Voodoo Histories : : the Role of the Conspiracy Theory in Shaping Modern History

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Originally published: London : Jonathan Cape, 2009.
Introduction: blame Kevin -- "The uncanny note of prophecy" -- Dark miracles -- Conspiracies to the Left -- Dead deities -- A very British plot -- Holy blood, holy grail, holy shit -- A few clicks of a mouse -- Mr. Pooter forms a theory -- "I want my country back!" -- Conclusion: bedtime story.
Our age is obsessed by the idea of conspiracy. We see it everywhere--from Pearl Harbor to 9/11, from the assassination of Kennedy to the death of Diana. In this age of terrorism, the idea of conspiracy can fuel radical or fringe elements to violence. Journalist David Aaronovitch sees a pattern among these inflammatory theories. They use similarly murky methods to insinuate their claims: they link themselves to the supposed conspiracies of the past; they carefully manipulate their evidence, to hide its holes; they rely on the authority of dubious academic sources. Most important, they elevate their believers to an elite--a group of people able to see beyond lies to a higher reality. In this entertaining and enlightening book, Aaronovitch carefully probes and explodes a dozen of the major conspiracy theories. He examines why people believe them, and makes an argument for a true skepticism: one based on a thorough knowledge of history and a strong dose of common sense.--From publisher description.

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Worth A Look submitted by jaegerla on September 9, 2010, 2:36pm A well done explanation of why some events have spurned so many conspiracy theories and how unlikely those theories are. It included a lot of history you don't hear too often (the struggle for power within U.S.S.R. ranks) as well as widely questioned events (the death of Marilyn Monroe).

I still think the filming of the moon landing was faked. Why did the flag wave if there wasn't any wind!? ;)