What do you think?
Rate this book
Conspiracy Nation: Exposing the dangerous world of Australian conspiracy theories
Through new investigations and first-hand accounts, Conspiracy Nation takes readers to the rallies, homes, courtrooms, secret chat rooms and $2000 Byron Bay luxury retreats where Australia’s conspiracy theories spread.
‘There are microchips in vaccines’; ‘5G spreads COVID-19’; ‘the Australian government is hiding a list of powerful predators’ – Conspiracy Nation exposes the world of Australian conspiracy theories, their history, appeal and political influence. It’s easy to dismiss these as fringe concerns or imported concepts, but conspiratorial ideas are gaining traction with everyday Australians, and being wielded by those in power.
In this boots-on-the-ground report, journalists Ariel Bogle and Cam Wilson meet the people dedicated to living and spreading these ideas, those who have been left reeling by their impact, and the ones who are fighting back.
From Port Arthur and QAnon, to the rise of ‘wellness’ influencers and ‘sovereign citizen’ gurus, to the delusions that inspired the Wieambilla murders, Bogle and Wilson show the devastating consequences of unchecked lies and radicalisation, and make a compelling case that by ignoring the looming threat of conspiratorial thinking, we put our community at risk.
PRAISE FOR CONSPIRACY NATION
‘Strangely entertaining and often terrifying, this is a compelling account of the madness within.’ – Richard Glover, author of The Land Before Avocado
‘Falling down the rabbit (wombat?) hole of Australian conspiracies, from Port Arthur to Pete Evans, Conspiracy Nation deftly connects the dots, explaining our country’s role in consuming and feeding anxiety on this great flat earth.’ – John Safran, author of Squat
‘a fascinating insight, a compassionate call to action, and an altogether unputdownable read’ – Readings Monthly
‘There’s nobody better at tracing the fault lines between the internet, politics and chaos. These two get there first and stay longer than is probably healthy. If there’s a rabbit hole, Ariel and Cam have already been to the bottom of it and interviewed the guy live-streaming from a bunker.’ – Marc Fennell
‘Lucid, smart and as compelling as a thriller. Conspiracy Nation is a must read for anyone interested in the gap between reality and belief.’ – Brigid Delaney
‘There are microchips in vaccines’; ‘5G spreads COVID-19’; ‘the Australian government is hiding a list of powerful predators’ – Conspiracy Nation exposes the world of Australian conspiracy theories, their history, appeal and political influence. It’s easy to dismiss these as fringe concerns or imported concepts, but conspiratorial ideas are gaining traction with everyday Australians, and being wielded by those in power.
In this boots-on-the-ground report, journalists Ariel Bogle and Cam Wilson meet the people dedicated to living and spreading these ideas, those who have been left reeling by their impact, and the ones who are fighting back.
From Port Arthur and QAnon, to the rise of ‘wellness’ influencers and ‘sovereign citizen’ gurus, to the delusions that inspired the Wieambilla murders, Bogle and Wilson show the devastating consequences of unchecked lies and radicalisation, and make a compelling case that by ignoring the looming threat of conspiratorial thinking, we put our community at risk.
PRAISE FOR CONSPIRACY NATION
‘Strangely entertaining and often terrifying, this is a compelling account of the madness within.’ – Richard Glover, author of The Land Before Avocado
‘Falling down the rabbit (wombat?) hole of Australian conspiracies, from Port Arthur to Pete Evans, Conspiracy Nation deftly connects the dots, explaining our country’s role in consuming and feeding anxiety on this great flat earth.’ – John Safran, author of Squat
‘a fascinating insight, a compassionate call to action, and an altogether unputdownable read’ – Readings Monthly
‘There’s nobody better at tracing the fault lines between the internet, politics and chaos. These two get there first and stay longer than is probably healthy. If there’s a rabbit hole, Ariel and Cam have already been to the bottom of it and interviewed the guy live-streaming from a bunker.’ – Marc Fennell
‘Lucid, smart and as compelling as a thriller. Conspiracy Nation is a must read for anyone interested in the gap between reality and belief.’ – Brigid Delaney
325 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 29, 2025
95 people are currently reading
698 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
September 5, 2025
👀👀👀👀👀
Two smart young writers take on a deeply disturbing and timely topic with notably sharp insight and compassion. Stories of lives shattered, like Walter Mikac’s family at Port Arthur, or a woman losing her wife to QAnon—are haunting reminders of how far radical beliefs can reach.
“There’s a growing body of research that suggests conspiracy theories fulfill a need to understand the world and make us feel better about ourselves and people like us by blaming the world’s ills on others.”
As for Port Arthur “It’s frequently brought up as the original reason why the police, the government, mainstream media and, well, everyone can’t be trusted.”
I am easily affected and become very sad, despondent and depressed about such radical ideas, the basic feeling of ‘othering’ and the group mentality I feel is what these groups are looking for. In a protest situation individuals converge for one idea, but the messy outcome being a horrible melting pot of angry displaced people building a combined momentum of distrust and negativity. The outcome isn’t anywhere near security—it’s chaos.
If this has whet your appetite, I highly recommend this as a well researched account of some very heavy ideas. A powerful, well written account.
Thank you to Ultimo Press for my review copy, a very striking looking book.
Two smart young writers take on a deeply disturbing and timely topic with notably sharp insight and compassion. Stories of lives shattered, like Walter Mikac’s family at Port Arthur, or a woman losing her wife to QAnon—are haunting reminders of how far radical beliefs can reach.
