# Autobiographies/Memoirs With Deliberate Factual Misstatements Or Lies?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/autobiographies-memoirs-with-deliberate-factual-misstatements-or-lies/523702>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [January 5, 2010, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/autobiographies-memoirs-with-deliberate-factual-misstatements-or-lies/523702 "2010-01-05T01:03:35Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/autobiographies-memoirs-with-deliberate-factual-misstatements-or-lies/523702/61 "2010-01-10T03:40:31Z")

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The Sercret History of the Mongols (Ghengis Khan’s story) seems like it had some made up victories and often grossly exaggerated the enemy army’s size. no doubt the Mongols kicked some serious ass as well.

Maybe Tamerlane can add to this thread (if he hasn’t already)

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**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\
**Post date:** [January 10, 2010, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/autobiographies-memoirs-with-deliberate-factual-misstatements-or-lies/523702/62 "2010-01-10T04:09:06Z")

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> [@salinqmind](#):
>
> David Niven wrote two immensely entertaining books about Hollywood that are said to be highly embellished. Supposedly he used other people’s stories as his own.

But they were so charming! Truly, he told them so much better than the originals that they would be forced to admit it.

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**Author:** ![ryobserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@ryobserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryobserver)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2010, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/autobiographies-memoirs-with-deliberate-factual-misstatements-or-lies/523702/63 "2010-01-11T01:24:15Z")

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> [@The New and Improved Superman](#):
>
> Lillian Hellman’s memoir “Pentimento” is supposed to a great big bowl of b.s., especially the whole bit about engaging in espionage in nazi-era Germany (that was turned into the Jane Fonda movie “Julia”.)

I came in to mention that one. The real “Julia” was probably Dr. Muriel Gardiner, who never met Hellman (but they had the same lawyer). Hellman insisted Gardiner and Julia were different people, which is possible \*\*if \*\*were **two** American woman doctors, from wealthy families, active in the anti-Nazi resistance in Vienna at the same time, who never met and had no friends in common, but both hit on the idea of having a friend smuggle them something by hiding it in the lining of a hat (as seen in the movie). This seems to stretch coincidence a bit far.

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