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Unproven, Unlikely, and Firmly Believed: Why We Fall for History’s Most Seductive Conspiracy Theories, and How We Rediscover Reality
From the internationally bestselling authors of A Brief History of the World in 47 Borders (Jonn Elledge) and Truth and Humans (Tom Phillips), a fascinating, insightful, often hilarious, and extremely timely journey through conspiracy theories, how they spread, and how not to fall for them
From the Satanic Panic to the anti-vax movement, the moon landing to Pizzagate, it’s always been human nature to believe we’re being lied to by the powers that be (and sometimes, to be fair, we absolutely are).
But while it can be fun to indulge in a bit of Deep State banter on the group chat, recent times have shown us that some of these theories have taken on a life of their own—and in our dogged quest for the truth, it appears we might actually be doing it some damage.
In Unproven, Unlikely, and Firmly Believed, Tom Phillips and Jonn Elledge take us on an eye-opening journey through history’s greatest conspiracy theories, to try and answer a vital question for our times: How can we learn to log off the QAnon message boards and start trusting hard evidence again?
Publisher’s note: Unproven, Unlikely, and Firmly Believed was previously published in the UK as Conspiracy: A History of Boll*cks Theories, and How Not to Fall for Them.
- GenresNonfictionPolitics
352 pages, Paperback
Published June 16, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
My thanks to NetGalley and The Experiment for an advance copy of this book that is a history of odd beliefs, a look at why so many of us believe these things, what we can do to try and stop these odd beliefs from becoming so prevalent in society, and the difficulty that people have combating odd thoughts, as humans are very prone to believe what the want to believe, and are nigh on impossible in admitting they are wrong.
I am not sure how it happened, but in my teens I became, well a fan I guess one could say, about the Kennedy assassination. I read all the books big like Crossfire, litte like Appointment in Dallas, or weird The Cowboy-Gangster wars. I watched movies, talked about umbrella man, had autopsy postcards, comics, books and lots more. This soon spread, encompassing Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Robert Kennedy, and down a lot of dark trails. I don't think I had a belief in anything, no set boogeyman, or boogeymen. I think I just liked reading about them. Even later with New World Order, Chemtrails, and that stuff, I think I just liked the ideas, I didn't really believe it. Though I still have a distrust of government., but history real history has proven me right on that. Conspiracies are at the heart of many things in this world. And conspiracies are the heart of many problems in this world. Combine this with that fact that no one likes to admit they are wrong about anything, politics, history, religion, sports teams, you have a deadly combination. All of this is discussed in this fascinating book. Unproven, Unlikely, and Firmly Believed: Why We Fall for History's Most Seductive Conspiracy Theories, and How We Rediscover Reality by Tom Phillips and Jonn Elledge is a look at the root of conspiracies, why we believe them, how it is hard to make people unbelieve them, and even how much worse things will get as social media and AI makes things harder to know what is true, what are lies, and wha are just jokes gone viral.
The book begins with something we as Americans have forgotten in many ways. The January 6 attack on Congress. For some it was just tourists, to others it was an attempt to stop the steal. To myself and many others it was a failed coup. Something that we have just memory holed in the long line of others things that have slowly eroded in the world. The authors look at this event from all sides. The lies that started it. The real history of what happened, and what followed. From there we are introduced to what conspiracy means, and how the word has changed over the years, from a legal term, to something that people shake their heads over when that weird Uncle starts talking. The authors go back and look at early conspiracies, such as the myth of the blood libel, Jews needing the blood of Christians for certain acts. They break these myths and thoughts down, proving some might have a basis, who wins by sharing these, and what the effects have been over the years. There is a lot of grifting here, something that should come as no surprise, but also a bit of truth that is hidden, things people should be more concerned about, but just get lost.
The book is very well written, though it does look at the world through slightly British eyes. Something that plays well when discussing America, as so much of what American does and believes can boggle the mind. Especially to outsiders. The authors break down many classics, assassinations, chemtrails, wartime acts, while also pointing out many that are true, part of the historical record, and just get ignored. They discuss the psychology of why people believe what they believe, and who hard it is to shake a mindset, mainly as humans, mainly men, alpha men, don't like to admit they were wrong.