“There’s a growing body of research that suggests conspiracy theories fulfill a need to understand the world and make us feel better about ourselves and people like us by blaming the world’s ills on others.”
As for Port Arthur “It’s frequently brought up as the original reason why the police, the government, mainstream media and, well, everyone can’t be trusted.”
I am easily affected and become very sad, despondent and depressed about such radical ideas, the basic feeling of ‘othering’ and the group mentality I feel is what these groups are looking for. In a protest situation individuals converge for one idea, but the messy outcome being a horrible melting pot of angry displaced people building a combined momentum of distrust and negativity. The outcome isn’t anywhere near security—it’s chaos.
If this has whet your appetite, I highly recommend this as a well researched account of some very heavy ideas. A powerful, well written account.
Thank you to Ultimo Press for my review copy, a very striking looking book.
August 1, 2025
really fantastic book. i think i would have read the book regardless, but i did have a number of family members become Qanon supporters during the pandemic - it’s 2025 and we still don’t speak.
i found the chapter on sovereign citizens and pseudolaw really confusing to follow but i would say that’s more of a personal issue than an issue with the book.
well researched, well cited sources, and really broad - in a good way. highly recommend to anyone who wants to learn more about the landscape of conspiracy theories in australia.
i found the chapter on sovereign citizens and pseudolaw really confusing to follow but i would say that’s more of a personal issue than an issue with the book.
well researched, well cited sources, and really broad - in a good way. highly recommend to anyone who wants to learn more about the landscape of conspiracy theories in australia.
August 17, 2025
Bogle and Wilson quote a lot of experts in Conspiracy Nation – which is laudable in terms of verifying what they’re saying, but sometimes their own message gets buried. I would’ve liked to see more personal stories, interviews with conspiracy theorists themselves and/or people who loved them. The pages they do dedicate to one such example (a woman who ‘lost’ her wife to the world of conspiracy theories proliferated online) were the most impactful, for me.
My full review of Conspiracy Nation is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.
My full review of Conspiracy Nation is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.
November 30, 2025
Interesting though somewhat lightweight run through some recent Australian conspiracy theories. The book starts out with an interesting look at a prolific, pre internet conspiracy theorist who spread a theory that the Port Arthur massacre was a false flag event by the government to disarm the Australian population. From there the book runs through Covid conspiracies, sovereign citizens, wellness influencers (fluoride conspiracies, vaccine conspiracies, etc) and so on.
Most of it is entertaining and interesting. The Pete Evans chapter is the most interesting, or entertaining more accurately, where one of the authors attends the Pete Evans retreat at Byron Bay. It doesn’t really get to the bottom of anything though. Is Evans a Neo Nazi? Is Evans a wellness scammer? Is he just a really nice guy and a really great cook who has a few odd views? The book doesn’t really get to the bottom of it and most of it is a bit like that.
With sovereign citizens for example, something I know a fair bit about, the book is a good introduction to their way of thought but doesn’t really go much deeper. The one sovereign citizen they speak to is a somewhat sympathetic elderly woman having her house repossessed. They don’t manage to speak to any of the ringleaders or get any deeper insights into the movement. They don’t really go into the quite interesting Aboriginal sovereign citizen groups.
Their chapter on immigration is an interesting one. It’s called The Great Replacement and talks about a theory that Western governments are seeking to ethnically replace their own populations with other races in order to create a borderless global society. Insofar as that is a conspiracy theory, so far so good, there is no doubt no conspiracy to make this happen—however they never really look into the fact that mass immigration has been foisted on people without ever being voted on, when almost every poll shows that most people think the number is too high. So it’s happening, and we weren’t asked…it’s just not a conspiracy (even Bob Hawke said in a post parliament interview that there had at least been a conspiracy of silence from parliament about the government’s agenda to “fix” demographics with immigration)? Instead, the authors conflate these reasonable concerns with the views of Brenton Tarrant, the Christchurch Massacre perpetrator, an Australian Neo Nazi murderer and not really an exemplar of the average person with average concerns about immigration. And there is, at the very least, a conspiracy of silence in Canberra where the major parties for whatever reason have at least tacitly agreed to not mention the topic of immigration or make it an election issue—but to smokescreen it with illegal boat arrivals. Immigration conspiracies and their relation to what is actually happening could have been a really interesting topic for a chapter, but the authors don’t get into the real issues or delve into where reasonable concern becomes unreasonable.
The Covid chapters are a bit like that. The authors seem to (reluctantly) concede that the anti-lockdown campaigners probably had some valid concerns, but that is glossed over to talk about QAnon theories, leaving unexplored the reasonable people who maybe go a bit far. Because isn’t that the danger—there will always be people who go too far, but the problem is when normal people get caught up in these theories. Sovereign citizen-ism probably being one of the more damaging ones on a widespread basis (along with anti-vaccine people).
Also the authors don’t even get into some of the really interesting or out there, niche, conspiracy theories. Anti-Semitic conspiracy theories come up a few times in relation to white supremacy and also Covid/ WEF / etc though I wish they went into these a bit more. Is this just mindless repeating of Nazi/Hitlerian theories or is there more to it, or some unique Australian strain of anti-semitism? I enjoyed that the 15 minute cities conspiracy theory got a brief mention, I’m still scratching my head at that one.
