The Rough Guide to Conspiracy Theories (3rd)

If science fails to elucidate the nature and mechanism of intrigues, mysteries and conspiracies, perhaps an enlightened mind, or an inquisitive mind can accomplish the task. This book encompasses multiple facets and aspects of conspiracies of all time, some known to the general public, others intelligently discovered by the author. The theories are engaging and multidimensional. A fascinating work.

I purchased this book some months ago and have been reading it in bits and pieces since then and there are still little portions that I have yet to examine. Having said that, I am still rating it highly because it is such a tremendously useful tool to possess for all people who read modern history. I admit it: I am a conspiracist. Using one of those tired old cliche's, "where there is smoke there is fire" and from where I am sitting the whole damn forest is burning. I love the conservatives who continually paint people like me with the dreaded brush of "left-wing conspiracy nut" whenever writers believe that there is more to the story than that which is printed in the headlines of virtually any American newspaper or is heard on Fox News. By using that kind of language the ideas or theories of the writer are totally blanketed with this comical rubric and no further serious notice need be taken of such laughable ideas. Hence no more investigation that could concievably uncover something that might lead to uncomfortable questions being asked. This Rough Guide is truly encompassing both historically and comtemporarily; it discusses in enough depth so many of the loose ends in history to, I believe, satisfy all but the scholars of a particular area. This is not to say that the book positively accepts conspiracy theories as a group, rather, the authors look dispassionately at the arguments from most angles and leave the reader to decide for themselves. In my opinion, the authors placed all the material facts before the reader and gave the reader, therefore, all the necessary factual material with which to make an educated decision about the particular event of group under consideration.

this is a praiseworthy collection of so many theories of conspiracy. i was honestly enlightened about the poisoning of Mozart. then i found myself reading about the Yakuza and organized crime. Echelon, the Manhattan project, and Area 51 are in this book too. the Illuminati can be found in various chapters and of course Lennon is analyzed thoroughly. theories about the war in Iraq are plentiful and there are -not surprisingly- many alleged conspiracies involving Swiss banks as well. Assassinations, Nazis, the Taliban, the Imf, CIA, Onassis, Nasa, Satan, Pinochet, Informants, Roswell, Apollo 11, Tesla, Oklahoma bombing, Rwandan genocide. need i go on? i have five words for this collection of historical events and legendary people: Glorious. Magnificent. Absorbing. Intriguing. Luminous

Conspiracies really can not be honed down by professional writers who are not paranoid. But if you have to go for a sensible overview of why conspiracies are the defining modicum for reality then this Rough Guide is a great start. Too bad they didn't mention that after Jim Keith cranked out about 5 conspiracy exposes in a 4 year period both he and his publisher, Ron Bonds, died mysteriously just a couple years later -- around 2000. This vital "conspiracy" information has been left out of several of the latest fancy, "well-balanced" conspiracy books. Sorry but unless you're paranoid then you're probably not making too much of a dent in the Man.

I bought this book as something I could dip into but found I couldn't put it down! It was full of conspiracy theories I'd never heard of as well as fascinating insights into the classics, like JFK and the Dead Sea scrolls. The authors seemed open-minded and realistic in equal measure - just the right balance. Established theories and crackpot conspiracies were all analysed with the same even-handed logic. Excellent stuff.