New in paperback. Hardcover was published in 2023. Peter Burke examines the long history of humanity's ignorance across religion and science, war and politics, business and catastrophes. Burke reveals remarkable stories of ignorance's many forms - genuine or feigned, conscious and unconscious - from the wilful politicians who redrew Europe's borders in 1919, to the politics of whistleblowing and climate change denial. The result is a lively exploration of human knowledge across the ages—and the importance of recognising its limits.