Conspiracy: 49 Reasons to Doubt, 50 Reasons to Believe.

by Ian Shircore

Would British scientists really test sarin nerve poison on young volunteers and tell them it was research for a cure for colds? Would they really release Ecoli in Swindon and Southampton to try out germ warfare techniques? Even 50 years on, no-one's telling the whole story. Conspiracies and cover-ups, real or imagined, have shaped our world. Now leaked cables and declassified papers are rewriting the history of our times. More information must be good, but how do you tell truth from fiction?In this fresh, readable look at 50 conspiracy theories, Ian Shircore cuts through the fog and misinformation to deliver a balanced analysis of the key facts behind unsettling suspicions that litter our recent past. Today's new evidence - from WikiLeaks, freedom of information requests and declassified archives - has solved some classic mysteries. Yet it raises more questions than ever about the assassinations of the 1960s, the dirty secrets of the late 20th century and the earth-shaking events of recent years. Once you've seen what WikiLeaks has revealed about the radioactive poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko, you won't be so sure about the British secret service. Once you've weighed the evidence yourself, you may well decide there was a Second Yorkshire Ripper, that cricketing hero Bob Woolmer was murdered and that rock icon Jim Morrison's death in Paris was anything but straightforward.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

305 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Ian Shircore's mission is to rescue Clive James's poems from the "poetry ghetto" and bring them to people who would never normally read poetry (and would certainly not pick up a book about poetry).

Clive wrote some real duds - not surprising in the course of a 60-year career and more than 300 poems. But he also hit some wonderful highs. And like every other writer, musician or artist, he deserves to be remembered for his greatest work, rather than some dull, actuarial average. Would you choose to judge The Beatles by Run For Your Life, Octopus's Garden and Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except for Me and My Monkey, or by their finest creations, like Strawberry Fields, Blackbird and Please, Please Me?

Some of Clive's best poems are already well known. The Book of My Enemy Has Been Remaindered is still going strong, 37 years on, and Japanese Maple is loved all over the world. But there are others, like Use of Space, At Ian Hamilton's Funeral and The Falcon Growing Old, that are just as moving. All I want is for more people to discover them and share the joy.

Reviews

[Sophie Narey (Bookreview- aholic) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author: Ian Shircore
Published: 02/04/2012

I received this book for free through Goodreads Firstreads competitions.

I thought that this was a very intriguing book to read as each of the conspiracies has two points of view one is based on facts that we were told by the press and other parts of their lives that were revealed by either themselves or family memories, the other point of view is based entirely on assumption.
I found it very interesting to read other people's views and thoughts on the deaths of many we'll known people especially ones that seem to have been 'natural causes' but seem like there is just something not right with it. It is the type of book that you can lend to family members and friends and see what their points of view are on the deaths.
I really enjoyed the writing style of Ian, it had a refreshing take on the cases and made you realise some obvious points that I had previously missed when reading about some of their deaths. There was only one conspiracy case that I didn't enjoy reading as much as the others and that is the one about Elvis. I think that this is a really fascinating book to read and think everyone should give it a read and see what you think about the conspiracies.

[Marnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a Goodreads giveaway and actually finished reading it before going on vacation BUT failed to post my review (sorry Ian.)

This book was read mostly aloud amongst my family members as we sat on the back patio enjoying our Florida evenings. Each conspiracy had two views, one based on fact and one based on assumption. It was interesting to see how each of these conspiracies had our family split down the middle as to who believed what. We haven’t had such lively debates since football season ended. (American football, Ian….)

My family gave the book four stars not only for the content but for the interaction we were sorely missing.

[Breanna]

I won this book is a give away and it is taking me way too long to post a review. Why I'm not quite finished with it I am confident enough write a review. I keep this book on the table next to the couch. Because it deals with so many different conspiracies, it's hard to sit down and just read straight through. However I have loved sitting down and reading through it while I wait for my kids to fall asleep or when I have a few minutes here and there. With what I have read so far, I have actually learned a lot but I didn't know before. Its written in a very easy to understand manner. You're getting enough information for both sides of the argument to think about it make your own decisions, possibly to Eden peak your curiosity enough to do research on youur own. I have really enjoyed what I read so far, and I look forward to the stolen moments in which I will finish this book.

[Alia · Rating 5 out of 5]

My dad was big into Conspiracies. While he didn't believe every conspiracy out there, he believed a lot. I've always been more skeptical. I enjoyed this book. I think it did a really good job laying out things without being too biased towards conspiracies or towards the lack. Ian Shircore laid out the facts in easy to read, short, chapters. They were a good size and if I had to stop and pick the book up again a few hours later, it never felt like I was 'breaking the story'.

