The Big Book of Hoaxes: True Tales of the Greatest Lies Ever Told! (Factoid Books) (Paperback)

~ Carl Sifakis (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: DC Comics (October 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563892529
• ISBN-13: 978-1563892523
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #431,473 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There's one born every minute..., May 30, 1999

By	Steven Rettig (Mansfield, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

...And this is the birth record of the ages! All the major frauds, fables and fallcies that suckered many, in an enjoyable readable form. From the piltdown man, to the War of the Worlds panic broadcast, to the cloning of a human being. It's all here, even the story of the man who actually sold the Brooklyn Bridge(yes, there was such a man...would I lie to you?)

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning art and great historical value, December 27, 2003

By	Takis Tz. (InYourHead) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

That's what the overall great series "Big book of.." offers. Comic art of the finest order and incredible historical value.
In this case, it's hoaxes or seeing it another way the ability of humans to be fooled in the most unlikely and bizzare ways, a process that more than often has led in a dramatic change in the course of history.

For those that are familiar with the "Big book.." series the comics offered here are nothing less than gems as some of the greatest comic makers colloborate to put this together.
But if you use these books as reference points (their bibliographies are treasures for such a use) you're bound to wind up with a very in-depth knowledge of history, one that's far-distanced from the mainstream-polished version you've been served up to now.
Some of the stories on display on this book might be somewhat known, most are not, but what's even more impressive is that some seem too outrageous to even be close to the truth. Sadly, for the record of human history all of them are 100% real.

Highlights include:
-the story of F.Kreisler who duper critics into thinking he was playing pieces of great composers but had instead composed them on his own. And this for decades! One of the great embarrasments for the world of critics and a lesson to be discovered.
-the infamous Hitler diaries, a definitive case showing that money and greed dictates the "news".
-The BBC riot panic and the very similar but far more sophisticated "War of the worlds" by O.Welles
-The Boxer rebellion in China, instigated by 4 journalists and a fake story they put up in Denver!
-Sawing Manhattan in half (!!!!)and how 1000s of workers were actually convinced that this "project" was to take place, showed up on the day it was supposed to start only to find none of the "organisers" there...
-Brian Hughes the king of pranksters as well as another prankster who actually managed to sell New York..
-the much unknown to many tulip hysteria in Holland.

These are of course just a few of the tens of stories included in this truly great book. As most of the "Big book of..." are slowly taken out of print you should make sure you can get what's still available. It looks like you should hurry especially if you are a dedicated comic fan and if you simoultaneously appreciate comics that reflect the facts.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Too Good To Be True?, June 7, 2000

By	Jeffrey Plotkin (San Francisco, California USA) - See all my reviews

This is the seventh volume in Paradox Press's "Big Books" series, and it's another winner! It's a book of lies, but all-true stories about them. From the Piltdown Man to Orson Welles' War of the Worlds, it's all unbelievably good.