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Fake History: 101 Things that Never Happened
**An International Bestseller**
Fake news about the past is fake history.
Did Hugo Boss design the Nazi uniforms?
Did medieval people think the world was flat?
Did Napoleon shoot the nose off the Sphinx?
*Spoiler Alert* The answer to all those questions is no.
From the famous quote 'Let them eat cake' - mistakenly attributed to Marie Antoinette - to the apocryphal horns that adorned Viking helmets, fake history continues to shape the story we tell about who we are and how we got here. With doctored photographs, AI-generated images and false claims about the past circulating in the news and on social media, separating fact from fiction seems harder than ever before.
Jo Hedwig Teeuwisse, better known as The Fake History Hunter , is on a one-woman mission to hunt down fake history and reclaim the truth for the rest of us.
In this fascinating and illuminating book, Teeuwisse debunks 101 myths so you can correct your friends and family, and arm yourself with the tools to spot and debunk fake history wherever you encounter it.
Fake news about the past is fake history.
Did Hugo Boss design the Nazi uniforms?
Did medieval people think the world was flat?
Did Napoleon shoot the nose off the Sphinx?
*Spoiler Alert* The answer to all those questions is no.
From the famous quote 'Let them eat cake' - mistakenly attributed to Marie Antoinette - to the apocryphal horns that adorned Viking helmets, fake history continues to shape the story we tell about who we are and how we got here. With doctored photographs, AI-generated images and false claims about the past circulating in the news and on social media, separating fact from fiction seems harder than ever before.
Jo Hedwig Teeuwisse, better known as The Fake History Hunter , is on a one-woman mission to hunt down fake history and reclaim the truth for the rest of us.
In this fascinating and illuminating book, Teeuwisse debunks 101 myths so you can correct your friends and family, and arm yourself with the tools to spot and debunk fake history wherever you encounter it.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2023
292 people are currently reading
1509 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
July 7, 2024
I can't remain mad at an author who demolishes racist tropes behind a photograph posted on the internet of a ruined bridge in Ethiopia which the 'Portuguese built but locals couldn't repair so used poles to cross the river' and while showing that a particular photo is not of the first female black lawyer goes on to supply photographs and information on three other equally amazing black women. But unfortunately these two examples, and the vast majority of what this book contains is not false 'history' it is just the inaccurate rubbish the internet is full of. Even when it does touch on something 'historical' it is pretty lame stuff - Marie Antoinette did not say let them eat cake and the Germans did not invent the concentration camp - I've been reading biographies of Marie Antoinette and histories of the French revolution for over fifty years and I can't think of one that didn't let you know the cake story was bogus. As for concentration camps I am sure most UK school children are well aware that it was the British who created concentration camps.
What is far more interesting is why the 'let them eat cake' story became so firmly entrenched. If Ms. Teeuwisse stopped thinking and writing about Marie Antoinette as a French queen rather than as a queen of France she might understand that it was Marie Antoinette not being French, but Austrian from France's traditional enemy the Habsburg, that was at its root.
By concentrating on old canards like these Ms. Teeuwisse ignores far more fascinating questions like when and where did the story of Napoleon writing to Josephine and telling her not to wash come from? it is totally spurious but has been firmly rooted in popular Napoleonic biographies since the 1960s.
Equally she tends to approach questions from a lamentably narrow minded perspective. When she laboriously demonstrates that medieval people did not have to be taught to wash by the Moors she fails to mention how the different approaches to the body by Muslims or converted Muslims in post conquest Spain was used as a way of defining people as heretics. The British TV show 'Eastenders' may not have had the first 'gay' kiss and Captain Kirk kissing Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek may not have been the first interracial kiss but the hysterical reaction to both is what is important.
Too much of this book is shadow boxing against easy if not irrelevant targets. Ms. Teeuwisse goes to great lengths to explain that the Pyramids were not built by slaves though the really interesting question is why did anyone think these immensely complicated and delicately calibrated masses of stone were built by gangs of slaves being whipped along by brutal overseers? Almost anyone who has gathered a large group of people in one place, treated them like shit, and then asked them to do complicated tasks always finds that they produce shit. Why would slaves do good work? what's in it for them? more whipping? Hitler tried to use slave labour to build his thousand year reich. It didn't work. It fell down.
