A History of Ambition in 50 Hoaxes

Gr 6 Up—Successful hoaxers follow two rules: tell the audience something they want to believe, and let the audience feel clever. This is a fascinating compilation of 50 famous and influential hoaxes in European and U.S. history. Entries include well-known stories such as the Trojan horse, the original Ponzi scheme, the Loch Ness Monster, and more, as well as lesser-known bits, like Benjamin Franklin's penchant for writing zany newspaper editorials under pseudonyms. Each subject is covered in about four pages, with numerous photographs and illustrations throughout. The main text explores the motivations of the perpetrators, the effect on the unknowing participants, and the overall influence of the scheme in culture and history. This would make a good read-aloud in a history class to introduce specific people and events from various time periods in a captivating way.