A Short History of the World in 50 Lies

Gr 10 Up–Throughout recorded time, the powerful have used falsehoods to start wars, cover up atrocities, and justify oppression. A Short History of the World in 50 Lies identifies the ones that have shaped today’s world, taking readers from the Persian Empire in 500 BC, where Darius the Great manipulated the truth to secure his reign, to 1970s Ukraine and the attempted cover up of the Chernobyl disaster. Tidd takes a largely European lens to history, and when chapters are set outside the continent, it is through the framework of European colonialism. While one can argue that this leaves much of the world out of this world history, it is worthwhile to consider that the lies that European colonialism has told about itself, and the substantial damage it has tried to hide, deserve to be uncovered again and again. AP History teachers may find this to be a helpful supplementary tool or inspiration for research projects, and librarians considering this for their collections should not forget how thrilling 50 Lies could be in the hands of teen history buffs.