Fake Heroes by Otto English
Not a follow-up but in the same vein as his previously published ‘Fake History‘, Otto English turns his debunking searchlight on “heroes”. In ten chapters each devoted to one hero, he sets out to show that they are all deeply flawed, and through a thorough and critical appraisal of each calls us to re-evaluate whether they deserve the pedestals on which they have often been placed.
From Mother Theresa (a probable non-believer, a definite money-hoarder and inflictor of suffering) to Andy Warhol (cynical exploiter and disruptor of the art market, happy to give his name to work he had no hand in creating), Che Guevara (one-time racist, failed statesman, enthusiastic political executioner) to Coco Chanel (Nazi sympathiser and collaborator, close friend of fascists at the top of British society), English picks apart the uncritical legends to expose the unpleasant truths about his targets.
The book might be depressing if it wasn’t written with a sense of humour and an appreciation of the absurd. And for every deeply-flawed hero, English introduces us to another often uncelebrated individual who you may well conclude is much more deserving of the title of ‘Hero’.
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