A History of Delusions

The extraordinary worlds created in our minds

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A curious history of the strange, wonderful and sometimes terrifying worlds created by our minds.



‘An utterly engrossing book.' ZOE WILLIAMS



For centuries we’ve dismissed delusions as something for doctors to sort out behind locked doors. But delusions are more than just bizarre quirks – they hold the key to collective anxieties and traumas.



In this groundbreaking history, Victoria Shepherd uncovers stories of delusions from medieval times to the present day and implores us to identify reason in apparent madness.





Discover how the King of France – thinking he was made of glass – was terrified he might shatter... and he wasn’t alone...
Uncover the peculiar case of the dozens of Victorian women who tried to convince their physicians that they were, in fact, dead.
And learn how after the Emperor met his end at the Battle of Waterloo, an epidemic of 'Napoleons' piled into France’s asylums.