If you like to think of Shakespeare only as a brilliant bard, or prefer only to know Pythagoras by his math skills, then you might want to put this book down. Seriously. Because this book is about to change your idea of history. But if you like a little controversy, or want to impress your parents and friends with some little-known tidbits of historical drama, then Famous Phonies: Legends, Fakes, and Frauds Who Changed History is for you.
Over the centuries, plenty of scandals, swindles, and skeletons have passed under historys radar and missed out on being included in your textbook. (Were looking at you, George I cannot tell a lie Washington.) Some of the biggest names in history can be found between these pagesand the light isnt flattering. These figures are lucky that prime-time TV and all-access internet didnt exist in Ancient Greece, Renaissance Europe, medieval England, or Revolutionary America, or else they could have kissed their sterling reputations goodbye. Famous Phonies: Legends, Fakes, and Frauds Who Changed History explores the underbelly of history, making you question everything you thought you knew about historys finest. Follow the fake lives of these twelve history-changers to uncover the fabrications of the famous and the should-be-famous!
So, if you can handle it, take a peek at inside. Some of the famous phonies covered in this book include:
George Washington
Pythagoras
Hiawatha
Gilgamesh
Confucius
Major William Martin
William Shakespeare
Pope Joan
Homer
Prester John
Huangdi
The Turk