This is an amusing book, but showing that a picture of someone in a German uniform using a cellphone is not from WWII but from a film set is not demolishing 'fake' history. It is shattering the illusions of pretty stupid people; it is good to shatter their stupid ignorance but for the rest us, even as a giggle, it gets old pretty quick.
What is far more interesting is why the 'let them eat cake' story became so firmly entrenched. If Ms. Teeuwisse stopped thinking and writing about Marie Antoinette as a French queen rather than as a queen of France she might understand that it was Marie Antoinette not being French, but Austrian from France's traditional enemy the Habsburg, that was at its root.
By concentrating on old canards like these Ms. Teeuwisse ignores far more fascinating questions like when and where did the story of Napoleon writing to Josephine and telling her not to wash come from? it is totally spurious but has been firmly rooted in popular Napoleonic biographies since the 1960s.
Equally she tends to approach questions from a lamentably narrow minded perspective. When she laboriously demonstrates that medieval people did not have to be taught to wash by the Moors she fails to mention how the different approaches to the body by Muslims or converted Muslims in post conquest Spain was used as a way of defining people as heretics. The British TV show 'Eastenders' may not have had the first 'gay' kiss and Captain Kirk kissing Lieutenant Uhura on Star Trek may not have been the first interracial kiss but the hysterical reaction to both is what is important.
Too much of this book is shadow boxing against easy if not irrelevant targets. Ms. Teeuwisse goes to great lengths to explain that the Pyramids were not built by slaves though the really interesting question is why did anyone think these immensely complicated and delicately calibrated masses of stone were built by gangs of slaves being whipped along by brutal overseers? Almost anyone who has gathered a large group of people in one place, treated them like shit, and then asked them to do complicated tasks always finds that they produce shit. Why would slaves do good work? what's in it for them? more whipping? Hitler tried to use slave labour to build his thousand year reich. It didn't work. It fell down.
This is an amusing book, but showing that a picture of someone in a German uniform using a cellphone is not from WWII but from a film set is not demolishing 'fake' history. It is shattering the illusions of pretty stupid people; it is good to shatter their stupid ignorance but for the rest us, even as a giggle, it gets old pretty quick.
September 28, 2024
Ughh
Wish I hadn’t picked it up. The premise of the book was great, no doubt, but the delivery… not so good.
My main problem was the writer and her observations/comments on every single page. I think her personality shines through the pages and, well, we wouldn’t be friends in real life. Her character comes down as condescending and somewhat snobbish. But maybe it’s just my take.
The chapters were quite different. I would say, I enjoyed 20% of them. Most of them were just boring and the other 20% were just weird? Like the german soldier with the phone, Ai building.
Also, in nearly every chapter, Covid-19 was mentioned, also very irritating.
The author also mentions over and over, that she sees a lot of people sharing fake history pictures and stuff. Lady, I don't know who your friends are on Facebook, but they might be just bots.
The whole book feels like a quick cashgrab, and I guess the author enjoyed her investigations more than the readers of her book. I'm waiting for her next book “101 fake pictures” where she will explain 101 AI-generated pictures in depth.
Wish I hadn’t picked it up. The premise of the book was great, no doubt, but the delivery… not so good.
My main problem was the writer and her observations/comments on every single page. I think her personality shines through the pages and, well, we wouldn’t be friends in real life. Her character comes down as condescending and somewhat snobbish. But maybe it’s just my take.
The chapters were quite different. I would say, I enjoyed 20% of them. Most of them were just boring and the other 20% were just weird? Like the german soldier with the phone, Ai building.
Also, in nearly every chapter, Covid-19 was mentioned, also very irritating.
The author also mentions over and over, that she sees a lot of people sharing fake history pictures and stuff. Lady, I don't know who your friends are on Facebook, but they might be just bots.
The whole book feels like a quick cashgrab, and I guess the author enjoyed her investigations more than the readers of her book. I'm waiting for her next book “101 fake pictures” where she will explain 101 AI-generated pictures in depth.
January 5, 2024
"History matters. It is a manual that helps us understand the past, figure out the present and sometimes even realise what is ahead of us. ... We can't stop historians, mercenary Twitter accounts and other powerful people using and abusing history, but we can at least do something about them spreading fake history--all it takes is research and knowledge."
Historical myths are everywhere. They are spread on social media, via word of mouth, and yes, you'll even find them in history books, reputable and otherwise. I've been following and engaging with Teeuwisse's "Fake History Hunter" account almost since I started tweeting and in the process, I've learned about myths I once thought were true, and even gotten into historical debunking myself. So of course, when a book was announced, I had to put it on my Christmas list and make it my first read of the new year in 2024.
