A History of Delusions: The Glass King, a Substitute Husband and a Walking Corpse

Victoria Shepherd

2022 թ. հնս · Վաճառող` Simon and Schuster

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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.

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Victoria Shepherd conceived and produced the ten-part series A History of Delusions for BBC Radio 4. She has produced scores of documentaries and major strands for BBC Radio 4. She holds an MA in creative writing from the University of East Anglia.