A sad book in a way, all this wasted thought, all this wasted time. All the lives lost, and lives kept locked in place because of fears that are mostly unfounded, used to control or make money for a select few. A good place to start for many new to understanding the allure of conspiracies, what they offer and what the can do to all of us.
I am not sure how it happened, but in my teens I became, well a fan I guess one could say, about the Kennedy assassination. I read all the books big like Crossfire, litte like Appointment in Dallas, or weird The Cowboy-Gangster wars. I watched movies, talked about umbrella man, had autopsy postcards, comics, books and lots more. This soon spread, encompassing Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Robert Kennedy, and down a lot of dark trails. I don't think I had a belief in anything, no set boogeyman, or boogeymen. I think I just liked reading about them. Even later with New World Order, Chemtrails, and that stuff, I think I just liked the ideas, I didn't really believe it. Though I still have a distrust of government., but history real history has proven me right on that. Conspiracies are at the heart of many things in this world. And conspiracies are the heart of many problems in this world. Combine this with that fact that no one likes to admit they are wrong about anything, politics, history, religion, sports teams, you have a deadly combination. All of this is discussed in this fascinating book. Unproven, Unlikely, and Firmly Believed: Why We Fall for History's Most Seductive Conspiracy Theories, and How We Rediscover Reality by Tom Phillips and Jonn Elledge is a look at the root of conspiracies, why we believe them, how it is hard to make people unbelieve them, and even how much worse things will get as social media and AI makes things harder to know what is true, what are lies, and wha are just jokes gone viral.
The book begins with something we as Americans have forgotten in many ways. The January 6 attack on Congress. For some it was just tourists, to others it was an attempt to stop the steal. To myself and many others it was a failed coup. Something that we have just memory holed in the long line of others things that have slowly eroded in the world. The authors look at this event from all sides. The lies that started it. The real history of what happened, and what followed. From there we are introduced to what conspiracy means, and how the word has changed over the years, from a legal term, to something that people shake their heads over when that weird Uncle starts talking. The authors go back and look at early conspiracies, such as the myth of the blood libel, Jews needing the blood of Christians for certain acts. They break these myths and thoughts down, proving some might have a basis, who wins by sharing these, and what the effects have been over the years. There is a lot of grifting here, something that should come as no surprise, but also a bit of truth that is hidden, things people should be more concerned about, but just get lost.
The book is very well written, though it does look at the world through slightly British eyes. Something that plays well when discussing America, as so much of what American does and believes can boggle the mind. Especially to outsiders. The authors break down many classics, assassinations, chemtrails, wartime acts, while also pointing out many that are true, part of the historical record, and just get ignored. They discuss the psychology of why people believe what they believe, and who hard it is to shake a mindset, mainly as humans, mainly men, alpha men, don't like to admit they were wrong.
A sad book in a way, all this wasted thought, all this wasted time. All the lives lost, and lives kept locked in place because of fears that are mostly unfounded, used to control or make money for a select few. A good place to start for many new to understanding the allure of conspiracies, what they offer and what the can do to all of us.
June 19, 2026
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Unproven, Unlikely and Firmly Believed: Why We Fall for History's Most Seductive Conspiracy Theories, and How We Rediscover Reality by Jonn Elledge and Tom Phillips examines human gullibility when it comes to massive following of conspiracy theories, Misters Elledge and Phillips are British journalists and authors.
This book has cought my eye dun to my fascination with disinformation and how people so easily fall for it. A fascination that started during the 2016 election and overlaps with some social-engineering aspects of cybersecurity as well.
This book is illuminating and incorporates the dark humor which is right up my alley. The authors write about some of the greatest conspiracy theories in history, from the Satanic Panic to QAnon. It explores how these theories spread, sabotage public discourse, trust in institutions, and why people double and triple down on them when presented with hard evidence that they are wrong.
Mark Twain said it best: It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.
