Amazing true stories about Shakespeare, Hiawatha, Homer, George Washington, and more.

If you like to think of Shakespeare only as a brilliant bard, or prefer only to know Pythagoras by his math skills, then you might want to put this book down. Seriously. Because this book is about to change your idea of history. But if you like a little controversy, or want to impress your parents and friends with some little-known tidbits of historical drama, then Famous Phonies: Legends, Fakes, and Frauds Who Changed History is for you. 

Over the centuries, plenty of scandals, swindles, and skeletons have passed under history’s radar and missed out on being included in your textbook. (We’re looking at you, George “I cannot tell a lie” Washington.) Some of the biggest names in history can be found between these pages—and the light isn’t flattering. These figures are lucky that prime-time TV and all-access internet didn’t exist in Ancient Greece, Renaissance Europe, medieval England, or Revolutionary America, or else they could have kissed their sterling reputations goodbye. Famous Phonies: Legends, Fakes, and Frauds Who Changed History explores the underbelly of history, making you ...