Fake History: 101 Things That Never Happened is both a methodical debunking of 101 historical myths (ranging from well-known myths such as 'Marie Antoinette said let them eat cake!' to more modern myths, such as a photograph mislabeled as Queen Elizabeth bowing to Haile Selassie) and an exploration of how and why these particular myths are often spread.
Sometimes they are spread to support certain political or ideological agendas. Sometimes the actual history is unknown and new details are invented when images get shared on social media. Sometimes--fairly often--the fault lies with the Victorians, who inflated events and habits of the past in order to boast that the Victorian present was surely "better."
Each myth is presented with the myth that you may have heard and a debunking of that myth. These debunkings are sometimes fascinating simply for a look into the historical rabbit hole that we can fall down when researching something, on top of being interesting for the historical information that these debunkings present.
Some of the debunkings are shorter than others, but not every myth requires a thorough takedown. If you enjoy Teeuwisse's "Fake History Hunter" Twitter account, then you will doubly enjoy the book, since Teeuwisse is not constrained by a tweet character limit, and you get a lot more detail.
Not only do you get more information than you would in a tweet, but Teeuwisse's sense of humor shines through in longform, making it an engaging read. Sometimes it feels a bit like sitting at a cafe table listening to a historian enthusiastically break down historical myths--and what could be more fun than that? ... Don't answer this question if you have an actual different answer!
Of particular interest is the afterword, in which Teeuwisse discusses some of the methods for uncovering and debunking fake history in the first place. These types of methodologies are essential for everyone, whether you're interested in history or not, because they give you the tools to question what you read (online or in a book!) and find out more information yourself. If the people who spread these historical myths took the advice in the afterword, there would be a lot less fake history online, that's for sure.
I recommend this book if you are looking for an engaging debunking of historical myths by someone enthusiastic about the correction of fake history. The afterword provides valuable information for spotting and debunking fake historical information, and there are citations in the sources to take you further if you'd like to dig more into the myths and debunkings being presented.
Historical myths are everywhere. They are spread on social media, via word of mouth, and yes, you'll even find them in history books, reputable and otherwise. I've been following and engaging with Teeuwisse's "Fake History Hunter" account almost since I started tweeting and in the process, I've learned about myths I once thought were true, and even gotten into historical debunking myself. So of course, when a book was announced, I had to put it on my Christmas list and make it my first read of the new year in 2024.
Fake History: 101 Things That Never Happened is both a methodical debunking of 101 historical myths (ranging from well-known myths such as 'Marie Antoinette said let them eat cake!' to more modern myths, such as a photograph mislabeled as Queen Elizabeth bowing to Haile Selassie) and an exploration of how and why these particular myths are often spread.
Sometimes they are spread to support certain political or ideological agendas. Sometimes the actual history is unknown and new details are invented when images get shared on social media. Sometimes--fairly often--the fault lies with the Victorians, who inflated events and habits of the past in order to boast that the Victorian present was surely "better."
Each myth is presented with the myth that you may have heard and a debunking of that myth. These debunkings are sometimes fascinating simply for a look into the historical rabbit hole that we can fall down when researching something, on top of being interesting for the historical information that these debunkings present.
Some of the debunkings are shorter than others, but not every myth requires a thorough takedown. If you enjoy Teeuwisse's "Fake History Hunter" Twitter account, then you will doubly enjoy the book, since Teeuwisse is not constrained by a tweet character limit, and you get a lot more detail.
Not only do you get more information than you would in a tweet, but Teeuwisse's sense of humor shines through in longform, making it an engaging read. Sometimes it feels a bit like sitting at a cafe table listening to a historian enthusiastically break down historical myths--and what could be more fun than that? ... Don't answer this question if you have an actual different answer!
Of particular interest is the afterword, in which Teeuwisse discusses some of the methods for uncovering and debunking fake history in the first place. These types of methodologies are essential for everyone, whether you're interested in history or not, because they give you the tools to question what you read (online or in a book!) and find out more information yourself. If the people who spread these historical myths took the advice in the afterword, there would be a lot less fake history online, that's for sure.
I recommend this book if you are looking for an engaging debunking of historical myths by someone enthusiastic about the correction of fake history. The afterword provides valuable information for spotting and debunking fake historical information, and there are citations in the sources to take you further if you'd like to dig more into the myths and debunkings being presented.
