Hoax : Truth and Lies in the Age of Enlightenment by Madeleine Pelling

'Scintillating ... a thrill ride through the filthy streets and dank rooms of Georgian England where the lies and deceptions that fooled a nation were born' Hallie Rubenhold, author of The Five

Here lies Fanny Lynes, whose whispers from beyond the grave set London alight with scandal. Here swings Mary Bateman, who lived a life of lies - and died a prophetess and murderer.

Here stands Mary Willcocks. Or is it Anne Burgess? Or Princess Caraboo, from the distant island of Javasu?

A ghost.

A witch.

A princess.

This is a story of those who lie. And of those who choose to believe them.

The discoveries of the Enlightenment unsettled as much as they excited. New truths challenged longstanding beliefs. Rationalism jarred with superstition.

Which voices would be heard in this ferocious battle for certainty?

From the chaos, three women and their hoaxes rose as symbols of terror and fascination. But were the lies surrounding Fanny Lynes, Mary Bateman and Mary Willcocks entirely of their own making? Why were the public transfixed?

Questioning culpability and complicity, Pelling's engrossing history of this great age of the hoax reveals a veiled world of moral panic, tall tales and true crime, and holds a mirror to our own turbulent relationship with truth.

Format:Hardback 368 pages, 2-3 b/w integrated ills throughout per chapter
Publisher:Profile Books Ltd
Imprint:Profile Books Ltd
Edition:Main
ISBN:9781805222354
Published:7 May 2026
Classifications:England, c 1700 to c 1800, c 1800 to c 1900, Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900, Social & cultural history
Weight:580g
Dimensions:238 x 158 (mm)