By Arunika Bhattacharya

No matter how much we deny it, we all love a good controversy. But these books take it to a whole new level by examining disputed matters and postulating mind boggling conspiracy theories.



[These theories are as put forth by the authors. This article has no intention of hurting anyone’s sentiments or beliefs. Please abstain from attacking the writer of the article personally!]



1. The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice

Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu or as we know her, Mother Teresa was an Albino, who devoted her entire adult life to serving those reeling under poverty and leprosy primarily in West Bengal, India. While the world sees her as the quintessential saint and epitome of selflessness, this book by Christopher Hitchens, portrays her in a different light altogether. The author quotes former members of her order, who give accounts of non-consensual baptism of the dying in her supposedly rigid and harsh institutions. Mother Teresa’s anti-abortion and anti-contraceptive ideologies stemming from her Roman Catholic views are highlighted, as that only adds to the burden of the poor families. Her financial ties with scandalous personalities have also been investigated and questioned in this book.

2. The Lincoln Conspiracy

Abraham Lincoln was the beloved President of the United States from 1861 to 1865, popular for abolishing slavery and modernizing the economy in America. His premature death- assassination by an American actor, John Wilkes Booth- left his people heartbroken. Authors David W. Balsiger and Charles E. Sellier, Jr. probe into his assassination. They put forward theories of a kidnapping conspiracy wherein the Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton, Union spy Lafayette C. Baker, Senator Benjamin F. Wade, Senator John Conness, other congressional Radical Republicans plot to kidnap the President. They intended to keep him away from the public while they spread news of his impeachment to dismantle his Reconstruction plans. According to the book, this group of conspirators hired Booth and his accomplices to kidnap Lincoln and provided him with confidential information regarding his whereabouts. However, all of Booth’s attempts failed, leading him to take the drastic step of assassinating the President.

3. Back from Dead: Inside the Subhash Bose Mystery

Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose was a great leader and continues to be Bengal’s pride. A lone wolf, he went against Mahatma Gandhi’s non-violent path of protesting against the British and formed his own army with the help of Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany. His sudden demise in 1945 shook the nation and remains a subject of speculation to this day. While the official news is that he died of third degree burns in a plane crash in Taipei, author Anuj Dhar begs to differ. The author has written this book after six years of extensive research into various sources, including the Russian archives. It hints at sinister motives behind his death, that the authorities do not want uncovered, rather than a simple plane crash. This book has a sequel called India’s Biggest Cover Up.

4. Day of Deceit: The Truth About FDR and Pearl Harbor

The attack on Pearl Harbor, a navel base of Honolulu, U.S., was a sudden military strike by Imperial Japan in 1941, killing thousands of soldiers and civilians. This caused America, which was neutral until then, to formally take entry into World War II. Author Robert Stinnett alleges that the then President, Franklin Roosevelt and his administration wilfully provoked and allowed the attack to take place to push the country into War. The book claims that the attacking ships were detected by radio but the information was deliberately withheld from the concerned authorities, who could have prevented the ambush.

5. The Murder of Princess Diana

Diana, Princess of Wales, was the first wife of Prince Charles of the famous British Royal Family. Diana was adored by the public for her candid nature and activism. She went against many prevailing societal norms and even royal guidelines. Her untimely death in a car accident devastated her admirers all over the world. This book by Noel Botham investigates her death and challenges the official account. The author hints at the rebellious Diana being the “victim of a professional hit squad”, as she had once predicted she would be.

6. Flight MH370: The Mystery

Flight MH370 was a Malaysian Airlines flight that disappeared on March 8, 2014 while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 occupants. Its disappearance has been dubbed the most mysterious event of aviation history as no concrete evidence to explain it has yet been discovered. Author Nigel Cawthorne comments, “In a world where we can be tracked by our mobile phones, CCTV and spy cameras, things do not just disappear. Especially not a big thing like a jumbo jet.” The book questions the unfruitful official investigations into the matter. It suggests there was a large scale cover up to conceal the U.S. Military’s shooting of the aircraft during a military exercise.

Do you think these books air wild conjectures or could there be more to what the authorities allow us to believe? Let us know in the comment section!

Cover art: hbr.org