Voodoo Histories

David Aaronovitch has always been fascinated by the absurdity of conspiracy theories, from allegations that the moon landings were fake, to the attribution of the 2004 tsunami to Israeli nuclear tests. We seem unable to accept that some events might just be accidental or that authorities may not be systematically corrupt. Jews have all too often been assigned responsibility for the worst offences, from those alleged in the Protocols of the Elders of Zion to 9/11. Who better to discuss these issues with Aaronovitch than the great satirist and debunker of the terrifying paranoia of the 70s, Francis Wheen?

David Aaronovitch is a regular columnist for The Times and the Jewish Chronicle. He won the George Orwell prize for political journalism in 2001 and the Columnist of the Year award in 2003. He is the author of Voodoo Histories: the role of Conspiracy Theory in Modern History.

Francis Wheen is a prolific freelance journalist and broadcaster. He was voted Columnist of the Year for Wheen's World, his regular column in The Guardian. His books include How Mumbo Jumbo Conquered the World, Karl Marx and most recently Strange Days Indeed.