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Hoax

Truth and Lies in the Age of Enlightenment

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Hoax

By: Madeleine Pelling
Narrated by: Madeleine Pelling
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Summary

 'Scintillating ... a thrill ride through the filthy streets and dank rooms of Georgian England where the lies and deceptions that fooled a nation were born' Hallie Rubenhold, author of The Five

Here lies Fanny Lynes, whose whispers from beyond the grave set London alight with scandal.
Here swings Mary Bateman, who lived a life of lies - and died a prophetess and murderer.
Here stands Mary Willcocks. Or is it Anne Burgess? Or Princess Caraboo, from the distant island of Javasu?

A ghost. A witch. A princess. This is a story of those who lie. And of those who choose to believe them.
The discoveries of the Enlightenment unsettled as much as they excited. New truths challenged longstanding beliefs. Rationalism jarred with superstition. Which voices would be heard in this ferocious battle for certainty?

From the chaos, three women and their hoaxes rose as symbols of terror and fascination. But were the lies surrounding Fanny Lynes, Mary Bateman and Mary Willcocks entirely of their own making? Why were the public transfixed?

Questioning culpability and complicity, Pelling's engrossing history of this great age of the hoax reveals a veiled world of moral panic, tall tales and true crime, and holds a mirror to our own turbulent relationship with truth.©2026 Madeleine Pelling (P)2024 Macmillan Audio Europe Great Britain England Royalty
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This book is absolutely wonderful, the topic is so fascinating and interesting, the stories mesmerising and intriguing. The style is incredibly narrative and almost like you're listening to a story, I was transported to London's dark streets with the writing and pulled along with the story. Read brilliantly. I absolutely devoured this

Absolutely Brilliant and Enthralling

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Fun and fascinating book. Brilliant audio too. After dark podcast bought me here, I am glad it did! Great book! Thanks Maddy!

Fun and fascinating book!

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I thought long and hard about how to rate this book, and eventually settled on four stars, simply because any regular listener of the History Hit channel (specifically Betwixt the Sheets and After Dark) will have entered the stories with prior knowledge which (to me, at least) rather spoiled the telling. This was particularly the case with the Princess Caraboo saga - I'd not heard of it before, but after listening to Maddy's interview with Kate Lister, there were no real surprises in what | heard in the book itself. When I saw that After Dark had dedicated two complete episodes to readings/discussions of chapters, I avoided them because I had already spent a credit on the book. Of course I understand the need to advertise, particularly because I suppose slightly obscure historical non-fiction requires this, but I think they made a mistake here.

All that said, I am a fan of Maddy's work - she reads clearly and carefully, and I pushed through to the end of the book. I especially enjoyed the final chapter and the commentary on hoaxes in the current world. Recommended, but if you want the joy of hearing something brand new, or - if you know the stories already - a fresh telling, avoid the History Hit episodes.

Four stars for over-advertising

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