If you have ever wondered about conspiracies, I highly recommend this book.

[Mooch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy book to read, for the author made each conspiracy a chapter. He also included reasons to believe and reasons to doubt. This made for a easy/convenient read when I could pick it up and read a chapter or two at any time without having to remember what was going on. Good book for people into conspiracies to read.

I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

[Tock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked how the author set up the book. Each conspiracy a short chapter with reasons to believe and reasons to doubt. Some I've heard before, while others I hadn't. Learned some new things.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting overview on a lot of the conspiracies that you may have opinions about, and also those that you don't. Offers the why and why not these theories may or may not be legitimate.

[George Cochrane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Question everything

[Otto · Rating 2 out of 5]

Here's a conspiracy theory for you: many conspiracy books, including this one, are written not to expose the truth but rather to contain it. Even though this is a book about conspiracy theories, it has a "safe" feel to it. Even though the author questions the official explanations of many events, I still get the feeling that he's not giving us the whole story. I got this same feeling when I recently read another conspiracy book, "Conspiracies And Secret Societies: The Complete Dossier". It's very easy for the author of a conspiracy book to make it look like he's "on your side" and that he just wants to find the truth, but how do you really know that the author is an honest investigator?

The chapter about the 9-11 attacks is weak and definitely leans toward the official government story. For example, the author accepts the reports by the government agency NIST as being true and accurate, and says that NIST "is widely thought to have done a good job". However he fails to mention the existence of professional groups like Architects and Engineers for 9-11 Truth, who have demonstrated convincingly that the NIST reports are completely bogus.

In the same chapter the author spends a lot of time talking about a "fifth hijack team" of Muslim terrorists who were supposedly planning to hijack another airliner on 9-11. But he doesn't mention the bizarre tale of Hani Hanjour, who was the alleged pilot of AA77, the flight that allegedly crashed into the Pentagon. His flight instructors said he was a bad pilot, he had trouble flying a small Cessna, and he had never flown a big jet before. But according to the official story, on 9-11 he took control of a Boeing 757 and flew it in a way that would be extremely difficult even for experienced airline pilots.

In the last paragraph of the chapter the author says: "But in the end, all we can be sure of is that al-Qaeda attacked the U.S." Oh really? The author's light treatment of the 9-11 issue makes me wonder just how factual and objective the other chapters are.

Anyway if you're interested in this conspiracy stuff this can be a fun book to read. There are many conspiracies that are discussed, including some that I had never heard of, like the one about New Coke, which was interesting. But to try to find the truth about a particular conspiracy, I would recommend getting your information from a wide variety of different sources and coming to your own conclusions.

[Caroline Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book, it managed to fulfil all of my conspiracy theory needs! It had the right amount mix of real, questionable theories and downright ridiculous ones to keep you entertained and intrigued throughout. The fact that each theory is only a couple of pages long, but still manages to get all of the necessary information across, is great as well so you're not bogged down with too much reading/information. There's also an abundance of extra information available from the different links which are helpful to further your understanding. I recommend this book to anyone who has a thirst for conspiracy theories of all kinds, you won't regret it!

[Jonathon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable light-reading before bed. 50 famous conspiracy theories are briefly presented, complete with up to date evidence (the majority of which comes from Wikileaks, interestingly). Each case is presented in a fairly non-judgemental way, allowing the reader to make up their own mind (although the most outlandish theories are, perhaps rightfully, dismissed outright).

[Rich Meyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

An okay book on conspiracies, it lists quite a few I hadn't really been aware of (or at least had been aware from a conspiracy standpoint). For most, points are given for both sides of the argument (conspiracy or not). Probably would be a good read for anyone just thinking about diving into the pool, but no new info on any of the biggies.

[Johanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some very interesting bits, some rather scrappy reviews of whats already known and some chapters make you wnat to go off and read more. Worth it for the reviews of Dr David Kelly, Robert Kennedy, Roosevelt's cycnical attitude to Pearl Harbour and various other bits

[Erin · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 - patchy.

[Terry · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you like the ambiguity and the 'could be, couldn't be' of conspiracies, then 'Conspiracy! is for you

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having won this book I found it very interesting!!!!!! Its learning to try and tell the truth from fiction!!!! I am so glad to have won this book an interesting read!!!!

[Papa Smurf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conspiracy

Not bad. Very interesting and fact or no fact. Some of the conspiracy theories i have to say I don't believe in them.