David Aaronovitch – Voodoo Histories: Book Review & Audio Summary

Book Info

• Book name: Voodoo Histories: The Role of the Conspiracy Theory in Shaping Modern History
• Author: David Aaronovitch
• Genre: History & Politics, Social Sciences & Humanities (Psychology, Sociology)
• Pages: 416
• Published Year: 2009
• Publisher: Jonathan Cape (UK), W.W. Norton & Company (US)
• Language: English
• Awards: Winner of the 2010 British Book Award for History Book of the Year

Audio Summary

Synopsis

In “Voodoo Histories,” British journalist David Aaronovitch takes readers on a fascinating journey through some of history’s most persistent conspiracy theories. From the faked moon landing to Princess Diana’s death, from chemtrails to JFK’s assassination, Aaronovitch examines why intelligent people believe in elaborate plots despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. With wit and meticulous research, he reveals how conspiracy theories satisfy our deep psychological need for order in a chaotic world. More importantly, he provides readers with the tools to distinguish between genuine conspiracies and fantastical theories, using logic, evidence, and critical thinking to separate fact from fiction in our increasingly complex information landscape.

Key Takeaways

• Conspiracy theories differ from actual conspiracies—they’re unproven theories that challenge official explanations, often lacking solid evidence
• These theories persist because they fulfill our human desire for order and clear explanations in a chaotic, unpredictable world
• Circular evidence and speculative motives create an illusion of truth that can convince even intelligent people
• Using Occam’s razor—choosing the simplest explanation—helps distinguish legitimate concerns from unfounded conspiracy theories
• Understanding why conspiracy theories emerge helps us become more critical consumers of information in the digital age

My Summary

When Your Neighbor’s Crazy Theory Might Actually Be Worth Listening To

I’ll be honest—when I first picked up David Aaronovitch’s “Voodoo Histories,” I expected a dry academic takedown of conspiracy theorists. What I got instead was something far more interesting: a thoughtful exploration of why smart, reasonable people believe things that seem absolutely bonkers to the rest of us.

We’ve all got that friend or relative who goes down conspiracy theory rabbit holes. Maybe they’re convinced the moon landing was faked, or that Princess Diana was murdered by the royal family, or that chemtrails are real. My uncle spent an entire Thanksgiving dinner explaining why 9/11 was an inside job. It was… uncomfortable, to say the least.

But Aaronovitch doesn’t just mock these believers. Instead, he asks a more interesting question: What is it about human psychology that makes conspiracy theories so appealing? And more importantly, how do we tell the difference between a genuine conspiracy and a theory that’s pure fantasy?

The Real Difference Between Conspiracies and Conspiracy Theories

Here’s something that surprised me: not all conspiracies are conspiracy theories. I know that sounds obvious when you say it out loud, but it’s an important distinction that gets lost in our current discourse.

An actual conspiracy involves two or more people secretly plotting something illegal or deceptive. These happen all the time. Watergate was a real conspiracy. The Enron scandal was a conspiracy. When pharmaceutical companies hide negative drug trial results—that’s a conspiracy too.

A conspiracy theory, on the other hand, is an alternative explanation that challenges the official story, usually without solid evidence. It’s the difference between “some people in the Nixon administration broke into the DNC headquarters” (proven conspiracy) and “NASA faked the moon landing using a Hollywood soundstage” (conspiracy theory).

Aaronovitch introduces us to a powerful tool for evaluating these competing explanations: Occam’s razor. This principle suggests that the simplest explanation is usually the correct one. So when faced with the moon landing, we have to ask: which is more likely? That NASA successfully sent astronauts to the moon using technology developed over years by thousands of scientists and engineers? Or that those same thousands of people have maintained a perfect conspiracy of silence for over 50 years?

When you put it that way, the conspiracy theory starts to look pretty shaky. But that doesn’t stop people from believing it.

How Conspiracy Theories Create Their Own Reality

One of the most eye-opening sections of the book deals with how conspiracy theories manufacture believability. They use techniques that look like legitimate research but fall apart under scrutiny.

The most common trick is circular evidence. This is when two sources cite each other as proof, creating a closed loop that looks convincing on the surface. Aaronovitch uses the Princess Diana conspiracy theory as a perfect example.

After Diana died in that tragic car accident in Paris, theories immediately emerged that she’d been murdered. Jeffrey Steinberg, an editor, pointed to “troubling anomalies” in the case. His evidence? Mohammed Al Fayed, Dodi’s father, who was asking disturbing questions. But when you look at Al Fayed’s evidence, he points right back to Steinberg’s publication as support for his claims.

It’s like two people standing in a circle, each pointing at the other and saying “he’ll back me up!” There’s no actual foundation—just two voices echoing each other.

This resonates with what I’ve seen in my years of reading and reviewing books. In the age of social media, circular evidence has become even more common. A blog cites a YouTube video, which cites a tweet, which links back to the original blog. Round and round we go, with no solid ground anywhere.

The Power of Doubt and Speculation

Conspiracy theories also thrive on a two-step process: creating doubt, then adding speculative motives. Again, the Diana case illustrates this perfectly.

