Our Man In New York: Fake news in the Second World War

Join Henry Hemming to discover how the British used fake news to manipulate American public opinion and bring the US into the Second World War.

You've heard about Russian attempts to influence the last US presidential election. But did you know that the largest 'influence operation' ever launched in America had nothing to do with Moscow? It was run by the British, reached millions of Americans, and changed the course of the Second World War.

In this talk, Henry Hemming will use storytelling, music, props, and an audience game, to bring to life a particular episode from his book.

He will show how, in the months leading up to Pearl Harbour, a first-time MI6 spymaster, a failed American politician, a love-struck lyricist, and the president of the United States used a fake Nazi map to trick the American people. He will also reveal the surprising effect this had on world history.

This story is close to Henry's heart. As he will explain in the talk, the man who ran this undercover British operation during the war not only asked his grandmother to be a spy, but also saved Henry's father's life.

Henry Hemming is the bestselling author of 'M', the acclaimed biography of MI5 spymaster Maxwell Knight.