Otto English – författare

History loves a villain.Across the entire span of human civilisation, certain people and groups have been identified as being responsible for the ills of the world, and have remained hated for it. In his continuing desire to separate out the facts from the fiction of history, Otto English looks at how these legacies were constructed and who told us that they were evil.From how Bloody Mary became the figurehead of uppity women and how Judas''s betrayal became a template for religious tensions for centuries to what the Peasants Revolt and the Illuminati shows us about power struggles throughout the ages, English exposes the agendas behind the ''truths'' we''ve been told to believe. And in looking at how xenophobia was weaponised during the ''Spanish'' Flu, he reveals how our past sometimes bleeds into the present day.Fascinating and fearless, Notorious will re-examine some of the history''s biggest villains and change the way you see the world forever.

''A brilliant and important book ... Five Stars!'' Mark Dolan, talkRADIO''An important new book'' Daily Express An 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.In this fascinating new book, journalist and author Otto English takes ten great lies from history and shows how our present continues to be manipulated by the fabrications of the past.He looks at how so much of what we take to be historical fact is, in fact, fiction. From the myths of WW2 to the adventures of Columbus, and from the self-serving legends of ''great men'' to the origins of curry – fake history is everywhere and used ever more to impact our modern world.Setting out to redress the balance, English tears apart the lies propagated by politicians and think tanks, the grand narratives spun by populists and the media, the stories on your friend''s Facebook feed and the tales you were told in childhood. And, in doing so, reclaims the truth from those who have perverted it.Fake History exposes everything you weren''t told in school and 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.''A brilliant book.'' James O''BrienWas 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.