Step one: Introduce doubt. The white Fiat Uno that allegedly struck Diana’s car disappeared after the accident. That’s genuinely mysterious and creates a legitimate question mark.

Step two: Add speculative motives. Was Diana pregnant with Dodi’s child? Was she killed to prevent a Muslim baby from being born into the royal family? These “what ifs” transform a simple question into an elaborate murder plot.

The problem is that some of these speculations are harder to disprove than others. Even though medical examiners and Diana’s closest friends confirmed she wasn’t pregnant, the theory persists. Once doubt is planted and motives are suggested, the conspiracy theory takes on a life of its own.

Why Smart People Believe Unbelievable Things

This is where Aaronovitch’s book really shines. He doesn’t treat conspiracy theorists as idiots or lunatics. Instead, he explores the very human psychological needs these theories fulfill.

We humans hate chaos. We hate randomness. We desperately want the world to make sense. When something terrible happens—a beloved princess dies, a president is assassinated, towers fall—we need it to mean something. We need there to be a reason, a plan, someone in control.

Ironically, it’s sometimes more comforting to believe in a vast conspiracy than to accept that bad things just happen. At least a conspiracy implies order, even if it’s malevolent order. The alternative—that we live in a world where random chance can kill a princess or a president—is terrifying.

I found this insight particularly relevant to my own experience. After my father died suddenly from a heart attack, I found myself obsessively researching his symptoms, looking for signs we’d missed, wondering if his doctors had overlooked something. Part of me wanted there to be a mistake, someone to blame, because that would be easier than accepting that a healthy 60-year-old man can just… die. For no good reason.

Conspiracy theories offer that same psychological comfort on a larger scale.

The Outsider’s Perspective

Aaronovitch points out that conspiracy theories are especially appealing to people who feel like outsiders—those who’ve been marginalized socially, economically, or politically. A good conspiracy theory explains their situation without requiring them to accept any personal responsibility.

The example from the book is perfect: In 1984, British socialists and pacifists had been losing elections for years. When campaign activist Hilda Murrell was murdered, a theory quickly emerged that the Thatcher government was behind it. For people who felt politically powerless, this theory made sense of their situation. They weren’t losing because their policies were unpopular—they were losing because powerful forces were conspiring against them.

This pattern repeats throughout history and across cultures. When you feel like the system is rigged against you, believing in an actual conspiracy becomes a way to maintain your dignity and sense of self-worth.

The Digital Age Has Made Everything Worse

While Aaronovitch’s book was published in 2009—practically the Stone Age in internet terms—his insights are even more relevant today. The tools he describes conspiracy theorists using have been supercharged by social media.

Circular evidence is everywhere online. Algorithms create echo chambers where the same ideas bounce around endlessly, each repetition making them seem more credible. Celebrity endorsements happen in real-time through tweets and Instagram posts. “Experts” with questionable credentials can build massive followings.

I’ve watched this happen in the book community. Someone makes a claim about an author or a controversy. It gets retweeted, screenshotted, shared, and discussed. Within hours, it’s treated as established fact, even if the original claim had no solid evidence. By the time someone fact-checks it, the narrative is already set.

The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated this on a global scale. Conspiracy theories about the virus’s origin, about vaccines, about government responses—they spread faster than the virus itself. Aaronovitch’s framework helps explain why: people were terrified, the situation was chaotic, and conspiracy theories offered simple explanations and clear villains.

Applying These Lessons to Everyday Life

So how do we use Aaronovitch’s insights practically? How do we navigate a world where conspiracy theories are increasingly mainstream?

Practice Occam’s Razor

When you encounter a dramatic claim, ask yourself: what’s the simplest explanation? If the theory requires hundreds or thousands of people to maintain perfect secrecy, it’s probably not true. Real conspiracies do happen, but they’re usually smaller and simpler than the theories suggest.

I use this constantly when reading news or social media. Someone claims a major corporation is hiding a miracle cure for cancer? Well, that would require thousands of researchers, doctors, and regulators worldwide to keep the secret. Is that really simpler than “cancer is really complicated and hard to cure”?

Check for Circular Evidence

When someone presents “proof” of their theory, trace the sources. Do they all point back to each other? Do they ultimately rest on a single questionable source? This is easier than ever to do with internet research, yet we rarely take the time.

I’ve started doing this with book controversies. When someone claims an author did or said something terrible, I trace it back to the original source. Often, I find a game of telephone where the story has been distorted with each retelling.

Recognize Your Emotional Needs

This is the hardest one. When you find yourself drawn to a conspiracy theory, ask why. What emotional need is it fulfilling? Are you looking for order in chaos? Someone to blame? A way to feel special or informed?

There’s no shame in having these needs—we all have them. But recognizing them helps us think more clearly about what we’re willing to believe.

Distinguish Between Healthy Skepticism and Conspiracy Thinking

Aaronovitch isn’t arguing that we should blindly trust authority. Healthy skepticism is important. Governments do lie. Corporations do cover things up. Powerful people do conspire.

The difference is evidence. Healthy skepticism says “I need to see proof before I believe this.” Conspiracy thinking says “the lack of proof IS proof—they’re hiding it!”

