The Rough Guide to Conspiracy Theories

by James McConnachie, Robin Tudge

Fully revised and updated, The Rough Guide to Conspiracy Theories sorts the myths from the realities, the allegations from the explanations and the paranoid from the probable.
Who might be trying to convince us that climate change is or isn't real? What is the truth behind the death of Osama bin Laden and is he still alive? When did the CIA start experimenting with mind control? Where is the HAARP installation and did it have anything to do with the Japanese tsunami disaster? Why is surveillance in our cities and online so widespread and what are the real benefits? This definitive guide to the world's most controversial conspiracies wanders through a maze of sinister secrets, suspicious cover?ups hidden agendas and clandestine operations to explore all these questions and many many more.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Reference, Politics, Conspiracy Theories

432 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2005

Reviews

[Sesana · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you read too much about conspiracy theories, you'll either end up ultra-paranoid or develop a knee-jerk negative reaction towards anything that even sounds like a conspiracy theory. I tend towards the latter, though I still find the theories themselves interesting reads. That was enough to get me through this rather large, fairly comprehensive book. I did like that there are conspiracy theories detailed here that haven't gained much traction in the U.S. And I feel like the authors tried to present as complete a view of the actual conspiracies themselves to make the claims comprehensible enough to a newbie. And some of these ideas are compelling. But I do wish that more time had been given to rebuttal. I'm familiar enough with the 9/11 truther movement to know that the serious objections to their theories are being glossed over here. But this is essentially a Big Book of Conspiracies, and I don't really expect something terribly detailed, with so few pages dedicated to each concept.

But there was one point that made me consider chucking the book altogether. In the chapter on Masonic conspiracy theories (because of course there's a chapter about the Masons), the authors write that modern Masons seem as nonthreatening as the Shriners. I laughed, and so did the friend I shared the line with. Why? Because the Shriners are basically a sub-club of the Masons: to be a Shriner, you have to be a Mason. Not exactly common knowledge, I admit, but shouldn't somebody writing about Masonry, even in a quick chapter in a conspiracy theory book, have picked that up? It didn't affect the chapter, and I still got the point they were going for, but it made me wonder what else they might have missed in doing what was, apparently, the absolute bare minimum research required for the book.

[Sonic · Rating 1 out of 5]

Garbage! Total F*(king Garbage!

A conspiracy is simply when two or more people plan a crime. That's it.
Often there is an attempt , but that there is the real definition of conspiracy.

Unfortunately the word has come to acquire the connotation of meaning an outlandish or absurd explanation worthy of ridicule.

This piece of trash perpetrates the latter definition.

Beginning and ending with a mocking tone on the two page treatment on the JFK assassination the writer fails to grasp the significance of the event. Or why asking questions is so important.

While Rough Guide has done a great job introducing people to music from around the world, this just seems like conformist propaganda.

[Sylvester · Rating 2 out of 5]

To say the least, this is a pretty awful excuse of a book. Some of the theories I've not heard of before were mildly interesting but the rest were just plain boring, I couldn't care less about how some terrorists like Malcolm X were killed.

[Lindsay White · Rating 2 out of 5]

So far the most valuable thing about this book are the bibliographies for further reading (both books and websites) included at the end of each conspiracy entry. But I am finding the brief overviews of conspiracy theories to be too condensed and biased. For example, there are only 3-4 pages on the 9/11 conspiracy theory. The claims of conspiracy theorists are detailed, but no alternate view is presented. This really bothers me - I like to hear both sides of an argument. For example, the claims of the towers falling as result of controlled demolition are presented, but the numerous studies by scientists and engineers discrediting this are not even mentioned.

[Aly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Il libro è scritto bene. Si tratta di un elenco di quelle che sono le più famose teorie del complotto del mondo occidentale. Tre stelle perché l'edizione che ho letto io, e che risulta essere l'ultima, non è aggiornata e perché la parte sull'Italia è un po' scarsa, si da ampissimo spazio agli stati uniti e alla guerra del golfo.

[SHUiZMZ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting appetizer-like collection of conspiracy digest-sized bits of info that give all the general facts of the conspiracy, while citing any relevant references at the end of each event. Just enough to inform and whet one's appetite.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

AN EXCELLENT, AND MOST INFORMATIVE SUMMARY OF SUCH THEORIES

The Introduction to this 2005 book (there is a revised/expanded 2008 edition that I have not read) states, "this is a guide not to conspiracies, but to conspiracy theories. It doesn't freshly unveil hidden agendas or unmask sinister conspirators... this guide presents the world according to conspiracists, unleashing accusations, allegations and extreme explanations that are by turns brilliant, absurd, insightful, witty, nonsensical and sometimes outright insane."

There are dozens of theories (including various sub-variations) covered herein, categorized as: Assassinations and Downfalls; Mega-conspiracies and Master Plans; Miracles, Secrets and Lies: Conspiracies of Religion; The Land of the Free; Corporate Clampdown; Real Weapons of Mass Destruction; Calamities and Cover-ups; Warplay, etc. Each subtopic is followed by a list of Sources (including books, and websites), which are briefly and very helpfully summarized. (There are seldom any footnotes/sources noted within the articles themselves, but I'll let that one go.)

To give some examples, "In 1924, the publication of Nesta H. Webster's Secret Societies and Subversive Movements catapulted the myth of the Illuminati out of the eighteenth century and right into the twenty-first." (Pg. 86) The author rejects a Masonic interpretation of our money, observing that "IN GOD WE TRUST" is written on our money, while the Masons were/are "conspiring to build an atheistic, self-interested state." (Pg. 117) He notes that the FEMA camps feared by conspiracists "were built under the Rex 84 program, designed to deal with a mass exodus of illegal aliens." (Pg. 285)

9/11 of course receives a detailed treatment; the author notes that, contrary to the popular story of books and movies, Flight 93 "destroyed the plane themselves," rather than being crashed by the passengers. (Pg. 364) "The biggest problem with all 9/11 conspiracy theories that pin the ultimate blame on the Bush administration rather than Al-Qaeda is that they never explain ... why, if the administration was capable of faking or setting up a massive terrorist attack on New York, couldn't it make a few FBI intelligence reports from the summer of 2001 disappear?... why couldn't it simply have planted a few WMD in the Iraqi desert?" (Pg. 369)

The Iraq War is also a fertile topic: "The US knew... that Saddam had (or had had) biological warfare capability because they---along with France, Germany, Japan and the UK---had supplied him with it." (Pg. 373) "All of Saddam's stockpiles had been destroyed in 1991, and his facilities and programmes dismantled by 1996---which is what UN weapons inspectors could have confirmed if they'd been allowed to carry on doing their job." (Pg. 379)

This book is a very helpful compendium of conspiracy theories, followed (generally) by a critical analysis of it.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

The FBI is still refusing to release the 45,000 documents it holds on Malcolm X.

From Tutankhamun to Saddam Hussein, via the Blood Libel, Philadelphia Experiment, JFK and countless more, this book offers short summaries of just about every conspiracy theory you can think of. Some of them are just plain crazy, whilst others have been proved to be true. All of them are interesting, whilst leaving you feeling worryingly paranoid about every aspect of your life. A great read for people who want to discover the basic ideas behind the world's many conspiracy theories, the book also has a fair amount to offer those interested in general history.

[Miriam · Rating 4 out of 5]

an awesome overview that ranges from the more socially acceptable (who shot jfk) to the uber-marginal (politicians who are secretly shape-shifting reptiles) with a great index of conspiracy-themed fiction films. the editing is horrid, though -- parenthetical page references to other sections of the book are frequently printed as (000).

[Nurshafiqa · Rating 3 out of 5]

reading this book has definitely changed me in some ways, like not to believe everything you have been told and to always think.

some of the conspiracies in here i am pretty much familliar with, but some of them i dont even know exist, which is good, cause it makes me know more.

a must read.

[Craig Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book, only downside is that there are some entries that are too short and by comparison some entries that are too long, but overall very good book with a good 'recommended reading' list at the book with some worthwhile reviews.

[Ed · Rating 3 out of 5]

All the world loves a whack job...er, conspiracy nut...I mean, let's take a look at the many conspiracy theories that have emerged and developed...

[Evangeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a great introduction to conspiracy theories. Really fascinating stuff, I found several theories that I want to read up on some more.

[severyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Handy.

[Steven W · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's an older addition but it's still a great history of disturbing history and conspiracy theories...