A Treasury of Deception:
Liars, Misleaders, Hoodwinkers, and the Extraordinary True Stories of History's Greatest Hoaxes, Fakes and Frauds

Michael Farquhar

Most of us are raised with the axiom "honesty is the best policy". We also know that honesty often falls in the face of other considerations - money, power, fame, etc. Throughout history, back to Genesis in the Bible, people have tricked, deceived, and mislead one another. And it hasn't stopped just because we are in a more "enlightened" era. After chuckliing through this book I now know why my email box is always full of spam. Someone could fall for it. Anyone can be tricked. The incidents Farquhar relates are true tales straight from our history books, whether a couple years ago or a couple thousand years ago.

P.T. Barnum is credited with saying, "There's a sucker born every minute." He probably stole that line from someone else. He has his section in this book. Clifford Irving had an elaborate ruse in the 1970's on a biography he was purported to be writing about Howard Hughes. He had a respected publishing firm convinced even after Hughes himself denied the project. Hitler had Henry Ford as a disciple for a few years. In fact, Mein Kampf laid out Hitler's outrageous plans but the world seemed not to realize. Royalty has been imitated or claimed over and over, one of the latest being that of Anastasia, the supposed Russian princess. DNA testing has proved the woman wasn't related to the Russian royalty.

Presidents, kings, popes, and rulers of all sorts have resorted to trickery and lies. Neighbors have hoodwinked neighbors out of spite or just plain fun. Wars have been fought in the name of God with both sides claiming God is on their side. Women (and men and children) were killed for being witches.

Michael Farquhar is a reporter at the Washington Post and studies scandals and scoundrels. In this light, readable book the reader meets many of them. The reader may squirm, as well. Have any of us been hoodwinked by some of the recent hoaxes Farquhar recounts in A Treasury of Deception? Probably. You know who you are. Perhaps you'd be interested in the coastal property I'm selling in Arizona?

This book will keep you chuckling, shaking your head, or appalled throughout. What is sad is that we know that in ten years he'll have many more new tales Farquhar could add to it.