Lies, Damned Lies and History: A Catalogue of Historical Errors and Misunderstandings

by Graeme Donald

From cats, spats and catacombs to the Wall Street shuffle, Lies, Damned Lies and History is an entertaining look at how historical events didn't always unfold as we think they did. Graeme Donald takes the reader on a journey, century-by-century, showing how the truth we take for granted is a far cry from the facts. This is not a book for those who like their history sugar-coated, but for those who truly want to see the past as it was. It is a hilarious lesson that any history lover will delight in.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

350 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 1, 2009

Reviews

[Carolyn Di Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many beloved myths are tackled in this eye-opening book. I must admit, if you have read enough actual history, you will not find these too shocking. Many myths have already been debunked. However, the author uses a dry wit throughout and the chapter headings are amusing.
I found this book a light, enjoyable read, however, I wish that there would've been footnotes to substantiate the things he claims. Many people will be sorry to lose their pet myths and even though, as I mention above, many have been already found false, (gay King Edward II), some people will not be satisfied until all the documentation is presented once again.

[stupidus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good bits of info on varied topics.

However, the author seems to be hell bent on proving that American Indians treated the nature in effect no better than "white man".

Recent evidence on the contrary seems to point that "injuns" were remarkably well informed and well equipped when it came to matters of land use, irrigation and so on.

I've understood that it's pretty common sight for tourists to see in the modern day Indian reservations littering and other unecological practices in abundance.

Maybe so.

Then again I for one can certainly understand the myriad of reasons why it might have come to this. The rampant alcoholism, general unemployment and apathy do stem from White American history.

In fact I might not care much more myself if I had been through what American Indians have been through. Hell, I'd probably be lucky to have any self-respect left at all.

Still, I have little doubt that the American Indians would be the original hippies.

But I fail to see how driving bisons off the cliffs for food and what not would not have been in reality sustainable - even when or if it would have been seemingly in excess?

That practise was age-old and yet bisons could be continued to be counted by the millions when the pale face arrived. Seems to me American Indians managed to make absolutely no dent in the overall bison population whatsoever.

And there's just no comparison what the white man ultimately managed to do to the bisons.

But I'd really like to know just how the author would propose to make a one ton bison on a rampage to stop in time before its unavoidable pummel to death?

It's not exactly the same experience as ordering a half a pound of meat from your local butcher - is it?

You are just going have to deal with everything that is heading your way… sometimes that probably meant leaving corpses out to rot.

It is a crude method but it is also pretty simple and rather safe method that doesn't require a lot of manpower nor tools to be efficient either. I'd call that pretty inventive if not downright ingenious use of resources.

Not that any measure of bones left behind would prove that American Indians wasted their game. It could merely signify that they just didn't have a whole lot of use for bones. There are only so many combs and trinkets you want to carry around being a nomad and all…

But lets suppose there was waste of meat and pelts. Should they have set up a camp there and announce their presence to all the other tribes in the neighborhood to drop in for a gargantuan late night supper?

Maybe they did. Maybe they put on grand orgies. But I really f*cking doubt it.

[Googoogjoob · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is very entertaining- but not very informative, unfortunately, or at least, not very accurate. The prose is all very light and punchy, and there's a sense of the gleeful puncturing of cherished historical myths. Unfortunately, the author is more interested in being right than being correct- that is, he seems to value the feeling of knowing the "real story" that most people don't, over the actual truth value of said story.

So, this book has things in it like denying that the Black Death was bubonic plague (DNA evidence has essentially confirmed that the Black Death was bubonic); denying the historical existence of Boudicca (for no good reason, seemingly, other than claiming that "boudeg" was a Celtic word for victory, and the Romans might've misheard victory cries as a name- but then, we have the names Victoria and Nicholas, which are essentially the same- based on words for victory; Boudicca was even claimed as Queen Victoria's namesake); and, most risibly, arguing that Mussolini and Hitler were leftists- which doesn't really serve any purpose beyond petty political point-scoring, and conveniently fails to mention, for example, Mussolini's drawn-out disillusionment and fall out with socialism, or Hitler's aggressive persecution of communists and other leftists.

So: entertaining light reading, but don't believe a word of it unless you can find more authoritative sources.

[Shana Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty nifty little book on history. Only problem I found with it was the tiny font size.

[Bernie4444 · Rating 4 out of 5]

More fun for what you are not looking for.

This book plays on the popular theme of history "What if they got it wrong?"

The first thing I say was the statement "The Great Plague was not bubonic?
So I went to the index and there was no "The" or "Great" or "Plague" or "bubonic". After getting over the shock I did find a great section on plagues. The author debunked everything from rat fleas to nursery rimes, and went into the Inuit "kiss."

This is so much fun and makes so much sense that you barely notice the absence of footnotes.

[Matthew Reynolds · Rating 3 out of 5]

It had a lot of interesting facts but I was not a huge fan of the author's writing style. In my opinion he came off as arrogant quite often.