You Said What?: Lies and Propaganda Throughout History

By Bill Fawcett

Book Overview

A fascinating, fun, and fact-filled compendium of the greatest lies, deceptions, propaganda, and frauds ever perpetrated Throughout history--from the dawn of man to the War on Terror--governments, corporations, historians, and high-level braggarts of every stripe have freely engaged in the time-honored pastime of lying for fun and profit. You Said What is an endlessly entertaining and outrageously edifying look at some of the biggest whoppers of all time, chock-full of deceptions, trickery, and incredible untruths both infamous and obscure. The press conspiracies that protected FDR's legs, as well as JFK's sex addiction and failing health Lies that caused the Knights Templar fall, the Salem witch trials, and the Black Death Big lies that changed history: Vietnam's Gulf of Tonkin, the Cuban missile crisis, the "Polish" raid that kicked off WWII . . . and remember the Maine The self-made, self-serving myths we still believe today of Davy Crockett, Lawrence of Arabia, and Napoleon Plus our own personal pick for History's #1 Biggest Liar . . . and much more! The lies will out! You Said What is an indispensable treasure trove of true falsehoods, and an irreverent introduction to the world's greatest lies and the liars who told them.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0061130508
• ISBN13: 9780061130502
• Release Date: December 2007
• Publisher: William Morrow & Company
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 0.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Despite some factual errors, okay introductory reading

It's true that this book does get some of its facts wrong like in its discussion of the Nazi ascendency to power, it incorrectly recites that the Nazis won election in 1933 prior to their ascent to power in 1933 (factually untrue because the Nazis actually won dominent but not controlling votes in November 1932 and March 1933 Riechstag elections). But that and -- other similar -- errors aside this book remains still to be fun and thought provoking reading for its thesis that the myth is oftentimes more remembered than the actual history. For better treatments of these types of issues I would recommend Myths and Lies of American History and Myths and Lies of World History by Rick Shenkman as well as Loewan's book on Lies My Teacher Told Me.