This is a true favorite of mine, and I just wanted to make a quick plug for it. Let me just mention that I am not usually attracted so strongly to books from the 1800s written by Englishmen. In this case, I was thrilled to see it was in fact from that time.

Mr. Charles Mackay is telling the stories of several of the more absurd moments in Western history. I think that for an Englishman to do this in the time in which he was living, well, called for an unusual character, and desire to expose the truth. I believe that Mr. Mackay was historically accurate in the episodes he was chronicling, and in my reading I have had a few confirmations of his accuracy from other sources.

In my recollection, there were richly detailed chapters dedicated to the follies concerning alchemy, witchcraft, witch burnings and persecutions, financial follies, the Crusades, and the “New Age” follies of his own time (The term “New Age” as most folks know it now was coined in Mr. Mackay’s time here in the USA, although I have that from another source.)

Perhaps most enlightening or alarming, for those who don’t know, is his histories of the witch burnings of Europe, England and America. It might put one the persecutions and mass murders of Jews in Europe in the 1940’s, of Budhists in Tibet now, of Joseph Stalin’s butchery, or of the American persecution and killing of its own aboriginals, in a more realistic light.

The chapter dedicated to the Crusades I would recommend for anybody wanting a bit more background for the how and why’s of our Middle East war. I wouldn’t leave it at that though, and would recommend a book or two by Karen Armstrong as well, or instead if that is your main interest.

His interest in massive financial scams and market hysteria taking place in the 18th and 19th Centuries was particularly enlightening. It is both reassuring and humbling to know that our American S&L scams and the latest stock market frauds are nothing new. Very humorous and educational.

Mr. Mackay, all in all, exposes some of the truths we were seldom encouraged to see in our school days, and to me is one of many heroes of healthy skepticism and critical thinking, and a guard against blindly following the crowd. The book is also an argument towards humility, reminding us that so many who have done terrible wrongs, were certain they were doing God’s work.

Not the most cheery reading, but for anybody who has even once suspected we are living in a fiction, and the truth is “out there” somewhere; you will find relief here. Surely everybody in America has felt that at one time or another.

Zip file of the entire book - 412MB