There are some interesting things in this book but it is quite a shallow dive into the topic. Interestingly one expert thinks that the internet is not responsible for allowing conspiracies to spread any more than they did before—he notes that they can spread quicker but also that the correct information can be distributed quickly and widely too, therefore any greater effect of the internet is marginal. I wonder if the internet means that Australian conspiracy theories have lost their edge and become Americanised as a result of the internet, as so much else has. There was no real discussion (apart from Port Arthur and a weird conspiracy relating to the naming of 28 prominent paedophiles in parliament) of truly unique to Australia theories—like the Family Murders from SA, or Ivan Milat accomplices from NSW and so on.
Overall: a decent introduction to contemporary conspiracy theories in Australia. I enjoyed reading it but I wanted it to dive a bit deeper or perhaps be a bit less like reading a Guardian article on whatever the chapter was about.
Most of it is entertaining and interesting. The Pete Evans chapter is the most interesting, or entertaining more accurately, where one of the authors attends the Pete Evans retreat at Byron Bay. It doesn’t really get to the bottom of anything though. Is Evans a Neo Nazi? Is Evans a wellness scammer? Is he just a really nice guy and a really great cook who has a few odd views? The book doesn’t really get to the bottom of it and most of it is a bit like that.
With sovereign citizens for example, something I know a fair bit about, the book is a good introduction to their way of thought but doesn’t really go much deeper. The one sovereign citizen they speak to is a somewhat sympathetic elderly woman having her house repossessed. They don’t manage to speak to any of the ringleaders or get any deeper insights into the movement. They don’t really go into the quite interesting Aboriginal sovereign citizen groups.
Their chapter on immigration is an interesting one. It’s called The Great Replacement and talks about a theory that Western governments are seeking to ethnically replace their own populations with other races in order to create a borderless global society. Insofar as that is a conspiracy theory, so far so good, there is no doubt no conspiracy to make this happen—however they never really look into the fact that mass immigration has been foisted on people without ever being voted on, when almost every poll shows that most people think the number is too high. So it’s happening, and we weren’t asked…it’s just not a conspiracy (even Bob Hawke said in a post parliament interview that there had at least been a conspiracy of silence from parliament about the government’s agenda to “fix” demographics with immigration)? Instead, the authors conflate these reasonable concerns with the views of Brenton Tarrant, the Christchurch Massacre perpetrator, an Australian Neo Nazi murderer and not really an exemplar of the average person with average concerns about immigration. And there is, at the very least, a conspiracy of silence in Canberra where the major parties for whatever reason have at least tacitly agreed to not mention the topic of immigration or make it an election issue—but to smokescreen it with illegal boat arrivals. Immigration conspiracies and their relation to what is actually happening could have been a really interesting topic for a chapter, but the authors don’t get into the real issues or delve into where reasonable concern becomes unreasonable.
The Covid chapters are a bit like that. The authors seem to (reluctantly) concede that the anti-lockdown campaigners probably had some valid concerns, but that is glossed over to talk about QAnon theories, leaving unexplored the reasonable people who maybe go a bit far. Because isn’t that the danger—there will always be people who go too far, but the problem is when normal people get caught up in these theories. Sovereign citizen-ism probably being one of the more damaging ones on a widespread basis (along with anti-vaccine people).
Also the authors don’t even get into some of the really interesting or out there, niche, conspiracy theories. Anti-Semitic conspiracy theories come up a few times in relation to white supremacy and also Covid/ WEF / etc though I wish they went into these a bit more. Is this just mindless repeating of Nazi/Hitlerian theories or is there more to it, or some unique Australian strain of anti-semitism? I enjoyed that the 15 minute cities conspiracy theory got a brief mention, I’m still scratching my head at that one.
There are some interesting things in this book but it is quite a shallow dive into the topic. Interestingly one expert thinks that the internet is not responsible for allowing conspiracies to spread any more than they did before—he notes that they can spread quicker but also that the correct information can be distributed quickly and widely too, therefore any greater effect of the internet is marginal. I wonder if the internet means that Australian conspiracy theories have lost their edge and become Americanised as a result of the internet, as so much else has. There was no real discussion (apart from Port Arthur and a weird conspiracy relating to the naming of 28 prominent paedophiles in parliament) of truly unique to Australia theories—like the Family Murders from SA, or Ivan Milat accomplices from NSW and so on.
Overall: a decent introduction to contemporary conspiracy theories in Australia. I enjoyed reading it but I wanted it to dive a bit deeper or perhaps be a bit less like reading a Guardian article on whatever the chapter was about.
August 10, 2025
Such a well written, well researched, incredibly moving book. I couldn’t put this down, wanting to know more about lives and worlds I had only ever heard snippets of.
What I enjoyed so much about this book was there was a clear line drawn between bad faith pedlars of dangerous ideas, and every day people who find themselves drawn to narratives outside the mainstream. It is filled with empathy and understanding for everyone whose lives are touched by these difficult topics and doesn’t shy away from the nuanced conversations around it.
There is absurdity, pain, humour, humanity, and intrigue and it treats everything with genuine desire to understand.
Definitely recommend!!
What I enjoyed so much about this book was there was a clear line drawn between bad faith pedlars of dangerous ideas, and every day people who find themselves drawn to narratives outside the mainstream. It is filled with empathy and understanding for everyone whose lives are touched by these difficult topics and doesn’t shy away from the nuanced conversations around it.
There is absurdity, pain, humour, humanity, and intrigue and it treats everything with genuine desire to understand.
Definitely recommend!!
August 18, 2025
What I love about this book is that it sets itself a goal and then absolutely follows through. So many times when I read a book about societal issues (looking at you monsters by claire dederer) there seems to be a lack of grounding in that the author is content to leave the book at an examination of a problem rather than propose solutions.
