The opening chapters of David Roberts' book "Great Exploration Hoaxes" were so dry and academic (which is exactly what the author himself admits) that I thought I was really going to hate this book. The later chapters, however, are much more interesting and worthwhile reading -- though they aren't particularly illumination about why these men decided to try and fool the world.

I've read the majority of Roberts' books and this isn't one of his best. But if exploration hoaxes are a topic that you find interesting, you won't go wrong reading it either. ( )

The chapters are chronological, so the first couple of chapters are rather dry since the data that far back is quite spares. The latter chapters are quite a bit more interesting. ( )

David Roberts writes about nine explorers and adventurers who faked some aspect of their accomplishments, including some famous names: Byrd, Peary, and Cook. And he writes about one explorer whose exploits everyone was convinced were fake, but turned out to be true, James "Abyssinian" Bruce. Roberts devotes a chapter to each man, writing in an accessible and very readable style. I felt he did a good job of trying to explain why these men, so accomplished and successful, felt the need to perpetrate their hoaxes; as well as the aftermath of when, how, and why the hoaxes were discovered. A bibilography follows each chapter, and the book is indexed. Recommended. ( )