Have Compassion for Believers

Finally, remember that people who believe conspiracy theories aren’t stupid or crazy. They’re responding to real psychological needs and real feelings of powerlessness. Mocking them just drives them deeper into their beliefs.

I think about my uncle and his 9/11 theories differently now. He’s not an idiot—he’s a guy who feels like the world is spinning out of control, who doesn’t trust institutions that have repeatedly let him down, and who’s found a community of people who share his concerns. That doesn’t make his theories true, but it makes them understandable.

Where the Book Falls Short

As much as I appreciated “Voodoo Histories,” it’s not perfect. The book focuses almost entirely on Western conspiracy theories, particularly British and American ones. Aaronovitch barely touches on conspiracy theories from other cultures, which seems like a significant oversight.

Conspiracy theories look different in different contexts. In the Middle East, as the book briefly mentions, there have been actual conspiracies (like the British and French dividing up the Ottoman Empire), which creates a different relationship with conspiracy thinking. I would have loved to see more exploration of how culture shapes conspiracy theories.

The book also sometimes feels like it’s preaching to the choir. If you’re already skeptical of conspiracy theories, you’ll find your views confirmed. But will it convince true believers? I’m not sure. Aaronovitch’s tone, while generally fair, occasionally veers into dismissiveness that might alienate the very people who most need to hear his message.

And at 416 pages, the book is long. Some sections drag, particularly when Aaronovitch dives deep into the minutiae of specific theories. I found myself skimming parts of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion chapter, even though I understood why it was important to include.

How This Book Compares to Similar Works

If you’re interested in this topic, you might also want to check out Michael Shermer’s “Why People Believe Weird Things” or Carl Sagan’s classic “The Demon-Haunted World.” Both cover similar ground but with different approaches.

Shermer comes at it from a more scientific angle, focusing on cognitive biases and logical fallacies. Sagan writes more broadly about scientific literacy and critical thinking. Aaronovitch’s contribution is his historical approach—he shows how specific conspiracy theories emerged and evolved over time, which gives his analysis more depth and context.

For a more recent take that incorporates social media dynamics, you might look at “The United States of Paranoia” by Jesse Walker or “Republic of Lies” by Anna Merlan. These books update Aaronovitch’s framework for the internet age.

Questions Worth Pondering

After finishing “Voodoo Histories,” I’ve been thinking about a few questions that I don’t have clear answers to:

In an age where institutional trust is at an all-time low—often for good reasons—how do we promote healthy skepticism without feeding conspiracy thinking? When governments and corporations have been caught lying repeatedly, how do we distinguish between justified distrust and paranoid conspiracy theories?

And here’s a more personal one: Have you ever believed in a conspiracy theory? What drew you to it, and what (if anything) changed your mind? I’d love to hear your experiences in the comments.

Why This Book Matters Now More Than Ever

Reading “Voodoo Histories” in our current moment feels both depressing and essential. Depressing because Aaronovitch wrote it in 2009, and the problems he identified have only gotten worse. Essential because we need his tools more than ever.

We’re living through an epistemic crisis—a crisis of how we know what we know. Traditional gatekeepers of information have lost credibility, often deservedly. Social media has democratized information but also democratized misinformation. Anyone can sound authoritative online. Circular evidence spreads at the speed of light.

In this environment, the ability to think critically about conspiracy theories isn’t just an intellectual exercise—it’s a survival skill. It affects how we vote, how we respond to public health crises, how we treat our neighbors who believe differently than we do.

Aaronovitch doesn’t have all the answers, but he asks the right questions. He reminds us that conspiracy theories aren’t new—they’ve shaped history for centuries. But he also shows us that we’re not helpless against them. We can learn to recognize their patterns, understand their appeal, and resist their pull.

Final Thoughts from Books4soul

“Voodoo Histories” is one of those books that changes how you see the world. After reading it, I find myself automatically applying Occam’s razor to dramatic claims. I check sources more carefully. I think more deeply about why certain theories appeal to certain people at certain times.

Is it a perfect book? No. It’s too long, too Western-focused, and occasionally too dismissive. But it’s an important book, maybe even an essential one. In a world where conspiracy theories are increasingly shaping politics, public health, and social relationships, we need to understand where they come from and why they persist.

More than that, we need compassion for the people who believe them. Aaronovitch’s greatest contribution might be his refusal to simply mock conspiracy theorists. He takes them seriously enough to understand them, even as he dismantles their theories.

That’s the approach we need more of—not sneering dismissal, but patient, thoughtful engagement. Because the person who believes a conspiracy theory today might be your friend, your family member, or even you tomorrow. We’re all vulnerable to these patterns of thinking, especially when we’re scared or confused or feeling powerless.

Understanding conspiracy theories isn’t about feeling superior to the people who believe them. It’s about understanding ourselves—our needs, our fears, our very human desire for the world to make sense. And that’s something we can all relate to.

Have you read “Voodoo Histories”? What did you think? Or do you have experiences with conspiracy theories—either believing them or trying to talk someone out of them? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. This is exactly the kind of conversation we need to be having, and the Books4soul community is the perfect place for it.