February 15, 2026
It’s a good book… if it wasn’t for its author.
Don’t get me wrong, I love history, and there were some of the „Fake histories” that were genuinely fascinating to read about and debunk.
But I wish I could have done that without having to read the author brag about her Twitter following, make condescending comments about… everyone, really, and again mention how this famous person blocked her and how she just has to correct these silly peasants being wrong on Twitter.
Did that explanation make you roll your eyes? It sure did mine.
Add to that the fact sold 40% of the „Fake Histories” are just nitpicks of the „well okay this thing happened but in another decade” or „yes this story is true but that’s the wrong picture” variety, and you have a book that you’re glad to have finished reading… just because it means you don’t need to listen to the author’s voice anymore. Solid least favourite book I read this year.
Don’t get me wrong, I love history, and there were some of the „Fake histories” that were genuinely fascinating to read about and debunk.
But I wish I could have done that without having to read the author brag about her Twitter following, make condescending comments about… everyone, really, and again mention how this famous person blocked her and how she just has to correct these silly peasants being wrong on Twitter.
Did that explanation make you roll your eyes? It sure did mine.
Add to that the fact sold 40% of the „Fake Histories” are just nitpicks of the „well okay this thing happened but in another decade” or „yes this story is true but that’s the wrong picture” variety, and you have a book that you’re glad to have finished reading… just because it means you don’t need to listen to the author’s voice anymore. Solid least favourite book I read this year.
June 22, 2024
Kurzweilig und gut aufbereitet. Aber ich denke, dass es noch mehr Spaß macht solche Fakes zu recherchieren als darüber zu lesen. 😃
January 30, 2025
This book reads like a series of blog entries. I was under the impression this would be like a brief version of the "Lies" books by James Loewen. But the "you may have heard this" followed by the debunking makes for pretty bland reading when most of the stuff I "may have heard" is stuff I have never heard or would not believe in the first place.
Again, nothing wrong with that but this is more of a coffee table book.
Again, nothing wrong with that but this is more of a coffee table book.
February 25, 2024
Op zich een prima boekje voor in de trein of in een pauze, en goed dat er aandacht is voor het ontkrachten van nepgeschiedenis. Ik vond alleen sommige nepfeitjes iets te triviaal en uit hun verband gerukt - goed dat Teeuwisse deze op Twitter (ik weiger X te zeggen) verbetert, maar ze voegen weinig aan het boek toe. Ook het taalgebruik was soms een beetje vreemd, en bevatte aparte anglicismen (dingen als 'stedelijke legende'), wat opvallend is, want Teeuwisse heeft haar eigen boek nota bene zelf vertaald.
('Victorianen' bashen blijft altijd leuk)
('Victorianen' bashen blijft altijd leuk)
January 23, 2025
2,5 ⭐️
Ich weiß nicht, was ich mir erwartet hab, denn eigentlich war von Anfang an klar, dass ein Buch mit diesem Konzept genau das sein würde: besserwisserisch. Letztlich war es mir dann aber doch ein bisschen zu viel. Das lag wohl vor allem am für mich zu süffisanten, krampfhaft lustigen Stil der Autorin.
Außerdem waren leider die wenigsten der 101 Kapitel wirklich interessant. Bei vielen (Napoleon schoss der Sphinx die Nase ab, im Mittelalter war alles schmutzig, usw.) wusste man schon, dass sie nicht wahr waren. Viele andere kannte man dafür gar nicht: Zu oft war von einzelnen Fotos, die irgendwo im Internet aufgetaucht sind, die Rede - weit davon entfernt, von „allen für wahr“ gehalten zu werden, alleine deshalb weil wohl die meisten noch kein einziges dieser Bilder gesehen hatten. Ein wirkliches Aha-Erlebnis gab es beim Lesen leider selten.
In Zeiten von Fake News und alternativen Fakten aber durchaus ein wichtiges Buch. Dieser Aspekt hätte meiner Meinung nach noch genauer herausgearbeitet werden können. Es wurde verpasst einen breiteren Diskurs anzustoßen. So hätten auch die in falschem Kontext geteilten Bilder mehr Relevanz bekommen.
Ich weiß nicht, was ich mir erwartet hab, denn eigentlich war von Anfang an klar, dass ein Buch mit diesem Konzept genau das sein würde: besserwisserisch. Letztlich war es mir dann aber doch ein bisschen zu viel. Das lag wohl vor allem am für mich zu süffisanten, krampfhaft lustigen Stil der Autorin.
