Taking readers on a global journey through human history, historian Natasha

Tidd examines how lies can change the world around us, from Julius Caesar’s

deceptive PR machine to the cover ups that caused Chernobyl.

From forgeries that created centuries worth of conflict and domination, such as The

Donation of C onstantine, the Protocols of Zion and the mysterious Testament of Peter the

Great, to mass political and press cover ups including Britain’s Boer War concentration

camps, a Pulitzer Prize winning whitewash of the Ukraine Famine and France’s infamous

Dreyfus Affair.

Alongside these are examinations of how our retellings of history can turn fiction into

fact, including The Spanish Inquisition’s deceitful legacy and the demonization of C hinese

Empress, Wu Zetian. Plus, an in-depth look at how historic lies can still impact our lives

today, such as the deadly legacy of America’s Tuskegee Experiment.

A Short History of the World in 50 Lies details the profound impact of this secretive side of

history and shows that the truth really is stranger – and far more dangerous – than any

fiction.