Conspiracy Theory

These concise guides are an antidote to confusion, tracing major political ideas from their origins to today's headlines.

The world has always had conspiracy theories. From the Illuminati to the deep state, the JFK assassination to the death of Princess Diana - there have always been those who believe that events are manipulated by shadowy forces with sinister intent. But in recent years, conspiracism has colonised the mainstream. These days, it is a booming industry, a political strategy and a pseudo-religion - and it's threatening the foundations of liberal democracy.

Where once political battles were fought over ideas and values, it now feels as though we're arguing over the nature of reality itself. The problem is bigger than lizard people or UFOs: left unchecked, conspiracy theories have the power to warp the fabric of society and justify unspeakable crimes.

In Conspiracy Theory: The Story of an Idea, Ian Dunt and Dorian Lynskey pull back the curtain on conspiracy theories: where they come from, who promotes them, how they work, and what they're doing to us. From biblical myth to online hysteria, this book explains what happens when the human gift for storytelling goes wrong - and how we might restore our common reality.

In a time of political turmoil, where ideas and movements are misunderstood and misrepresented, Ian and Dorian provide clarity, scholarship, wit and essential insight into why our world is the way it is -- ADAM RUTHERFORD
Too many concepts are bandied about in current affairs without people really understanding them. Ian and Dorian have done the hard work to separate truth from fiction and prejudice, seeking nuance wherever it is available. I wish I could make their writing mandatory -- SATHNAM SANGHERA

Ian Dunt spent many years working in the heart of Westminster as editor of Politics.co.uk. He is a columnist for the i newspaper, the UK correspondent for ABC's Late Night Live and regularly appears as a political pundit on TV and radio. He is the author of Brexit: What the Hell Happens Now, How to be a Liberal and How Westminster Works.

Dorian Lynskey has been writing about music, politics, film and books for over twenty years for publications including the Guardian, Observer, Spectator, New Statesman and GQ. He is the author of 33 Revolutions Per Minute: A History of Protest Songs and The Ministry of Truth: A Biography of George Orwell's 1984.

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