A fun, authoritative and alternative history of the world that exposes some of the biggest lies ever told and how they’ve been used over time.

Lincoln did not believe all men were created equal.

The Aztecs were not slaughtered by the Spanish Conquistadors.

And Churchill was not the man that people love to remember.

Journalist and author Otto English takes apart ten of the greatest lies from history and shows how our present continues to be twisted and manipulated by the fabrications of the past.

Much of what we assume to be true or are encouraged to believe to be true is simply wrong. Whether propagated by politicians and think tanks, populists or the media, the family tales of childhood or your Facebook friend’s feed – fake history is everywhere and it impacts, ever more, on our modern world.

This book dismantles the lazy and pernicious tropes of the past as Otto English sets out to redress the balance and reclaim truth from those who seek to pervert it.

Fake History will expose everything you weren’t told in school and reveal why you weren’t taught it.

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.

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.