Not so for conspiracy nation!! It's grounded, empathetic, impeccably researched and highly relevant. You'll not only learn about the conspiracies themselves from Port Arthur denialism to Pete Evans' health retreat but also the varying impacts of these conspiracies. And I do mean varied - Bogle and Wilson do a great job at charting who exactly is hurt by conspiracy theories. From those who have lost their loved ones to the rabbit hole to the politicians that have brought these ideas into the mainstream, I felt I got a really good idea of the exact scale of harms that conspiracy theories can do. More importantly, this book was solutions based. Its proposed framework for dealing with conspiracy theorists is grounded in empathy and practicality in spite of it all. The authors recognise, quite rightly, that these theories are just a symptom of our times - and those who adopt them have often been failed by the system in any case.
Also the Pete Evans health retreat piece??? Now THATS dedication.
Not so for conspiracy nation!! It's grounded, empathetic, impeccably researched and highly relevant. You'll not only learn about the conspiracies themselves from Port Arthur denialism to Pete Evans' health retreat but also the varying impacts of these conspiracies. And I do mean varied - Bogle and Wilson do a great job at charting who exactly is hurt by conspiracy theories. From those who have lost their loved ones to the rabbit hole to the politicians that have brought these ideas into the mainstream, I felt I got a really good idea of the exact scale of harms that conspiracy theories can do. More importantly, this book was solutions based. Its proposed framework for dealing with conspiracy theorists is grounded in empathy and practicality in spite of it all. The authors recognise, quite rightly, that these theories are just a symptom of our times - and those who adopt them have often been failed by the system in any case.
Also the Pete Evans health retreat piece??? Now THATS dedication.
December 16, 2025
Nuanced breakdown of Australia’s most troubling conspiracy theories. Our institutions lack of transparency and accountability play a massive role in shoving people down these rabbit holes. Also grim Australia has never tried to reconcile that we produced one of the most influential white nationalist terrorists of recent decades.
July 31, 2025
.....📚 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 📚.....
Conspiracy Nation: Exposing The Dangerous World Of Australian Conspiracy Theories, by Ariel Bogle and Cam Wilson, is a deep dive into the fascinating world of Australian conspiracies, how they can take hold, and the devastating impacts this can have on people's lives.
Through investigations and first-hand accounts, these journalists take readers to the rallies, homes, courtrooms, secret chat rooms and Byron Bay luxury retreats where Australia’s conspiracy theories spread.
‘There are microchips in vaccines’; ‘5G spreads COVID-19’; ‘the Australian government is hiding a list of powerful predators’ – Conspiracy Nation exposes the world of Australian conspiracy theories, their history, appeal and political influence. It’s easy to dismiss these as fringe concerns or imported concepts, but conspiratorial ideas are gaining traction with everyday Australians, and being wielded by those in power.
From Port Arthur and QAnon, to the rise of ‘wellness’ influencers and ‘sovereign citizen’ gurus, to the delusions that inspired the Wieambilla murders, Bogle and Wilson show the devastating consequences of unchecked lies and radicalisation, and make a compelling case that by ignoring the looming threat of conspiratorial thinking, we put our community at risk.
I find this world utterly fascinating in a "I should look away" kind of way. This book was a trip down the rabbit hole, but in a way that was both compelling and compassionate for those that have lots themselves or loved ones to the paranoia and hate that come with most of these conspiracies. A great investigative piece of work, and well worth the read!
Conspiracy Nation: Exposing The Dangerous World Of Australian Conspiracy Theories, by Ariel Bogle and Cam Wilson, is a deep dive into the fascinating world of Australian conspiracies, how they can take hold, and the devastating impacts this can have on people's lives.
Through investigations and first-hand accounts, these journalists take readers to the rallies, homes, courtrooms, secret chat rooms and Byron Bay luxury retreats where Australia’s conspiracy theories spread.
‘There are microchips in vaccines’; ‘5G spreads COVID-19’; ‘the Australian government is hiding a list of powerful predators’ – Conspiracy Nation exposes the world of Australian conspiracy theories, their history, appeal and political influence. It’s easy to dismiss these as fringe concerns or imported concepts, but conspiratorial ideas are gaining traction with everyday Australians, and being wielded by those in power.
From Port Arthur and QAnon, to the rise of ‘wellness’ influencers and ‘sovereign citizen’ gurus, to the delusions that inspired the Wieambilla murders, Bogle and Wilson show the devastating consequences of unchecked lies and radicalisation, and make a compelling case that by ignoring the looming threat of conspiratorial thinking, we put our community at risk.
I find this world utterly fascinating in a "I should look away" kind of way. This book was a trip down the rabbit hole, but in a way that was both compelling and compassionate for those that have lots themselves or loved ones to the paranoia and hate that come with most of these conspiracies. A great investigative piece of work, and well worth the read!
August 14, 2025
I didn't know what to expect from this book. I thought I knew a bit about conspiracy theories in Australia, but I just didn't.
I didn't realise how they were connected, nor did I realise who deeply disturbed some people really are. I had never thought of how to deal with conspiracy theories apart from mockery and belittling them.
It's an eye-opening book. Well researched, including a deep dive into enemy territory. 1/3 of the book is references - and it made me think if the conspiracy theorists were as diligent as the authors in undertaking genuine professional research, there would be a lot fewer conspiracies.
Great book, highly recommend.
