Ben Oliver

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The Hoax

The true story behind a fake autobiography.
17 January 2016

A bizarre tale in which the author recounts his experiences writing a fake autobiography of famous recluse Howard Hughes. Irving fools the world to the point where McGraw Hill nearly publishes the book he’s written.

This is a great read looking into a fascinating chain of events. It’s also a cautionary tale about how quickly things can get out of hand, and the power of kidding yourself.

You can look into the details of the debacle and find out what happens, but the way Irving tells the story makes The Hoax worth a read. He’s concise, likeable and matter of fact and makes the book a real page-turner.

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