A Treasury of Deception: Liars, Misleaders, Hoodwinkers, and the Extraordinary True Stories of History's Greatest Hoaxes, Fakes, and Frauds

by Michael Farquhar

We may say that honesty is the best policy, but history--to say nothing of business, politics, and the media--suggests otherwise. In this infinitely citable book, the author of two bestselling treasuries of scandal recounts some of the greatest deceptions of all time. With what forged document did the Vatican lay claim to much of Europe? Who wrote Hitler's diaries? Why do millions still believe the vague doggerel that Nostradamus passed off as prophecy? Organizing his material by theme (con artists, the press, military trickery, scientific fraud, imposters, great escapes, and more), Michael Farquhar takes in everything from the hoodwinking of Hitler to Vincent "the Chin" Gigante's thirty-year crazy act. A Treasury of Deception is a zestful, gossipy expos'--and celebration--of mendacity.

A Treasury of Deception also includes:

Ten tricksters from scripture
Ten great liars in literature
Ten egregious examples of modern American doublespeak
Ten classic deceptions from Greek mythology

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Humor, Historical, Crime, American History

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Michael Farquhar, a former writer and editor at The Washington Post, is the bestselling author of numerous books, including the critically acclaimed Behind the Palace Doors and Secret Lives of the Tsars, as well as the popular Penguin "Treasury" series: A Treasury of Royal Scandals, A Treasury of Great American Scandals, A Treasury of Deception, and A Treasury of Foolishly Forgotten Americans. He lives in Washington, D.C.

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 3 out of 5]

For some reason I feel compelled to type the following.

I loved this book!

I want to buy more copies!

Farquhar is a genius!

I must tell a friend!


Looking back over the following sentences, I think I influenced by the chapter on subliminal advertising.

That's not to say this book isn't good. It is. Farquhar is very, very, very funny. This book is at times more serious than the A Treasury of Royal Scandals The Shocking True Stories History's Wickedest, Weirdest, Most Wanton Kings, Queens, Tsars, Popes, and Emperors. While some of the stories are very funny (see below), some are tragic.

Farquhar takes about Hitler’s use of deception, about the use of lying in witch hunts. That tale is particularly tragic for the reader is told how everyone was "executed" (Murdered). Strangely, the ways mirrored those tactics used to kill off some of the saints. There is also a rather sobering chapter of quotes stating that God has ordained whatever.

The more things change, the more things stay the same.

It is amazing how gullible people were and still are. There is an amusing story about a man called Lonizer convinced people that Manhattan needed to be sawed in half and the bottom half of the island moved to become the top half. People actually prepared to do this! And today, I can still convince people we are at war with Lichtenstein over Blue Cheese!

Some of the stories are well known Doyle's falling for the fairy pictures, for instance; others are not. Farquhar includes list of literary liars (in addition to a V. Woolf stunt) and biblical liars (strangely, he left out Solomon's seduction of the Queen of Sheba). The last section is about American doublespeak and far more informing as well as interesting than other essays about the subject.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is perfect for those occasions when you're at dinner and want to bring up some useless trivia like, "Hey there was this English woman in the 1720's named Mary Tofts who stuffed dead baby rabbits into her vag and then claimed to give birth to them after having been previously raped by a he-rabbit. What's that...oh, I'd like my steak rare please."

[Bobby · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately I didn't find this book to be nearly as interesting as the title had promised. I found it to be a laundry list of factoids (A LOT of factoids) without deeper and contextual analysis which would have this book much more interesting. I would have preferred that the author focused on fewer hoaxes/frauds but given more information about them. He does do that on a few occasions but too infrequently to make this book worth recommending in my opinion.

[Lois · Rating 3 out of 5]

Humorous and history very lite.

[Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a fine introduction to many of the more famous and infamous hoaxes that have ever been perpetuated. However, it compromised much in choosing breadth over depth. Farquhar did a fine job sorting his hoaxes (and hoaxsters) into accessible categories and giving broad strokes accounts of their lives and deceptions. But, for almost every entry, I either wanted to know much more or was immediately bored. In other words, I think that devoting the book merely to media hoaxes or military hoaxes would have been more successful as it would have allowed each hoax to be covered in more depth. Additionally, people who didn't care about specific sorts of hoaxes could have ignored the volume altogether. Finally, Farquhar could have added more interpretation, treating each anecdote less as an encyclopedia entry and more on an invitation to comment on the moral, ethical, societal, and legal complexities surrounding hoaxes themselves. In short, there's a lot here, but not enough to ever sink your teeth into.

[Jennifer deBie · Rating 4 out of 5]

One that I started and stopped a few times - some fun recountings of various fraudsters across history, I just think that the bite sized histories made it too easy for me to put down and walk away from because each felt complete in and of itself.

That said, Farquhar is an entertaining writer, and the kind of historian that I'd probably really enjoy getting a drink with some time. Since that is unlikely to happen, I'll just have to put the audiobook back on and raise a toast myself, instead.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best parts of this book is that most of the 'chapters' are less than 5 pages long so it is easy to pick up, read another chapter or two and then work on something else.

Michael Farquhar is also an unrepentant punster as the chapter titles are nearly all puns. As an author, he seems to enjoy showing the foibles of our fellow humans and writes in such a way that history is fun without being cruel.