I didn't realise how they were connected, nor did I realise who deeply disturbed some people really are. I had never thought of how to deal with conspiracy theories apart from mockery and belittling them.
It's an eye-opening book. Well researched, including a deep dive into enemy territory. 1/3 of the book is references - and it made me think if the conspiracy theorists were as diligent as the authors in undertaking genuine professional research, there would be a lot fewer conspiracies.
Great book, highly recommend.
August 28, 2025
I’m not driving, I’m travelling
September 28, 2025
This book is incredibly important to read. In understanding conspiracy theories, what makes people go down these rabbit holes, and how we can counteract these (if we ever can).
Very deserving of a read, if only for the fact the author spent several thousand dollars and a weekend of their life with Pete Evans.
Very deserving of a read, if only for the fact the author spent several thousand dollars and a weekend of their life with Pete Evans.
August 19, 2025
Fantastic! Very eye-opening to what people are willing to believe.
September 24, 2025
This book is amazing. But why has Goodreads changed the order of the authors’ names in this listing from how it is on the cover of the book? Why is the man’s name now first on Goodreads?
September 10, 2025
This book was something different for me to read, I really learnt a lot about Australian history as well as how susceptible the country has been with and without the internet.
August 17, 2025
Excellently researched and articulated, Conspiracy Nation uniquely situates conspiracy theories and misinformation in an Australian context. Conspiracy theories are not just imported from the United States, but have their own Australian permutations. The interviews with people are poignant and help the reader understand the potential harms of conspiracy theory but also why someone might engage in this style of thinking.
Highly recommend!
Highly recommend!
November 5, 2025
Conspiracy Nation explores how conspiracy thinking has taken hold in Australia. The authors trace how fringe ideas spread online and how they connect to broader social and political movements.
One thing that really struck me, though, was how often antisemitic ideas bubble beneath the surface of so many of these conspiracies — old tropes about “global control” and “shadowy elites” that just keep getting recycled in new forms.
That’s why it felt strange that the book didn’t touch on the rise of anti-Israel conspiracy theories, which have become such a big part of the modern landscape. It’s an odd omission, especially since those narratives often overlap with the same antisemitic patterns the authors discuss elsewhere.
One thing that really struck me, though, was how often antisemitic ideas bubble beneath the surface of so many of these conspiracies — old tropes about “global control” and “shadowy elites” that just keep getting recycled in new forms.
That’s why it felt strange that the book didn’t touch on the rise of anti-Israel conspiracy theories, which have become such a big part of the modern landscape. It’s an odd omission, especially since those narratives often overlap with the same antisemitic patterns the authors discuss elsewhere.
August 25, 2025
I just knew I would love this as soon as it arrived wrapped in tin foil.
For anyone that knows someone who’s fallen down the rabbit hole of a conspiracy theory or who wonders how to talk a friend down from an increasingly bizarre sounding position this book is for you. It won’t give you any easy answers (it features a psychologist who almost gave up on their patient, and a wife who had to walk away) but it will summarise the most eye-opening conspiracies of our recent history and the commons pathways into their depths.
Part way through there’s a great chapter on dealing with conspiracy theorists in an open and respectful way which is also useful IMHO for talking to anyone whose beliefs you disagree with.
Thanks to Ultimo Press for this review copy. I got a lot out of the read.
For anyone that knows someone who’s fallen down the rabbit hole of a conspiracy theory or who wonders how to talk a friend down from an increasingly bizarre sounding position this book is for you. It won’t give you any easy answers (it features a psychologist who almost gave up on their patient, and a wife who had to walk away) but it will summarise the most eye-opening conspiracies of our recent history and the commons pathways into their depths.
Part way through there’s a great chapter on dealing with conspiracy theorists in an open and respectful way which is also useful IMHO for talking to anyone whose beliefs you disagree with.
Thanks to Ultimo Press for this review copy. I got a lot out of the read.
October 11, 2025
Brilliant
August 5, 2025
[Reviewed for Tasmanian Times]
Conspiracy Nation is a terrific new book, a thoroughly engaging read, and one that is surprisingly empathetic about its subjects – Australian conspiracy theorists.
“We want to acknowledge up front that ‘conspiracy theorist’ is a loaded term. It can be used to denigrate people with genuine grievances and to dismiss real conspiracies.”
Tasmania is fertile soil for conspiracy theories, especially in the poor, often illiterate rural North-West. Climate change is a hoax, the Port Arthur massacre was a ‘false-flag event’, vaccines are deadlier than the diseases they purport to inoculate against, and trans rights activists are actually grooming children – vast conspiracies operate secretly, orchestrated by ‘elites’ intent on corralling us all into a totalitarian hell.
Conspiracy theorists feel they’ve ‘done their research’, and despite feeling denigrated, they also feel they’ve ascended above the sheeple around them to discover truths that explain everything that’s wrong with their world.
Where do these “truths” come from? Why are they believed with such fervour when they’re so clearly and demonstrably false?
Authors Ariel Bogle and Cam Wilson have spent years listening, digging, interviewing and coming to understand how and why these views are held, and why they’re being pushed by well-funded organisations like Advance, SkyNews, and elected politicians.
The reality is that people on the margins have plenty to be aggrieved about – the world works for the wealthy, and against the interests of less educated, less affluent and the more rural communities. Understanding how and why occupies entire universities full of academics and fills entire libraries of peer-reviewed papers.
But if you aren’t trained in painstaking critical thinking, online influencers and the Sky After Dark pundits make the complex world simple. It’s woke!
