Overview

"Did a collector with a knack for making sensational discoveries find the first document ever printed in America? Did Adolf Hitler pen a revealing multivolume set of diaries? Has Jesus of Nazareth's burial cloth survived the ages? Can the shocking true account of Abraham Lincoln's assassination be found in lost pages from his murderer's diary? Edward Steers Jr. investigates six of the most amazing frauds ever to gain wide acceptance in this engrossing book. Hoax examines the legitimacy of the Shroud of Turin, perhaps the most hotly debated relic in all of Christianity, and the discovery of fossils confirming humanity's ""missing link,"" the Piltdown Man. Steers also discusses two remarkable forgeries, the Hitler diaries and the ""Oath of a Freeman,"" and famous conspiracy theories, including allegations that Franklin D. Roosevelt had prior knowledge of the attack on Pearl Harbor and that the details of Lincoln's assassination are recorded in missing pages from John Wilkes Booth's journal. The controversies that Steers presents show that there are two major factors involved in the success of hoaxes and forgeries -- greed and the desire to believe. Although all of the counterfeits and conspiracies featured in this book have been scientifically debunked, some are still widely perceived as truth. As Steers demonstrates, the endurance of these frauds highlights a disturbing fact: If true history fails to entertain the public, it is more likely to be ignored or forgotten. AUTHOR: Edward Steers Jr., a recognized authority on the Lincoln assassination, is the author of several books, including Getting Right with Lincoln: Correcting Misconceptions about Our Greatest President, Blood on the Moon: The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln and Lincoln Legends: Myths, Hoaxes, and Confabulations Associated with Our Greatest President. He lives in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. 62 b/w photographs"

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9780813181264

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With his penetrating research skills, Dr. Edward Steers Jr., a seeker of truth, demolishes the most well-known hoaxes, illuminating their complex yet simple nature. A remarkable achievement, this book brings clarity to our world of misinformation that animates American culture. More than a reference, this work serves as a guide, a warning of sorts, revealing how simple it can be to fool the world. -- Joseph Garerra, Executive Director, Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum The study of archaeological hoaxes and historical frauds is a long and intriguing one, with many books, articles and academic papers having been written over the years, but Edward Steers Jr.'s masterful study of six of the best (and most famous) covers new ground in its breadth and scope. Steers takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the mind and modus operandi of the forger, detailing the many twists and turns of each fabrication, considering why they were considered necessary and what each was attempting to achieve. It is an enthralling exploration of the darker side of academic life and of the psychology of the forger. Truth is indeed stranger than fiction. -- Miles Russell Steers uses his knowledge of both history and science to explore such topics as whether President Franklin Roosevelt knew the Pearl Harbor attack was coming and the background of the fraudulent Histler diaries of 30 years ago. -- West Virginia Messenger Steers previously wrote the entertaining and enlightening ' Blood on the Moon, and he brings the same lively yet thoroughly researched syle to this winning volume. -- Courier-Journal By demonstrating the wide variety of historical hoaxes, from forgeries of documents to prehistoric remains, Hoax reinforces that they are a widespread problem for historians as they attempt to separate fact from fiction. -- Thomas Turner, editor of the Lincoln Herald A valuable read for anyone dealing with the problem of fabricated evidence. -- New York Military Affairs Symposium Review

With his penetrating research skills, Dr. Edward Steers Jr., a seeker of truth, demolishes the most well-known hoaxes, illuminating their complex yet simple nature. A remarkable achievement, this book brings clarity to our world of misinformation that animates American culture. More than a reference, this work serves as a guide, a warning of sorts, revealing how simple it can be to fool the world. -- Joseph Garerra, Executive Director, Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum The study of archaeological hoaxes and historical frauds is a long and intriguing one, with many books, articles and academic papers having been written over the years, but Edward Steers Jr.'s masterful study of six of the best (and most famous) covers new ground in its breadth and scope. Steers takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the mind and modus operandi of the forger, detailing the many twists and turns of each fabrication, considering why they were considered necessary and what each was attempting to achieve. It is an enthralling exploration of the darker side of academic life and of the psychology of the forger. Truth is indeed stranger than fiction. -- Miles Russell Steers previously wrote the entertaining and enlightening ' Blood on the Moon, and he brings the same lively yet thoroughly researched syle to this winning volume. -- Courier-Journal By demonstrating the wide variety of historical hoaxes, from forgeries of documents to prehistoric remains, Hoax reinforces that they are a widespread problem for historians as they attempt to separate fact from fiction. -- Thomas Turner, editor of the Lincoln Herald A valuable read for anyone dealing with the problem of fabricated evidence. -- New York Military Affairs Symposium Review Steers uses his knowledge of both history and science to explore such topics as whether President Franklin Roosevelt knew the Pearl Harbor attack was coming and the background of the fraudulent Hitler diaries of 30 years ago. -- West Virginia Messenger

Author Information

Edward Steers Jr. is the author of numerous books including Blood on the Moon: The Assassination of President Lincoln, Lincoln Legends: Myths, Hoaxes, and Confabulations Associated with Our Greatest President, and The Lincoln Assassination Encyclopedia. He lives in Berkeley Springs, West Virginia. Joe Nickell, Senior Research Fellow of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI), is the author of more than twenty investigative books, including Secrets of the Sideshows and Real-Life X-Files: Investigating the Paranormal.

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