Fake Heroes: Ten False Icons and How they Altered the Course of History

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Description

From the author of Fake History, Otto English, comes a shocking yet hilarious look at ten of the greatest liars from our past, examining these previously unquestioned idols and exposing what they were trying to hide.

'A brilliant book.' James O'Brien

Was Che Guevara really a revolutionary hero

Should Mother Teresa be honoured as a saint

Is Henry V actually England's greatest king

And why does JFK's legend continue to grow

Having exposed some of the greatest lies ever told in Fake History, journalist Otto English turns his attention to some of history's biggest (and most beloved) figures.

Whether it's virtuous leaders in just wars, martyrs sacrificing all for a cause, or innovators changing the world for the better, down the centuries supposedly great men and women have risen to become household names, saints and heroes. But just how deserving are they of their reputations

Exploring everything from Captain Scott's reckless hunt for glory and Andy Warhol's flagrant thievery to Coco Chanel's murky Nazi past, Otto English dives into the hidden lives of some of history's most recognisable names. Scrutinising figures from the worlds of art, politics, business, religion and royalty, he brings to light the murkier truths they would rather have kept buried away, at the same time as celebrating the unsung heroes lost to time.

Fake Heroes exposes the truth of the past and helps us understand why that matters today.

Reviews

'A fascinating mixture of subjects and lots of offbeat information ... Eye-opening' -- Andrew Lownie
'A brilliant book' -- James O'Brien
'The most controversial book of the year' * Daily Express *
'A fascinating and humorous look at some of the seminal characters of our recent histories ... An uproarious narrative' -- Iain MacGregor, Aspects of History

Author Bio

Author of bestseller Fake History, Otto English is the pen name of journalist Andrew Scott. From 2010, Scott began writing and tweeting about politics and history, gaining attention for his itinerant blog, he moved into journalism and has since written for Politico, the Independent, New Statesman, Daily Mail and many other publiations. He has always been fascinated by the writing of history and the creation of political narratives, and has spoken about them on BBC News, BBC Radio 4 and LBC He lives in south-east London with his wife and two children.