Who is to blame for the wokeness? Pedophiles! Politicians! Greenies! Big Pharma! The UN! Bankers! Jews! Muslims! Gays! Leftists! Climate alarmists!
Bogle and Wilson reveal the logical fallacies and the emotional substrate of beliefs most of us scoff at.
‘Conspiracy theorists get the facts wrong but often get the feelings right.’
Beliefs which allow us to know the cause of our unease can provide relief; sudden ‘aha!’ moments provided by the purveyors of conspiracy theories may give us a dopamine hit – it all makes sense now!
With thorough and thoughtful research and interviews, Bogle and Wilson take us into Pete Evans’ world, and lift the lid on Qanon, Pizzagate, anti-vaxxers, sovereign citizen “freedom” movement, the Great Replacement theory and much more – all of it fascinating.
Powerful forces are harnessing conspiracy theories and the ‘freedom movement’, and Conspiracy Nation addresses the need, and methods, of pushing back against them. It’s an important, and morbidly enjoyable, read. Recommended.
Conspiracy Nation is a terrific new book, a thoroughly engaging read, and one that is surprisingly empathetic about its subjects – Australian conspiracy theorists.
“We want to acknowledge up front that ‘conspiracy theorist’ is a loaded term. It can be used to denigrate people with genuine grievances and to dismiss real conspiracies.”
Tasmania is fertile soil for conspiracy theories, especially in the poor, often illiterate rural North-West. Climate change is a hoax, the Port Arthur massacre was a ‘false-flag event’, vaccines are deadlier than the diseases they purport to inoculate against, and trans rights activists are actually grooming children – vast conspiracies operate secretly, orchestrated by ‘elites’ intent on corralling us all into a totalitarian hell.
Conspiracy theorists feel they’ve ‘done their research’, and despite feeling denigrated, they also feel they’ve ascended above the sheeple around them to discover truths that explain everything that’s wrong with their world.
Where do these “truths” come from? Why are they believed with such fervour when they’re so clearly and demonstrably false?
Authors Ariel Bogle and Cam Wilson have spent years listening, digging, interviewing and coming to understand how and why these views are held, and why they’re being pushed by well-funded organisations like Advance, SkyNews, and elected politicians.
The reality is that people on the margins have plenty to be aggrieved about – the world works for the wealthy, and against the interests of less educated, less affluent and the more rural communities. Understanding how and why occupies entire universities full of academics and fills entire libraries of peer-reviewed papers.
But if you aren’t trained in painstaking critical thinking, online influencers and the Sky After Dark pundits make the complex world simple. It’s woke!
Who is to blame for the wokeness? Pedophiles! Politicians! Greenies! Big Pharma! The UN! Bankers! Jews! Muslims! Gays! Leftists! Climate alarmists!
Bogle and Wilson reveal the logical fallacies and the emotional substrate of beliefs most of us scoff at.
‘Conspiracy theorists get the facts wrong but often get the feelings right.’
Beliefs which allow us to know the cause of our unease can provide relief; sudden ‘aha!’ moments provided by the purveyors of conspiracy theories may give us a dopamine hit – it all makes sense now!
With thorough and thoughtful research and interviews, Bogle and Wilson take us into Pete Evans’ world, and lift the lid on Qanon, Pizzagate, anti-vaxxers, sovereign citizen “freedom” movement, the Great Replacement theory and much more – all of it fascinating.
Powerful forces are harnessing conspiracy theories and the ‘freedom movement’, and Conspiracy Nation addresses the need, and methods, of pushing back against them. It’s an important, and morbidly enjoyable, read. Recommended.
September 29, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
Finished reading ... Conspiracy Nation / Ariel Bogle and Cam Wilson ..... 29 September, 2025
ISBN: 9781761153570 .... 256 pp. + Endnotes
This is a pretty comprehensive overview of conspiracy theories merging into bigotry of all sorts – racial, gender, religious, etc. Besides people who are just plain nuts, it includes anti-vaxxers, anti-government, sovereign citizens, food faddists/charlatans, moral panic (anyone who isn't like me!), deniers of all sorts (Port Arthur wasn't a lone gunman, Harold Holt didn't drown, he was kidnapped, etc) ….. Some of these are home-grown conspiracies, others come from the largest (but not exclusive) supplier, the US.
The unhappy conclusion is we'll always have conspiracies and people who believe them. And there's not a lot we can do to convince people they're wrong. Especially when, too often, governments give us reason not to trust them.
At the end of the book, the authors say: “People are not gullible dupes waiting to have every belief changed by a single piece of media or a charismatic figure with a podcast. ….
…. conspiracy theories are rooted in our fears, our values and the stories we tell ourselves in this country. …. All too often, they present a distorted view of the world that favours 'us' versus 'them' …. Any cracks in this country's history and vision of itself – that's where they [conspiracy theories]'ll gather.”
With that conclusion, my opinion is politicians and the media have a lot to answer for. The current political system is very much “Us vs Them”. Political parties might “all do it” when it comes to lying but in Australia the Liberal National Party have taken it to next level. The media either follows the government or Rupert Murdoch, which can sometimes amount to the same thing. Neo-liberalism has caused a massive wealth-poverty divide, bad in Australia, even worse in the US. We do live in an “Us vs Them” world. It's not surprising that people doing it tough latch on to whoever says they will save them. Desperate people do desperate things. And even though things don't change, you can't shake their belief in the patently untrue. They have nowhere else to go. Take away that hope and they have nothing.
