336 Pages, Hardcover. From King Tut to Elvis Lives Haunted houses, lake monsters, flying saucers, and deadly death rays. Who hasn't heard of the Bermuda Triangle, the Loch Ness Monster, or the Amityville horror? Yet how many people know the real story? Was Silence Dogood Ben Franklin's feminine pen name? Has Elvis Presley booked a return engagement to the world of the living? Is the Loch Ness Monster really an otter? Enquiring minds want to know. Scams, Shams, and Flimflams blows the whistle of 100 hoaxes! There's no denying it: Weird stuff happens, and sometimes it's made to happen. Wouldn't it be great if there were somewhere to find out how The Man Who Never Was managed to fool the Nazis during World War II? How a guy with humongous wooden feet made it look like Bigfoot had been waltzing through the woods? How a psychic "predicted" the president would be shot? If you've got to know how they did it-and maybe even why they did it-then look no further: Scams, Shams, and Flimflams will tell you everything you always wanted to know about bogus Blue Laws, big-footed beasts, and more. What exactly Is a Hoax? Cons, humbugs, ripoffs, scams, shams, and flimflams- hoaxes by any other name -involve fooling at least some people some of the time. Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (10th ed.) defines a hoax as "an act intended to trick or dupe; something accepted or established by fraud or fabrication." In two volumes, Scams, Shams, and Flimflams offers more than 100 descriptions of well-known hoaxes. The first volume, divided into six sections, includes hoaxes having to do with weird creatures and visitors from beyond; saints, spirits, and the supernatural; curses and predictions; exploration; military maneuvers; and outrageous rules. The second volume, also divided into six sections, includes scores of other hoaxes involving science and medicine; impostors; literature and the arts; entertainment; and sports. Each entry includes interesting background information, an account of how the hoax was played out, how it was discovered, and finally, how it impacted the world. You'll also find 65 photographs that bring the hoaxes to life, and 16 line drawings, too. An index- closing both volumes -provides quick access to names, subjects, and individual hoaxes. So if you always wanted to be an expert on laws against kissing, if you have a burning need to know about the Hope Diamond curse, or if you just want to read about weird stuff ...inquire within.

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