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.