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4.8 out of 5
95.00% of customers are satisfied
5.0 out of 5 stars Myth busting!
Brilliant. Many of the heroes we have all grown up with are not what they seem. The myths created have shaped our view and become 'fact'.This book shows the other side of them without polemics and puts their attributes and flaws into context. A facinating read.
4.0 out of 5 stars A personal view on the meaning of heroism
This author is a hero of mine and the intelligence and wit in his writing has defined the post-2016 EU referendum madness for me. Of course, he would scoff at the idea that he himself is any kind of hero yet here we are at the nub of the problem. What is a hero? Throughout this book Otto tries valiantly to give shape to the concept of “hero” through a deeply personal and quite opinionated polemic. It is immensely entertaining and forthright. The text is packed with endless small anecdotes from the battle field of planet ‘fact’. The chapters are headlined by big names like Mother Theresa, Che Guevara and Douglas Bader yet these are just the clickbait that punctuate a work littered with fascinating insight into the human condition and its follies. What results is outstanding and eminently quotable. In the chapter on Che Guevara the author writes “Politics is often a religion by another name…” which is one I will remember despite the fact that the author will probably tell me he is quoting someone else. This may not quite be the iconoclastic book you think it is. Sure, the big names are there but Otto’s writing is chock full of self-doubt. By the author’s own standard are there any real heroes out there? Of course, he tries hard to tell the story of the lesser side characters in history who really deserved the title of “hero” in Otto’s opinion but often these arguments are less than convincing. All heroes have is better propaganda. They encapsulate something we want to believe about humanity and hence, ourselves. Heroes aren’t just great people after we airbrush out the bad bits. They have come to symbolise far more than their real-life stories. Take Bader as an example. Otto chocks up the good points and bad points as if trying to tip the scale of opinion: sure, he was a bit of a bastard and a racist to-boot but on the plus side he did a lot of work for charity and was an inspiration to millions of amputees. Heros are human myth machines quite immune to categorisation on this basis.Otto well knows this. Quoting Victorian Liberal Lord Acton, he writes “power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men…” How many of us knew of the second sentence in the famous phrase? Indeed, great men and women are not great because they are good. There is something more complicated here that Otto doesn’t necessarily pin down. Sometimes it seems pretty ham-fisted and petty. Corralling the story of Jimmy Savile into the section on Mother Theresa might be a bit too much for some readers to stomach. Yet he has a point. Good or bad these people built up a force-field of myth around them that was venerated despite being fake. Saints can be monsters too. In the chapter on Henry V Otto confronts the beast he is tackling in a section about 19th century politics in Australia. The author chooses to pick a “hero” Daniel Deniehy and contrasted his work to that of the obnoxious “hero” William Wentworth. Yet at the conclusion the author writes “Noble words and a noble ambition are the reason I chose him to be the hero of this chapter. But like so many great people and thinkers throughout history he had a troubled side, a tormented soul and some considerable human flaws too.” Well, quite. Much could be said for all the heroes that Otto portrays as villains. By his own words “Human beings can be a mass of contradictions. Even as radical thinkers talk of a better world and a brighter future, they can simultaneously hold disgusting opinions about other people. {..} even great heroes can be appalling racists…” So, what gives Otto the right to choose this or that “hero” over this or that “hero”. Was Bader or John Wayne on a par or in some different league when it came to racism? What criteria do we apply to judge? In truth you cannot be objective and we should pretend that this work is anything other than subjective. It is a great work and can be thoroughly recommended. A great read but you will have to make up your own mind as to whether the people described in this book are hero or zero. Read it, take the journey, and find out for yourself.
5.0 out of 5 stars Real History - Truth honestly told.
The son - until he buggered. off - of a professional soldier, history was my first great love. That it remains so is because of books like this and its companion book, Fake History. The truths of history are frequently disappointing, but are nevertheless crucial for the pursuit of honest understanding and an antidote to ignorant jingoism. I have loved these two books, have already read them twice and will be reading them again in the future.Take my hat off to you, Mr English.
5.0 out of 5 stars Guaranteed to make you realise how little we really know
This book is longer than Fake History, but it has to be. The attention to factual detail (apart from the re-printed paragraph ;-) it doesn’t warrant the loss of one star) is quite extraordinary for what cannot avoid being a fairly general overview of a number of historical figures.Despite the premise of the book, I found myself repeatedly blown away by some of the unexpected revelations. The book demonstrates how cultural stories have a powerful effect on our collective memory.Otto’s writing style is accessible and as another reviewer has said, this and Fake History ought to be required reading in school. If, as another reviewer has said, there is a factual error then Otto would probably feel vindicated. He is all about asking everyone - including his own readers - to read critically.Looking forward to the next one already! Keep up the good work.
5.0 out of 5 stars Eye opening.
A brilliant book that will have the Cenotaph and Statue guardians spitting feathers. So many of the myths of todays world dispelled in an engaging and surprising manner. One of my favourites being Bowie’s “obsession” of Matt Tate! Thoroughly enjoyable and educational read!
Nothing is like it seems
It‘s a witty eye opener, proving that the history we take for granted is propaganda through the ages. Admirably well researched, very obviously written by a journalist with some pet expressions like „albeit“, and many apropos to recent happenings. Should be read in all schools.
Not a fake review
Rarely have I consumed a book so slowly because of the need to cross check, look things up, and simply sit and wonder why, at 68, I didn’t already know it! I read Fake Histories, thoroughly enjoyed it, and on the basis of that dove into Fake Heroes. Otto English, I am eating for what you bring next, hopefully still delivered in a completely snarky, smart and humorous tone.
Fascinating insights
It wasn’t just the illuminating dissection of the 10 “Heroes” lives that had me hooked - Otto also includes numerous unknown and often forgotten heroes whose lives are just as or even more interesting than the main subjects of the book - they’re the people who truly deserve the ‘hero’ status. There are so many interesting nuggets - I’m going to have to read it again!
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Fake Heroes: Ten False Icons and How they Altered the Course of History
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Product origin: United Kingdom
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