Außerdem waren leider die wenigsten der 101 Kapitel wirklich interessant. Bei vielen (Napoleon schoss der Sphinx die Nase ab, im Mittelalter war alles schmutzig, usw.) wusste man schon, dass sie nicht wahr waren. Viele andere kannte man dafür gar nicht: Zu oft war von einzelnen Fotos, die irgendwo im Internet aufgetaucht sind, die Rede - weit davon entfernt, von „allen für wahr“ gehalten zu werden, alleine deshalb weil wohl die meisten noch kein einziges dieser Bilder gesehen hatten. Ein wirkliches Aha-Erlebnis gab es beim Lesen leider selten.
In Zeiten von Fake News und alternativen Fakten aber durchaus ein wichtiges Buch. Dieser Aspekt hätte meiner Meinung nach noch genauer herausgearbeitet werden können. Es wurde verpasst einen breiteren Diskurs anzustoßen. So hätten auch die in falschem Kontext geteilten Bilder mehr Relevanz bekommen.
November 3, 2023
This gal must be a nightmare to have a drink or conversation with. Why not happily accept fun stuff that people tell you without checking it out? Well her motivation isn't spoiling people's evenings, it's the fact that certain types are seeking likes, retweets, financial rewards on social media - modern day gold - without giving a toss for the truth. Here she gently, firmly and expertly explains how many accepted historical facts are simply wrong. Her research and investigation skills are impressive, and she even writes an ending with tips to help others do likewise. All this she does without mockery, but gives credit where it is due as appropriate, and with a sense of humour.
November 27, 2023
Lots of interesting titbits, and an excellent Christmas/birthday present for the history nerd in your life.
My biggest takeaway is that people are willing to believe anything that paints the Middle Ages as a backward and grim era. Many of these "facts" are just plain wrong (no, Medieval people weren't filthy people who eschewed bathing and threw the contents of the chamberpots into the street) or more correctly belong to a different time (witch trials were rare throughout the Middle Ages and only really took off during the Renaissance).
My biggest takeaway is that people are willing to believe anything that paints the Middle Ages as a backward and grim era. Many of these "facts" are just plain wrong (no, Medieval people weren't filthy people who eschewed bathing and threw the contents of the chamberpots into the street) or more correctly belong to a different time (witch trials were rare throughout the Middle Ages and only really took off during the Renaissance).
January 14, 2026
I loved this book and would read about another 101 things that never happened because this was so interesting. Some of the things I knew, but didn’t know as in depth as the author describes and some of it was completely new to me and entirely fascinating.
The book ends with a big old F you to AI so it deserves a bonus star for that.
Honestly I’d recommend this to anyone who likes to learn new things or even those who don’t, I believe would find themselves flicking though the pages fairly quickly.
The book ends with a big old F you to AI so it deserves a bonus star for that.
Honestly I’d recommend this to anyone who likes to learn new things or even those who don’t, I believe would find themselves flicking though the pages fairly quickly.
August 1, 2025
The author tackles various historical myths that have been passed down the generations as truth. And continue to be with the glorious spreader of information; the internet. Each chapter starts with what we've been led to believe and then goes into the debunking. It's precise, factual and downright entertaining. A great read for anybody interested in history.
February 1, 2024
Ein unglaublich wichtiges, informatives, lesenswertes und empfehlenswertes Buch. Die Autorin widerlegt hierin darin viele falsche historische "Fakten" auf eine teilweise sehr humorvolle Art und Weise und ich kann das Buch wirklich jedem ans Herz legen. 🫶🏻
April 21, 2024
Dieses Buch zeigt, dass man selbst als historisch interessierte Person auf einige moderne Märchen hineinfallen kann.
Insgesamt spannend und kurzweilig. Ideal für Personen, die nur in kleinen Etappen lesen.
Insgesamt spannend und kurzweilig. Ideal für Personen, die nur in kleinen Etappen lesen.
July 3, 2024
Breekt nu mijn klomp! Blijkt dat 3/4 van de grappige feitjes die ik aan mijn leerlingen vertel gewoon lariekoek, quatsch, of sotternie is.
I stand corrected en mijn cursus dus vanaf eind augustus ook.
I stand corrected en mijn cursus dus vanaf eind augustus ook.