Social justice won't wipe out conspiracy theories but it could stop a vast number of people latching onto them and going down self-defeating rabbit holes.
Interesting to read but I'm not sure it will get us anywhere. Maybe lobby harder for truth in political advertising?
NOTE: The extensive endnotes are in fact source citations for information given in the book. There is no additional information in the endnotes themselves. You don't need to read them unless you want to follow up on a particular point.
Borrowed from my local library.
Finished reading ... Conspiracy Nation / Ariel Bogle and Cam Wilson ..... 29 September, 2025
ISBN: 9781761153570 .... 256 pp. + Endnotes
This is a pretty comprehensive overview of conspiracy theories merging into bigotry of all sorts – racial, gender, religious, etc. Besides people who are just plain nuts, it includes anti-vaxxers, anti-government, sovereign citizens, food faddists/charlatans, moral panic (anyone who isn't like me!), deniers of all sorts (Port Arthur wasn't a lone gunman, Harold Holt didn't drown, he was kidnapped, etc) ….. Some of these are home-grown conspiracies, others come from the largest (but not exclusive) supplier, the US.
The unhappy conclusion is we'll always have conspiracies and people who believe them. And there's not a lot we can do to convince people they're wrong. Especially when, too often, governments give us reason not to trust them.
At the end of the book, the authors say: “People are not gullible dupes waiting to have every belief changed by a single piece of media or a charismatic figure with a podcast. ….
…. conspiracy theories are rooted in our fears, our values and the stories we tell ourselves in this country. …. All too often, they present a distorted view of the world that favours 'us' versus 'them' …. Any cracks in this country's history and vision of itself – that's where they [conspiracy theories]'ll gather.”
With that conclusion, my opinion is politicians and the media have a lot to answer for. The current political system is very much “Us vs Them”. Political parties might “all do it” when it comes to lying but in Australia the Liberal National Party have taken it to next level. The media either follows the government or Rupert Murdoch, which can sometimes amount to the same thing. Neo-liberalism has caused a massive wealth-poverty divide, bad in Australia, even worse in the US. We do live in an “Us vs Them” world. It's not surprising that people doing it tough latch on to whoever says they will save them. Desperate people do desperate things. And even though things don't change, you can't shake their belief in the patently untrue. They have nowhere else to go. Take away that hope and they have nothing.
Social justice won't wipe out conspiracy theories but it could stop a vast number of people latching onto them and going down self-defeating rabbit holes.
Interesting to read but I'm not sure it will get us anywhere. Maybe lobby harder for truth in political advertising?
NOTE: The extensive endnotes are in fact source citations for information given in the book. There is no additional information in the endnotes themselves. You don't need to read them unless you want to follow up on a particular point.
Borrowed from my local library.
November 7, 2025
7.5/10
Overall an interesting, good, and important read, which shows the dangers that conspiracy theories like this pose. The book contains numerous interesting chapters. Particuarlly interesting was the aspects about the history of the Port Arthur conspiracy theories, how Covid acted on conspiracy theories, and the sovieregn citizen movement
While i think deferring to expert opinon is important, i think the authors should have attempted to have found their own voice and expressed their opinons on the substance more. They did in the final chapter but i would have preferred it if they did so throughout the book. Presenting contradictory evidence is of course important but i feel like the lack of finding their voice meant that they just kind of presented us a bunch of evidence, but then started to implicitly disagree with their findings. The authors also contradict themselves about the use of social media and conspiracy theories i think.
The book also points out at one point that there is a general misnoma about conspiracy theories being attached to those facing economic hardship. A example (not contained in the book), is how a lot of the 'protesters' in August in Australia were seen by some to be responding to geniune economic anxiety. There is no evidence of this though. They point this out in the book, as a fact not as a debatable point, but then i think start to immediately contradict themselves.
The book was also a bit of a slog at points and did feel disjointed at points. There was a general thematic elements to the book and it did start to come together towards the end however
November 10, 2025
You can tell that Cam Wilson and Ariel Bogle are top quality journalists when reading this book. Their investigation into Australian-based conspiracy theories is well-researched and engages you with both the stories and the backgrounds. But while it does well in covering the Whos, Whats and Hows, I would have liked a little more on the Whys.
We picked this book for a book club, and it was optionally paired with Michael Shermer's book "Conspiracy". It turns out that this was a good pairing. I wasn't able to read the Shermer book but it sounds like it contained the aspects I thought were missing in this book. Maybe I'm asking too much, and there was some light discussion on the psychology provided by Wilson and Bogle, but I would have liked a bit more.
Most people will be familiar with the COVID aspect to this book, and the authors do a great job of sifting through the various narratives. Some people, like me, will be surprised at the depths that the conspiracy theories around Port Arthur go. The chapters on pseudolaw and sovereign citizens are also eye opening.
The weakest chapters for me were those on Pete Evans and his wellness claims, and the final wrap-up over what we can do. So this is primarily a historical investigation into everything from Port Arthur to the present day with not too much extra discussion.
But still an enlightening read on the topic.
We picked this book for a book club, and it was optionally paired with Michael Shermer's book "Conspiracy". It turns out that this was a good pairing. I wasn't able to read the Shermer book but it sounds like it contained the aspects I thought were missing in this book. Maybe I'm asking too much, and there was some light discussion on the psychology provided by Wilson and Bogle, but I would have liked a bit more.
