical or fringe elements to violence.

For David Aaronovitch, there came a time when he started to see a pattern among these inflammatory theories. these theories used similarly murky methods with which to insinu-ate their claims: they linked themselves to the supposed conspiracies of the past (it happened then so it can happen now); they carefully manipulated their evidence to hide its holes; they relied on the authority of dubious aca-demic sources. Most important, they elevated their believers to membership of an elite- a group of people able to see beyond lies to a higher reality. But why believe something that entails stretching the bounds of probabil-ity so far?

In this entertaining and enlightening book, he examines why people believe conspiracy theories, and makes an argument for a true skepticism: one based on a thorough knowledge of history and a strong dose of common sense.

  • Format: TradePaperback
  • Author: Aaronovitch, David
  • ISBN: 9781594484988
  • Condition: Used
  • Dimensions: 8.10 x 1.00
  • Number Of Pages: 432
  • Publication Year: 2011

Customer Reviews