September 20, 2025
If this author can be THIS annoying through written words, she must be INSUFFERABLE in person. Great premise, horrendous execution. Received as a gift but can’t bring myself past 25% of the material.
November 20, 2024
Interesting but too 'fluffy' and too much effort to be entertaining and funny-it got laborious and induced me to speed-read a bit. More facts and details, less irreverence.
December 23, 2024
Jo's dedication to correcting people on the internet is admirable.
Currently reading
July 15, 2025Gegen Fakes aus der Geschichte stählen. Wichtig, denke ich, bei so viel Erfundenem im Internet.
Read
January 10, 2026DNF I was going cuckoo
November 27, 2023
Interessante verhalen met een vleugje humor.
April 18, 2025
Some interesting facts, but also some that are unnecessary.
August 20, 2025
Fantastic and funny summer reading, enjoyed it a lot.
August 5, 2025
Pretty fun read. Half of the myths I've never heard of, though. They're more internet hoaxes than anything else. Still, if you love debunking, history and internet culture, it's great as a bedtime read, or on your coffee table.
June 8, 2024
Dit boek (dat minder een boek is en meer een verzameling uitgebreide blogposts) past het beste in de categorie 'scheurkalender met iedere dag een leuk weetje'. In dit geval zijn de weetjes historische mythes die door de auteur worden weerlegd.
Van de 101-dingen-die-nooit-zijn-gebeurd was misschien een kwart mij al bekend als zodanig (Napoleon was een klein mannetje, middeleeuwse martelwerktuigen, 'let them eat cake'), een kwart verbaasde me oprecht of legde de vinger op iets wat ik al veel eerder verdacht had moeten vinden (bijzonder openbarend waren de gemisattribueerde quotes), maar van de overgrote meerderheid had ik überhaupt nooit gehoord. Dit is niet erg, maar mythes uit de eerste twee categorieën zijn een stuk leuker om te lezen.
Hoewel het werk dat de auteur doet denk ik goed is (en, als het taalgebruik je aanstaat, af en toe ook best grappig kan zijn), slaat ze toch soms de plank mis, of tipt slechts aan onderwerpen die eigenlijk interessanter zijn dan het weerleggen van een fabeltje. Wanneer ze uitlegt wat de rationele is van mensen om bepaalde mythes te geloven en maken, of juist waarom ze zo hardnekkig zijn, is ze op haar best. Het deed me denken aan de kwestie van historische accuraatheid in films: het is niet het nauwgezet volgen van ieder minutieus detail en het erop wijzen van kleine fouten die het interessant maken, maar het bredere begrip waarom iets op een bepaalde manier is weergegeven. Zoals waarom 'braveheart' nationalistische propaganda is en '300' meer zegt over post-9/11 Amerika dan over Griekenland en de Perzische Oorlogen. Helaas doet ze dit te weinig, en vaak te summier. Verder schrijft ze soms tegen luchtkasteel-vijanden, of wordt je als lezer wel erg informeel belerend aangesproken.
Al met al best een grappig boekje voor op het toilet, de wachtkamer of voor het slapen gaan.
Van de 101-dingen-die-nooit-zijn-gebeurd was misschien een kwart mij al bekend als zodanig (Napoleon was een klein mannetje, middeleeuwse martelwerktuigen, 'let them eat cake'), een kwart verbaasde me oprecht of legde de vinger op iets wat ik al veel eerder verdacht had moeten vinden (bijzonder openbarend waren de gemisattribueerde quotes), maar van de overgrote meerderheid had ik überhaupt nooit gehoord. Dit is niet erg, maar mythes uit de eerste twee categorieën zijn een stuk leuker om te lezen.
Hoewel het werk dat de auteur doet denk ik goed is (en, als het taalgebruik je aanstaat, af en toe ook best grappig kan zijn), slaat ze toch soms de plank mis, of tipt slechts aan onderwerpen die eigenlijk interessanter zijn dan het weerleggen van een fabeltje. Wanneer ze uitlegt wat de rationele is van mensen om bepaalde mythes te geloven en maken, of juist waarom ze zo hardnekkig zijn, is ze op haar best. Het deed me denken aan de kwestie van historische accuraatheid in films: het is niet het nauwgezet volgen van ieder minutieus detail en het erop wijzen van kleine fouten die het interessant maken, maar het bredere begrip waarom iets op een bepaalde manier is weergegeven. Zoals waarom 'braveheart' nationalistische propaganda is en '300' meer zegt over post-9/11 Amerika dan over Griekenland en de Perzische Oorlogen. Helaas doet ze dit te weinig, en vaak te summier. Verder schrijft ze soms tegen luchtkasteel-vijanden, of wordt je als lezer wel erg informeel belerend aangesproken.
Al met al best een grappig boekje voor op het toilet, de wachtkamer of voor het slapen gaan.
April 7, 2024
I got Fake History by Jo Teeuwisse as a Christmas present from a family member. I’m a facts man. I like fun facts, interesting details, history based anecdotes, etc. This book is fun. But also a bit flat. Teeuwisse comes from the Netherlands and she really writes in a ‘Holland’ way. Very personal language work, very first perspective. She writes probably in the same way as how she is doing research- from a personal perspective. You can almost feel her sifting through archives and scrolling down browsers. Normally I like this personal touch, but here it’s a bit weird. It becomes very one dimensional. Especially because Teeuwisse is debunking fake facts she has found on Twitter, Facebook and other social media. The whole social media vibe is present in the book. And I don’t really like it. I finished the book. And from the 101 fake facts, I was surprised by a few of them. But overall, my feeling about this book is rather low.
July 27, 2024
In freudiger Erwartung vieler geschichtlicher Fun-Facts habe ich mich sehr auf dieses Buch gefreut. Leider sind viele der Punkte eher in die Kategorie "mildly interesting" einzuordnen. Von den meisten Fake-Facrs habe ich zudem vor dem Buch noch nie gehört, was zusätzlich dazu beigetragen hat, dass meine Erwartungen nicht erfüllt wurden.
March 4, 2024
90% boring with some interesting ones. The stuff some people on the internet believe is in my opinion not worth the effort of debunking. As the saying goes: one fool can ask more questions than ten wise men can answer ...
June 6, 2024
centrist, smug and patronising, with more than half the stories being rather trivial. It can be fun at times, but the author talks far too much about herself
April 23, 2025
Im Mittelalter war es miefig, dunkel, voller Fackeln und statt Wasser trank man Bier? Klar, weiß man doch! Napoleon schoß der Sphinx die Nase ab und Paris Hilton erfand das Selfie? Klar, weiß man doch! Hitler erfand die Autobahn und Marie Antoinette verlangte Kuchen? Also das weiß ja nun wirklich jedes Kind. Tja, oder doch nicht?
Jo ist im Internet als Fake History Hunter bekannt und verbringt ihre Tage damit, auf Twitter Leute zu korrigieren. Irgendwie anstrengend, aber irgendwie auch witzig. Die am meisten verbreiteten und somit bekanntesten Fake History News hat sie hier in einem ersten Band versammelt (obwohl das Nachwort offensichtlich viel Platz für weitere Bände lässt). Hier ein paar aufregende Beispiele aus dem Inhaltsverzeichnis (plus die bereits erwähnten) - hättet ihr die Wahrheit gekannt?
2 Hugo Boss hat die Naziuniformen entworfen
5 Raumschiff Enterprise zeigte 1968 im Fernsehen den ersten Kuss von Menschen unterschiedlicher Hautfarbe
7 Die Wikinger hatten Hörner auf ihren Helmen
8 Im Mittelalter aßen die Leute Kartoffeln
10 Der Weihnachtsmann trägt wegen Coca-Cola Rot
11 Konzentrationslager sind eine deutsche Erfindung
20 Die Schnabelmaske der Pestärzte stammt aus dem Mittelalter
29 Eine Fürstin und eine Gräfin duellierten sich im 19 Jahrhundert oben ohne
31 Thomas Edison hat die Glühbirne erfunden
33 Napoleon war klein
34 Newton kam auf seine Gravitationstheorie, als ihm ein Apfel auf den Kopf fiel
35 Als Rom brannte, fiedelte Nero
36 Das römische Vomitorium war ein Raum, in dem man sich erbrach
37 Wendeltreppen in Burgen wurden im Uhrzeigersinn gebaut, um den Verteidigern beim Kämpfen einen Vorteil zu verschaffen
40 Lady Godiva ritt wegen einer Steuersache nackt durch die Stadt (es gibt eine Charmed-Folge darüber, es muss wahr sein!)