Most people will be familiar with the COVID aspect to this book, and the authors do a great job of sifting through the various narratives. Some people, like me, will be surprised at the depths that the conspiracy theories around Port Arthur go. The chapters on pseudolaw and sovereign citizens are also eye opening.
The weakest chapters for me were those on Pete Evans and his wellness claims, and the final wrap-up over what we can do. So this is primarily a historical investigation into everything from Port Arthur to the present day with not too much extra discussion.
But still an enlightening read on the topic.
December 24, 2025
p249. "we are what we can talk ourselves into, and we can talk ourselves into anything. Believe you me". David Greasing: I was a Teenage Faciast.
p251. "Needless to say , blind trust in politics, the media and other institutions is no answer. In many cases they are they are responsible for showing the seeds of distrust. There are real conspiracies. The powerful do try to exert their will over the people. Believing this does not make you delusional. But a growing tendency in politics and media towards using conspiracy as the default heuristic for any event or social trend is a troubling one. Generating the guru, the unverifiable anecdote, the elaborate take that momentarily satiates your fears is no answer either."
Very easy to read and nice summary of some of the concerning conspiracy theories and theorists recently affecting Australia. I read this just after the Bondi shooting, so the reflections on the Christchurch shooting were rather apt. Also notable is how often the antisemetic trope pops up having involvement in theories such as the great replacement and one world government ideas.
p251. "Needless to say , blind trust in politics, the media and other institutions is no answer. In many cases they are they are responsible for showing the seeds of distrust. There are real conspiracies. The powerful do try to exert their will over the people. Believing this does not make you delusional. But a growing tendency in politics and media towards using conspiracy as the default heuristic for any event or social trend is a troubling one. Generating the guru, the unverifiable anecdote, the elaborate take that momentarily satiates your fears is no answer either."
Very easy to read and nice summary of some of the concerning conspiracy theories and theorists recently affecting Australia. I read this just after the Bondi shooting, so the reflections on the Christchurch shooting were rather apt. Also notable is how often the antisemetic trope pops up having involvement in theories such as the great replacement and one world government ideas.
September 21, 2025
This gentle peek behind the curtain at Australia's conspiracy counterculture is a well considered read. Wilson and Bogle carefully explain the creation of such convictions, but also touch on the causes – and for every absurd Antipodean out there, there's a dozen more who have genuine grievances with a confused path to processing them.
The quote I kept coming back to in my book-ridden brain is Joseph Heller's "just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they're not after you". While none of these conspiracies carried much in the way of sense or semblance for me, I can understand how conditions in our country have created a decline in institutional trust and a frustration with unfairness and inequality. However, a federal fix for structural supports is a process far thornier than firing off a 4chan thread.
The quote I kept coming back to in my book-ridden brain is Joseph Heller's "just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean they're not after you". While none of these conspiracies carried much in the way of sense or semblance for me, I can understand how conditions in our country have created a decline in institutional trust and a frustration with unfairness and inequality. However, a federal fix for structural supports is a process far thornier than firing off a 4chan thread.
October 16, 2025
A very intriguing book on the various conspiracy theories that have occurred in Australia in the last decade and the dangerous impact they can have on people. the "Activated Almonds" chapter was particularly interesting for an MKR viewer. By interviewing various viewpoints, the authors humanise conspiracy theorists: they are not necessarily mentally unwell but can be people who have gone down a rabbit hole after losing a sense of direction in life through trauma. This makes it all the more troubling, as anyone could become a conspiracy theorist or be misinformed. An essential (and relatively quick, though disturbing) read.
September 27, 2025
The discussion towards the end of the book brings together some common themes that help to understand why conspiracy theories emerge, especially as a response to suffering or disadvantage in dealings with the law, government or finance; a little more exploration of the type of personalities who become cult leaders would have been interesting but perhaps beyond the scope of this particular account.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2025
This was more a catalog of Australian conspiracy content rather than a meaningful analysis of conspiracy theories and culture with a lot of words to say very little. The writers also go out of their way to remind the reader “we don’t believe any of this nonsense”.
1 star because I was convinced to by it, 1 for the chapter on Pete Evans, the only investigation benign enough to be considered well covered by this book.
1 star because I was convinced to by it, 1 for the chapter on Pete Evans, the only investigation benign enough to be considered well covered by this book.
December 26, 2025
Interesting book that goes through a handful of the major conspiracy theories prevalent in Australia today.
I was somewhat disappointed by some chapters being a bit more surface-level in their exploration than others, but as a whole the book is an engaging and often fun read.
Just don’t expect anything too in-depth (which I don’t think was the authors’ intent regardless), and I expect you’ll enjoy this.
I was somewhat disappointed by some chapters being a bit more surface-level in their exploration than others, but as a whole the book is an engaging and often fun read.
Just don’t expect anything too in-depth (which I don’t think was the authors’ intent regardless), and I expect you’ll enjoy this.
September 27, 2025
Important book in this moment. Clear and winsome yet also sober; the implications of conspiracies are tragic. Worst is everyone seems helpless to counter this.
My concreter started talking to me about chemtrails and flat earth and covid and similarly I didn’t know what to say. But I’m thankful for this book and hope those with friends and relatives sucked down this wormhole find a way out.
My concreter started talking to me about chemtrails and flat earth and covid and similarly I didn’t know what to say. But I’m thankful for this book and hope those with friends and relatives sucked down this wormhole find a way out.
November 17, 2025
Unfortunately this book did not grab me! Some of the chapters were interesting but it felt overly researched which made me zone out a little. I enjoyed the one on one interviews and anecdotes throughout.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews