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Conspiracy Theories - A Reading List

Was asked for this a while ago but here’s a reading list of books by academics & journalists which explain, historicise & contextualise where conspiracy theories come from, who believes them & why.

And how we try to counter them

First several excellent introductory books

‘Conspiracy Theories: A Primer’ by @JoeUscinski

‘Conspiracy Theories: A Critical Introduction’ by Jovan Byford

‘Voodoo Histories: How Conspiracy Theory Has Shaped Modern History’ by @DAaronovitch

Two excellent edited collections giving comprehensive cutting-edge overviews of the latest scholarship

‘Routledge Handbook of Conspiracy Theories’ edited by Michael Butter & Stephen Knight

‘Conspiracy Theories and the People Who Believe Them’ Edited by Joseph E. Uscinski

Two good basic introductions to the psychology of conspiracy theories

‘Suspicious Minds: Why We Believe Conspiracy Theories’ by Rob Brotherton

‘The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories’ by Jan-Willem van Prooijen

USA is mother lode for conspiracy theory so lots of books on this. Two classic & influential texts first

‘The Paranoid Style in American Politics’ by Richard J. Hofstadter

‘A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America’ by Michael Barkun

3 great overviews of US & CTs

‘American Conspiracy Theories’ by Joseph Uscinski & Joseph M. Parent

‘Real Enemies: Conspiracy Theories & American Democracy, World War I to 9/11’ by Kathryn S. Olmsted

‘Conspiracy Nation: Politics of Paranoia in Postwar America’ by Peter Knight

US Conspiracy Culture

‘Conspiracy Theories: Secrecy and Power in American Culture’ by Mark Fenster

‘Conspiracy Culture: From Kennedy to The X Files’ By Peter Knight

‘Empire of Conspiracy: The Culture of Paranoia in Postwar America’

Contemporary US & CTs

‘Republic of Lies: American Conspiracy Theorists and Their Surprising Rise to Power’ by @annamerlan

‘A Lot of People Are Saying: The New Conspiracism and the Assault on Democracy’
by Nancy L. Rosenblum & Russell Muirhead

Conspiracy culture outside US 1

‘Conspiracy Theories in the Arab World’
By Matthew Gray

‘Conspiracy Theories in Eastern Europe’
Ed. By Astapova et al

‘Russia Today & Conspiracy Theories: People, Power and Politics on RT’ by Ilya Yablokov and Precious N Chatterje-Doody

Conspiracy Culture outside US 2

‘Conspiracy Narratives South of the Border’ By Gonzalo Soltero

‘Europe: Continent of Conspiracies Conspiracy Theories in and about Europe’
Ed. By Andreas Önnerfors & André Krouwel

‘Conspiracy Theories & the Nordic Countries’ By Astapova et al

Conspiracy Theories & Philosophy

‘Conspiracy Theories: The Philosophical Debate’ Ed. By David Coady

‘The Philosophy of Conspiracy Theories’ by Matthew X R Dentith

‘Taking Conspiracy Theories Seriously’ by M X R Dentith

Conspiracy Theories & History

‘Conspiracies and Conspiracy Theory in Early Modern Europe From the Waldensians to the French Revolution’ ed. by Barry Coward, Julian Swann

‘The Hitler Conspiracies: The Third Reich and the Paranoid Imagination’ by @RichardEvans36

Specific Conspiracy Theories 1
Protocols of the Elders of Zion 1

‘Warrant for Genocide: The myth of the Jewish world conspiracy & the Protocols of the Elders of Zion’ by Norman Cohn

‘A Rumor about the Jews
Conspiracy, Anti-Semitism, & the Protocols of Zion’ by Stephen Bronner

Specific Conspiracy Theories 1
Protocols 2

‘Global Impact of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion: A Century-Old Myth’ Ed. By Esther Webman

‘The Plot: The Secret Story of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion’ by Will Eisner

‘Perennial Conspiracy’ by Michael Hagemeister

Specific Conspiracy Theories 2 Holocaust Denial

‘Denying the Holocaust: The Growing Assault on Truth and Memory’ by @deborahlipstadt

‘Holocaust Denial as an International Movement’ by Stephen Atkins

'Rewriting History: Lying, Denying & Revising the Holocaust' by @hopenothate

Specific Conspiracy Theories 3
QAnon

‘The Storm Is Upon Us: How QAnon Became a Movement, Cult, and Conspiracy Theory of Everything’ by @rothschildmd

‘Pastels and Pedophiles: Inside the Mind of QAnon’ by Mia Bloom & Sophia Moskalenko

Countering Conspiracy Theories

‘Red Pill, Blue Pill: How to Counteract the Conspiracy Theories That Are Killing Us’ by @DavidNeiwert

‘Escaping the Rabbit Hole: How to Debunk Conspiracy Theories Using Facts, Logic, and Respect’ by Mick West

Additional Resources

As well as the books suggested here, there are now lots of excellent articles on conspiracy theories you can find on Google Scholar by likes of @Karen_Douglas & @DrDanielJolley @_MAArgentino @intelwire etc.