He did refer to a couple of his other books in footnotes and of course, the last chapter is all about subliminal advertising which he tries to get readers to buy more of his books. I'll just read more of them because I find his writing style amusing and informative.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a great one for laying on the tank. The title is pretty clear, I think. If this sort of thing fascinates you as it does me (this one now holds a place on my downstairs shelf of All Things Fraudulent), this is a good little compendium.

[Johnno · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book from the local library.

It is all about “liars, misleaders, hoodwinkers and the extraordinary true stories of history’s greatest hoaxes, fakes and frauds.”

I already knew about many of the examples, but Farquhar’s engaging style kept me reading.

Here is a random sampling.

# Conan Doyle’s immense gullibility over the fairies at the bottom of the garden. What would Holmes have said?

# The New York Sun’s series of stories on the weird inhabitants of the Moon.

# George Psalmanzar who was lionised by London society on the strength of his book An Historical and Geographic Description of Formosa and his claim to be a native Formosan.

# Various Allied prisoners’ ruses to escape from Colditz Castle.

Farquhar is prolific in writing books of this nature. I hope others turn up in the library.

[Cynthia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a wild ride. Chapters on rather amusing pranks, then BOOM into Hitler's Big Lie and stories of terrible suffering and death. Then we are on to deceptive spouses, and financial flim flam artists and WHAM into North Korea with its one or two main streets with goods no one can afford and just outside camera range a country of walking skeletons. NOT light reading despite the cute cover and the fact that most of this type of book are light reading. But intensely interesting and informative. Very well written. And near the end the chapter on popular urban myths (like subliminal programming) had me literally laughing out loud in the waiting room. So if you don't like the feel of one chapter just keep reading.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

Takeaways:
1) humans suck
2) the Bible is filled with humans that were reprehensible with very few consequences.
3. People default to believing and often really want things to be so!

Great stories:
1. Carpenter who convinced NY to saw off Manhattan to rotate the heavy side in the other direction.
2. Gonzaga changing the lights of the Washington monument for a science experiment.
3. Eskimos only have 2 words for snow - in the air and on the ground.
4. Subliminal messages was a made up experiment.

[Deepanshu Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

A catalogue of various cons, lies, deceptions, frauds happened across Western Hemisphere is wonderful contained. In today’s world where fake news is being debated everyday it’s very relevant as to what kind of “fake news” have occurred throughout medieval and modern history. Lessons need to be learnt and skepticism for information be taught to regular population. This book was overall very enjoyable and little anecdotes never let you put the book down.

[Kathryn Grace Loves Horror · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever book by one of my favorite authors. Farquhar is consistently amusing and informative. His books are a joy. This one is not my favorite, but it was still a funny, fun read for me, and I recommend this work, like all his others, to history buffs, especially those who like their history with a side of wit.

[Stef · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not good, not bad. The book’s not that big, but it still took me a month to read, as it’s not really the kind of thing you plow through. Rather it’s more like Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader; meant to be co consumed in big gulps, but rather in small sips. More foot/endnotes would’ve lended more credence to the whole thing. #LittleLibraryFind

[Liberty · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.9 Though there are segments that are relatively well-known (such as more current deceptions and events - in WW2, Vietnam, Presidents etc), the hidden jewels in this book make it an absolute delight. Probably my favorite chapters are those on Fraud and Fakers. Brilliant and captivating.

[Michelle Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't get through the whole thing. Only about a hundred pages. The writing style just did not make the stories sound interesting. Unless you are familiar with certain people or events, or are researching certain events, it's a very dry read.

[Anna Mora · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a perfect bedside book or a book to have in the living room where you know you won’t get a ton of reading time. Tiny, entertaining histories. Plain & simple.
It’s only missing a star because I wish each one was a little longer to add some more detail. But that’s only a light criticism.

[Dianne Landry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Michael Farquhar's books. His irreverent way of presenting these stories makes them so entertaining. From Henry VIII to Winston Churchill to Vinnie "the Chin" Gigante this book is full of colourful frauds throughout history and is very entertaining. I recommend all of his books.

[Dee brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved, loved , loved this unique trivia book! Kudos to Mr. Farquhar for amusing me so!

[Bethany · Rating 3 out of 5]

not bad, but not great either. Although the war stories were interesting.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is s a great little bathroom book. the stories are short, well written, entertaining and fun to read. Very clever.

[Boho Beannie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I skimmed this more than read it. I loved the premise of it and wanted to love it. But it was just kinda boring.

[Anson Cassel Mills · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are times when Farquhar's variety of frivolity--history snippets, complete with plenty of puns--can be entertaining; but the better angels of our nature crave something of more substance.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very interesting but the author's style of writing was choppy and hard to follow. And after awhile the book started to depress me; too many despicable humans.

[Laurie Stoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun read! I borrowed this small paperback from one of our daughter's. Small paperback, with BIG entertainment!

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feels like short references on scams of old. It was ok.

[Fairport Public Library]

March 2013, Betsy G, Non-Fiction

[Aleksandar Stojanovski · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. Добра замисла, лоша реализација.

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short stories about deceptions. Good read, some were scary, how easily the world can be manipulated and fall for hoaxes.

[Elizabeth Swindell · Rating 5 out of 5]

9/10: one of my fave authors right now; history but funny! Reminiscent of mary roach but for history! I’d heard of a lot of these but loved getting more details