One of the first things that Jonn Elledge and Tom Phillips write in Unproven, Unlikely, and Firmly Believed is that sometimes conspiracy theorist are actually right. I was happy to read that because: one, sometimes they are, and two, it told me that this isn't going to be a work which mocks people, gullible as they might be (in which case I wouldn't have read it anyway). The authors take their time trying to understand conspiracy theorists' logic by reverse engineering the theory itself. They treat this phenomenon as a feature of human psychology, rather than failure.
The authors show how conspiracy theories are created from malicious, chaotic, and often random events. For the human mind, a terrifying, coordinated plot by... the illuminati/Catholics/jews/aliens... is easier to process than the, often terrifying, reality that there's no one in charge.
We cannot talk about hoaxes and conspiracy theories without mentioning technology. With the invention of the Internet and social media, a conspiracy and previously took months, years or even decades to propagate. As opposed to these days when it could take minutes or hours and do permanent damage to the objective truth.
The ironic part is something I'm sure we've all encountered, the recursive logic. Any evidence providing substance to the conspiracy is automatically true, while any evidence to the contrary is automatically false. The person's psychological parameters work in a closed loop making radicalization easier.
There are no easy answers, of course. But I believe that understanding one another, and not simply writing people off (after all, they may be right), is a first step towards living a less stressful life- and reading this book is certainly a step in the right direction.
Unproven, Unlikely and Firmly Believed: Why We Fall for History's Most Seductive Conspiracy Theories, and How We Rediscover Reality by Jonn Elledge and Tom Phillips examines human gullibility when it comes to massive following of conspiracy theories, Misters Elledge and Phillips are British journalists and authors.
This book has cought my eye dun to my fascination with disinformation and how people so easily fall for it. A fascination that started during the 2016 election and overlaps with some social-engineering aspects of cybersecurity as well.
This book is illuminating and incorporates the dark humor which is right up my alley. The authors write about some of the greatest conspiracy theories in history, from the Satanic Panic to QAnon. It explores how these theories spread, sabotage public discourse, trust in institutions, and why people double and triple down on them when presented with hard evidence that they are wrong.
Mark Twain said it best: It's easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.
One of the first things that Jonn Elledge and Tom Phillips write in Unproven, Unlikely, and Firmly Believed is that sometimes conspiracy theorist are actually right. I was happy to read that because: one, sometimes they are, and two, it told me that this isn't going to be a work which mocks people, gullible as they might be (in which case I wouldn't have read it anyway). The authors take their time trying to understand conspiracy theorists' logic by reverse engineering the theory itself. They treat this phenomenon as a feature of human psychology, rather than failure.
The authors show how conspiracy theories are created from malicious, chaotic, and often random events. For the human mind, a terrifying, coordinated plot by... the illuminati/Catholics/jews/aliens... is easier to process than the, often terrifying, reality that there's no one in charge.
We cannot talk about hoaxes and conspiracy theories without mentioning technology. With the invention of the Internet and social media, a conspiracy and previously took months, years or even decades to propagate. As opposed to these days when it could take minutes or hours and do permanent damage to the objective truth.
The ironic part is something I'm sure we've all encountered, the recursive logic. Any evidence providing substance to the conspiracy is automatically true, while any evidence to the contrary is automatically false. The person's psychological parameters work in a closed loop making radicalization easier.
There are no easy answers, of course. But I believe that understanding one another, and not simply writing people off (after all, they may be right), is a first step towards living a less stressful life- and reading this book is certainly a step in the right direction.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I recently began Hoax by Madeleine Pelling in which she tells the story of liars and those who believe them positing that it’s no coincidence that the Age of Enlightenment gave us the word “hoax” because when doubt creeps in truth seems to be gloriously proclaimed. And this is exactly what this incredibly fascinating book, Unproven, Unlikely and Firmly Believed, brings to the fore exploring conspiracy thinking through history and showing how these often originate. And, it was such a pleasure to have found two books exploring a topic much needing “enlightenment” on (thank you NetGalley and The Experiment).
Humans are conditioned to disbelief as the authors posit. It seems natural that the more something seems true, many resist that. Stories emerge then to fit a construct that might appeal to those disbelievers but are these stories or “conspiracies” true or needed to fit a narrative that is more comfortable to them? This is delved into in this book - an historical look at conspiracy theories from 1144 to present day.
My favorite conspiracies were the one that starts the book (young boy in 1144 is found murdered and conspiracy that Jews killed him fir his blood needed in their rituals when really a monk was writing to get the boy canonized) and the COVID-5G near to the end of the book - never realized 5G was that controversial. All the examples are nicely explained and in the telling you come to realize a lot of these happen because someone is trying to fit the story to what makes them comfortable.
This was a captivating and enjoyable read. I especially like how the authors give you steps to do when conspiracies arise. Highly recommend m.
Humans are conditioned to disbelief as the authors posit. It seems natural that the more something seems true, many resist that. Stories emerge then to fit a construct that might appeal to those disbelievers but are these stories or “conspiracies” true or needed to fit a narrative that is more comfortable to them? This is delved into in this book - an historical look at conspiracy theories from 1144 to present day.
My favorite conspiracies were the one that starts the book (young boy in 1144 is found murdered and conspiracy that Jews killed him fir his blood needed in their rituals when really a monk was writing to get the boy canonized) and the COVID-5G near to the end of the book - never realized 5G was that controversial. All the examples are nicely explained and in the telling you come to realize a lot of these happen because someone is trying to fit the story to what makes them comfortable.
This was a captivating and enjoyable read. I especially like how the authors give you steps to do when conspiracies arise. Highly recommend m.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Unproven, Unlikely and Firmly Believed is a close look at a slew of conspiracy theories, why we believe them anyway, and how we can escape their seductive web. For obvious reasons [waving wildly at the world today], this is a timely, important and therapeutic subject. Best of all, it is an absolute joy to read.
The writing is insightful, fast-paced, threaded together with gems from history, sociology, psychology, and still profoundly accessible. The humor is kind, British in all the best ways, and serves as a comforting foil for the often dark, ominous subject matter at hand. I am a huge fan of Douglas Adams and the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and found myself feeling that I held a more cerebral distant non-fiction cousin, securely grounded in lived history and with a very meaningful cautionary message.
There is something here for everyone, but this book is an absolute must for history buffs and its smooth exterior hides an imposing body of research. Best of all, even through the heaviest bits, I felt like I was sitting at the pub with supportive friends, sharing a drink as we try to find a way to save the world together. Go read this, everyone!
Thank you to NetGalley and The Experiment for the ARC.
The writing is insightful, fast-paced, threaded together with gems from history, sociology, psychology, and still profoundly accessible. The humor is kind, British in all the best ways, and serves as a comforting foil for the often dark, ominous subject matter at hand. I am a huge fan of Douglas Adams and the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and found myself feeling that I held a more cerebral distant non-fiction cousin, securely grounded in lived history and with a very meaningful cautionary message.
There is something here for everyone, but this book is an absolute must for history buffs and its smooth exterior hides an imposing body of research. Best of all, even through the heaviest bits, I felt like I was sitting at the pub with supportive friends, sharing a drink as we try to find a way to save the world together. Go read this, everyone!
Thank you to NetGalley and The Experiment for the ARC.
June 12, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and The Experiment for the ARC.
Unlikely, Unproven, and Firmly Believed is a fascinating exploration of conspiracy theories throughout history. The book begins with one of the most famous conspiracy theories of all time—the Illuminati—and then delves into a wide range of other topics, including COVID-19, the assassination of JFK, aliens and UFOs, and the Flat Earth movement.
What I enjoyed most was the author's writing style. It is witty, engaging, and conversational, making it feel less like reading a nonfiction book and more like having a discussion with a knowledgeable friend.
The book also explores why people are drawn to conspiracy theories in the first place and how they spread. One of its most interesting points is that many believers are not the stereotypical "kooks" often portrayed in the media. Instead, they are ordinary people you might encounter in everyday life, which adds nuance and depth to the discussion.
Insightful, thought-provoking, and highly readable, this is an excellent choice for anyone interested in the history, psychology, and cultural impact of conspiracy theories.
Unlikely, Unproven, and Firmly Believed is a fascinating exploration of conspiracy theories throughout history. The book begins with one of the most famous conspiracy theories of all time—the Illuminati—and then delves into a wide range of other topics, including COVID-19, the assassination of JFK, aliens and UFOs, and the Flat Earth movement.
What I enjoyed most was the author's writing style. It is witty, engaging, and conversational, making it feel less like reading a nonfiction book and more like having a discussion with a knowledgeable friend.
The book also explores why people are drawn to conspiracy theories in the first place and how they spread. One of its most interesting points is that many believers are not the stereotypical "kooks" often portrayed in the media. Instead, they are ordinary people you might encounter in everyday life, which adds nuance and depth to the discussion.
Insightful, thought-provoking, and highly readable, this is an excellent choice for anyone interested in the history, psychology, and cultural impact of conspiracy theories.
Read
June 17, 2026Phillips and Elledge take conspiracy theories seriously as a subject without taking the believers too seriously, which turns out to be exactly the right approach. The book traces the psychology and history of why people fall for this stuff, from medieval blood libel myths all the way through COVID and 5G, and somehow manages to be genuinely funny while covering genuinely dark territory.
The writing has a dry British wit that keeps things moving even when the subject matter gets heavy. The timing is obviously not accidental. This is a book for right now, and it shows. Particularly useful if you have people in your life who have gone down a rabbit hole and you're trying to understand how that happens, or if you just want better footing for navigating the current media landscape.
Thanks to NetGalley and The Experiment for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The writing has a dry British wit that keeps things moving even when the subject matter gets heavy. The timing is obviously not accidental. This is a book for right now, and it shows. Particularly useful if you have people in your life who have gone down a rabbit hole and you're trying to understand how that happens, or if you just want better footing for navigating the current media landscape.
Thanks to NetGalley and The Experiment for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Do you want the actual history of the Illuminati? Reasonable answers to a flat earth believer? A few laughs while prepping your brain to survive the growing conspiracy landscape we are all stuck living in? Phillips and Elledge have got you covered, and will try to offer you some hope along with the pragmatic depictions of conspiracy.
This book is honestly the most impressively complete, humane, and interesting explorations of conspiracy theory as a social and personal phenomena that I have ever encountered. Looking to experts to explain the hows and whys of people adopting radical thinking has been a long time fascination of mine, and it rare to find a source this complete that follows a logical flow and doesn't feel disjointed. They paint a very complete picture of the origin of modern super conspiracies while dismantling many of them. And it was a beautiful kind of relief experience discussions of how colonialism feeds into systems of conspiracy.
I would highly recommend this as a read for someone who is dealing with family members who've gone down a rabbit hole, who have been tempted by a conspiracy, or are just looking to reckon with the modern media landscape. I certainly plan on getting a classroom copy to help better respond to flat earth discussions that always seem to pop up in either my geology or astronomy classes.
Thank you to NetGalley and The Experiment for the ARC of this book.
This book is honestly the most impressively complete, humane, and interesting explorations of conspiracy theory as a social and personal phenomena that I have ever encountered. Looking to experts to explain the hows and whys of people adopting radical thinking has been a long time fascination of mine, and it rare to find a source this complete that follows a logical flow and doesn't feel disjointed. They paint a very complete picture of the origin of modern super conspiracies while dismantling many of them. And it was a beautiful kind of relief experience discussions of how colonialism feeds into systems of conspiracy.
I would highly recommend this as a read for someone who is dealing with family members who've gone down a rabbit hole, who have been tempted by a conspiracy, or are just looking to reckon with the modern media landscape. I certainly plan on getting a classroom copy to help better respond to flat earth discussions that always seem to pop up in either my geology or astronomy classes.
Thank you to NetGalley and The Experiment for the ARC of this book.
June 12, 2026
This book is the conspiracy version of “Everything is Tuberculosis” except here everything stems from the Illuminati. Overall a really interesting and well researched read that covers every modern day conspiracy (and then some) imaginable. 9/11, lizard people, the French Revolution, the moon landing, and even some you have never heard of. It mixes these stories with a healthy dose of introspection on why we are susceptible to conspiracy theories in the first place and what we can do to prevent falling for them. I did find that it dragged on and rambled at times but there was a good amount of wit and comedic relief interjected that made it more digestible.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews