History's Greatest Deceptions: and the People Who Planned Them by Eric Chaline

Used Softcover in very good condition.

Easy-reading, entertaining history with fifty occasions of grand deception outlined and illuminated.

According to the Bible, human history began with the first big lie (the Serpent's deception of Eve), closely followed by the second (Eve's deception of Adam). And, as you peruse the fifty entries listed in History's Greatest Deceptions, you will realise that humans have been trying to put one over on the other guy ever since. No matter what period or country, religion or ideology you examine, humans have lied, faked, forged, hoaxed, deceived, defrauded, and scammed their brothers and sisters in search of a quick buck, fame, glory, power, amusement or just to see if they could get away with it.

Organised chronologically from the very first deceit in Eden, History's Greatest Deceptions trawls the highways and byways of history to bring you the most inventive and diverting ways humans have swindled, cheated and scammed one another. The most obvious deceptions are financial: the Ponzi schemes, starting with the original Charles Ponzi and finishing - much more recently - with Bernard Madoff. But even though money is at the root of many deceptions, it is by no means the only motivation. Scientists have tampered with evidence in the vain home of proving their pet theories; failed artists have forged the works of past masters to garner some of their kudos; imposters have sought to hide their own drab, uninteresting origins under the mantle of borrowed names; and hoaxers have more than strained the envelope of truth to amuse themselves at the expense of others.