Is It True?

USD $13.99 Tax Included

Out of stock

The facts behind the things we have been told

In this revealing book, Max Cryer explores the truth or otherwise of facts and beliefs we may have always been told are true, but which on closer examination may not be. In a wide-ranging book encompassing social history, language, music, politics, food, sport, the natural world and much more, we discover the truth behind some of our most cherished beliefs.

For example:

Do St Bernard dogs really carry brandy?
Does Santa Claus come from the North Pole?
Did Winston Churchill coin the term ‘Iron Curtain’?
‘OK’ is an American expression, right?
Tulips come from Holland, don’t they?
Did Sarah Palin say ‘I can see Russia from my house?’
Did Alexander Graham Bell invent the telephone?
Lady Godiva rode naked through Coventry – didn’t she?

Max Cryer is a seasoned author who is incapable of writing a dull word. Always fresh and amusing, he will take you on a journey through your acquired knowledge, testing whether it is really up to scratch.

SPECIFICATIONS: Paperback | 210 x 135 mm | 216 Pages |

SKU: 9781921966484 Categories: , , , , ,

Max Cryer has many years’ experience of researching and writing on aspects of language and social history. A well-known broadcaster and entertainer, he hosts a weekly radio show on the English language. In a long career, he has been a schoolteacher, a compere and television host, as well as a performer on the opera stage in London and in cabaret in Las Vegas and Hollywood. Now a full-time writer living in Auckland, he has written many books, including Who Said That First?, Love Me Tender, The Godzone Dictionary, Curious English Words and Phrases, Preposterous Proverbs and Every Dog Has Its Day.

In Daily – review May 2014

“Is It True? is full of interesting facts and figures and stories about erroneous ideas that come to be regarded as truth. There is a range of chapters and topics, … there is enough in this book to amuse, surprise and interest most people.”

To read full review click here


ABC Statewide Evenings – with Dom Knight – May 7, 2014

Author Max Cryer joins Dominic Knight to reveal the gap between what we think we know is true and what pure fiction. 

Listen here


Daily Telegraph.com – April 2014

by: DEBRA KILLALEA   From: news.com.au
Author Max Cryer dispels the simple truths which are actually lies in new book Is It True? read full article here.

Good Reading – April 2014 – extract

good reading april 2014 is it true


Be Exclusive – April 2014

‘As he debunks and dissects things we have always ‘known’, Max Cryer, highlights the power of individuals, the media and the grapevine to manufacture ‘reality’. It Is True? is amusing and thought provoking and a must have if you want to start a riot at the next trivia night you attend.’
To read full article click here.

ABC Melbourne, Saturday April 5 –  Breakfast with Hillary Harper 

Light FM – Conversation with Clayton

Additional information

Book Type

eBook ePub, eBook Mobi, Paperback

You may also like…

Every Dog Has Its Day

Max Cryer’s new book is a splendid collection of historical facts and eccentricities of language that will delight all dog-lovers and anyone with a morsel of interest in the world around them. Every Dog Has Its Day pays homage to man’s best friend, telling the stories of famous dogs in history, tracing the origins of some of our favourite breeds, showing how dogs have become a significant part of our language, and describing the amazing range of activities in which dogs are involved. Written with Max Cryer’s characteristic light touch and sense of humour, every page contains unexpected facts and fascinating stories: this book truly is a delight from beginning to end.

SPECIFICATIONS: Hardback | 198 mm x 126mm / 7¾ x 5 inches | 200 Pages |

Curious English Words and Phrases (2nd edition)

USD $16.99 Tax Included

The truth behind the expressions we use.

‘Cloud nine’, ‘at the drop of a hat’, ‘spitting image’, ‘mollycoddle’, ‘rigmarole’, ‘round robin’, ‘spill the beans’, ‘kick the bucket’, ‘balderdash’ and ‘touch wood’. There are so many curious words and phrases that we often use and yet haven’t you ever wondered why we say them, where they come from and what they mean?

Written by language expert Max Cryer, Curious Words and Phrases has all the answers behind some of the most interesting and perplexing words and expressions in the English language. Bulging with information, it’s a useful reference book and the ideal gift for anyone curious about the words and phrases we use.

SPECIFICATIONS: Paperback | 210 x 135 mm / 8.25 x 5.25 Inches | 432 Pages |