The History Hit presenter's spellbinding history unpicks the stories of three incredible eighteenth-century hoaxes
'An entertaining read that vividly brings to life its motley cast of rogues, frauds and unfortunates' The Times
'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.
"Rich in detail, outlandish superstitions and seedy curiosities ... an entertaining read that vividly brings to life its motley cast of rogues, frauds and unfortunates" - The Times
"Madeleine Pelling relates in vivid detail the stories of these three imposters ... Pelling reminds us that our own technological age is also especially prey to misinformation and fake news" - FT
"PRAISE FOR WRITING ON THE WALL" - -
"Fascinating... A history of the eighteenth century through lost voices of the people who lived through it" - The Times
"A secret history like no other... a fascinating dip into our ancestors' lives" - BBC History Magazine
