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Exposing the extraordinary human gullibility behind landmark historical deceptions, the study of widespread fabrications reveals much about societal psychology, media influence, and critical thinking. Written by distinguished journalism professor Curtis D. MacDougall, this classic 1940 work offers a rigorous investigation into why famous fabrications succeed, categorizing hundreds of celebrated impostures across science, literature, art, politics, and historical folklore. MacDougall analyzes famous cases—including P.T. Barnum\'s spectacles, literary forgery, fraudulent archeological finds, and media panic—examining the underlying psychological motivations, cultural climate, and journalistic oversights that allowed these deliberate deceptions to flourish unchallenged.
Enriched with detailed case studies, historical references, and an extensive analytical index, this seminal volume provides deep scholarship. Published by The Macmillan Company in its original 1940 first edition printing, this classic hardcover work serves as an essential reference for cultural historians, journalism scholars, sociologists, and collectors of vintage media and social history literature.
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