The Truth is the twenty-fifth
Discworld novel by
Terry Pratchett, published in 2000.
The book features the coming of
movable type to
Ankh-Morpork, and the founding of the
Discworld's first newspaper by
William de Worde, as he invents investigative journalism with the help of his reporter
Sacharissa Cripslock. The two investigate the charges of embezzlement and attempted murder against
Havelock Vetinari, and help vindicate him.
The
Ankh-Morpork City Watch characters also appear in this novel, but have limited roles and are seen mainly from de Worde's perspective.
C.M.O.T. Dibbler also puts in an appearance.
Plot summary
William de Worde is the
black sheep of an influential Ankh-Morpork family, scraping out a humble lifestyle as a common scribe and making extra pocket money by producing a
gossipy newsletter for foreign notables.
When William falls in with a group of dwarves who have come to Ankh-Morpork to set up shop with their printing press, he inadvertently founds AM’s first newspaper. Realizing that with their press the dwarves can help him put out a newsletter every day, William begins scrambling to find enough interesting events to fill up the space. Arguing that it isn’t worth the effort just to make a few copies for William’s wealthy foreign subscribers, the dwarves print hundreds of copies of the “Ankh-Morpork Times” and hire a group of
oddball beggars to pitch them on the street. William is shocked when the newsheets sell like
hot cakes, bringing in more...
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