
Hoax
Description
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'Scintillating ... a thrill ride through the filthy streets and dank rooms of Georgian England where the lies and deceptions that fooled a nation were born' Hallie Rubenhold, author of The Five
Here lies Fanny Lynes, whose whispers from beyond the grave set London alight with scandal.
Here swings Mary Bateman, who lived a life of lies - and died a prophetess and murderer.
Here stands Mary Willcocks. Or is it Anne Burgess? Or Princess Caraboo, from the distant island of Javasu?
A ghost. A witch. A princess. This is a story of those who lie. And of those who choose to believe them.
The discoveries of the Enlightenment unsettled as much as they excited. New truths challenged longstanding beliefs. Rationalism jarred with superstition. Which voices would be heard in this ferocious battle for certainty?
From the chaos, three women and their hoaxes rose as symbols of terror and fascination. But were the lies surrounding Fanny Lynes, Mary Bateman and Mary Willcocks entirely of their own making? Why were the public transfixed?
Questioning culpability and complicity, Pelling's engrossing history of this great age of the hoax reveals a veiled world of moral panic, tall tales and true crime, and holds a mirror to our own turbulent relationship with truth.
Reviews / Votes
This is history as it should be written, where academic excellence meets gripping storytelling. Superb -- Alice Loxton, author of ELEANOR Wild, weird and wonderful ... Maddy Pelling takes readers on a thrill ride through the filthy streets and dank rooms of Georgian England where the lies and deceptions that fooled a nation were born. Pelling is an expert storyteller, teasingly unravelling her tales, holding the reader as spellbound as those who fell for these hoaxes centuries earlier. A scintillating pleasure of a book -- Hallie Rubenhold, author of THE FIVE Rich in detail, outlandish superstitions and seedy curiosities ... an entertaining read that vividly brings to life its motley cast of rogues, frauds and unfortunates * The Times * Playful but powerful, Pelling is a magnetic writer who leads us by the hand through a fascinating and slippery world -- Lucy Worsley Madeleine Pelling relates in vivid detail the stories of these three imposters ... Pelling reminds us that our own technological age is also especially prey to misinformation and fake news * FT * Written with narrative flair and rigorous scholarship, Pelling is a truly skilled guide to the Enlightenment -- Helen Carr, author of SCEPTRED ISLE Pelling finds exciting new ways to tell important stories -- Dan Snow, creator of HISTORY HIT An intimate investigation of past mentalities that not only shines a light on how previous generations made and unmade truth in the public sphere but also holds a mirror to our own times -- Malcolm Gaskill, author of THE RUIN OF ALL WITCHES Fascinating, gripping, brilliantly written, Hoax goes deep into the heart of eighteenth century Britain, its secrets and lies, crime and punishment, and the enthralling tale of three women. Maddy Pelling takes us on a journey to find out - what is truth? -- Kate Williams, author of RIVAL QUEENS With her signature blend of wit, scholarship, and narrative verve, Pelling guides us through the darker corners of Georgian England and beyond. Hoax is told with the confidence of a historian who knows exactly how to uncover a lie, even those that have been buried for 300 years... -- Anthony Delaney, author of QUEER GEORGIANS This engrossing history by Pelling delves into culpability and complicity, exposing a hidden realm of moral panic, tall tales, and true crime from a significant era of hoaxes -- Blackwell's PRAISE FOR WRITING ON THE WALL * - * This is the real eighteenth century -- Dan Snow A wonderful, vibrant account -- Susie Dent Fascinating... A history of the eighteenth century through lost voices of the people who lived through it * The Times * A secret history like no other... a fascinating dip into our ancestors' lives * BBC History Magazine *More details
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