41 Im viktorianischen England hatten sie spezielle Köfferchen für die Vampirjagd (menno, ich will auch eins!)
42 Einstein ist in Mathe durchgefallen (mein großes Vorbild...)
46 Tote Wikinger wurden auf See in einem brennenden Schiff »begraben«
51 Carl Benz hat das Auto erfunden
56 Im Mittelalter dachten die Leute, die Erde sei eine Scheibe
73 Marlene Dietrich wurde in den 1930er Jahren festgenommen, weil sie Hosen trug
79 Die Pyramiden wurden von Sklaven erbaut
87 In viktorianischer Zeit verhüllte man die Beine von Möbelstücken, weil sie zu aufreizend waren
88 Im Mittelalter brannten überall Fackeln
91 Daumen runter bedeutete in der römischen Antike den Tod des Gladiators
95 Die eiserne Jungfrau und die Mundbirne waren brutale mittelalterliche Folterinstrumente
Sarkastisch, ein wenig bissig und immer höchst informativ korrigiert sie hier unser Allgemeinwissen - mit FAKTEN! Sowas. Falls ihr also dringend neue Fun Facts als Eisbrecher für die nächste Party braucht, seid ihr hier bestens aufgehoben.
"Fake History hat viel mit Fake News gemeinsam, nur dass die News hier ziemlich alt sind."
~ 23.04.2025
Jo ist im Internet als Fake History Hunter bekannt und verbringt ihre Tage damit, auf Twitter Leute zu korrigieren. Irgendwie anstrengend, aber irgendwie auch witzig. Die am meisten verbreiteten und somit bekanntesten Fake History News hat sie hier in einem ersten Band versammelt (obwohl das Nachwort offensichtlich viel Platz für weitere Bände lässt). Hier ein paar aufregende Beispiele aus dem Inhaltsverzeichnis (plus die bereits erwähnten) - hättet ihr die Wahrheit gekannt?
2 Hugo Boss hat die Naziuniformen entworfen
5 Raumschiff Enterprise zeigte 1968 im Fernsehen den ersten Kuss von Menschen unterschiedlicher Hautfarbe
7 Die Wikinger hatten Hörner auf ihren Helmen
8 Im Mittelalter aßen die Leute Kartoffeln
10 Der Weihnachtsmann trägt wegen Coca-Cola Rot
11 Konzentrationslager sind eine deutsche Erfindung
20 Die Schnabelmaske der Pestärzte stammt aus dem Mittelalter
29 Eine Fürstin und eine Gräfin duellierten sich im 19 Jahrhundert oben ohne
31 Thomas Edison hat die Glühbirne erfunden
33 Napoleon war klein
34 Newton kam auf seine Gravitationstheorie, als ihm ein Apfel auf den Kopf fiel
35 Als Rom brannte, fiedelte Nero
36 Das römische Vomitorium war ein Raum, in dem man sich erbrach
37 Wendeltreppen in Burgen wurden im Uhrzeigersinn gebaut, um den Verteidigern beim Kämpfen einen Vorteil zu verschaffen
40 Lady Godiva ritt wegen einer Steuersache nackt durch die Stadt (es gibt eine Charmed-Folge darüber, es muss wahr sein!)
41 Im viktorianischen England hatten sie spezielle Köfferchen für die Vampirjagd (menno, ich will auch eins!)
42 Einstein ist in Mathe durchgefallen (mein großes Vorbild...)
46 Tote Wikinger wurden auf See in einem brennenden Schiff »begraben«
51 Carl Benz hat das Auto erfunden
56 Im Mittelalter dachten die Leute, die Erde sei eine Scheibe
73 Marlene Dietrich wurde in den 1930er Jahren festgenommen, weil sie Hosen trug
79 Die Pyramiden wurden von Sklaven erbaut
87 In viktorianischer Zeit verhüllte man die Beine von Möbelstücken, weil sie zu aufreizend waren
88 Im Mittelalter brannten überall Fackeln
91 Daumen runter bedeutete in der römischen Antike den Tod des Gladiators
95 Die eiserne Jungfrau und die Mundbirne waren brutale mittelalterliche Folterinstrumente
Sarkastisch, ein wenig bissig und immer höchst informativ korrigiert sie hier unser Allgemeinwissen - mit FAKTEN! Sowas. Falls ihr also dringend neue Fun Facts als Eisbrecher für die nächste Party braucht, seid ihr hier bestens aufgehoben.
"Fake History hat viel mit Fake News gemeinsam, nur dass die News hier ziemlich alt sind."
~ 23.04.2025
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