It's an irresistible combination: Brad Meltzer, a born storyteller, counting down the world's most intriguing unsolved mysteries. And to make this richly illustrated book even richer, each chapter invites the reader along for an interactive experience through the addition of facsimile documents-the evidence! It's a treasure trove for conspiracy buffs, a Griffin and Sabine for history lovers.
Adapted from Decoded, Meltzer's hit show on the HISTORY network, History Decoded explores fascinating, unexplained questions. Is Fort Knox empty? Why was Hitler so intent on capturing the Roman "Spear of Destiny"? What's the government hiding in Area 51? Where did the Confederacy's $19 million in gold and silver go at the end of the Civil War? And did Lee Harvey Oswald really act alone? Meltzer sifts through the evidence; weighs competing theories; separates what we know to be true with what's still-and perhaps forever-unproved or unprovable; and in the end, decodes the mystery, arriving at the most likely solution. Along the way we meet Freemasons, Rosicrucians, Nazi propagandists, and the real DB Cooper.
A riveting adventure through the compelling world of mysteries and conspiracies. Based on his hit TV show, Brad Meltzer's bestselling History Decoded explores the ten greatest unsolved mysteries of all time. From Leonardo Da Vinci to Lee Harvey Oswald, Meltzer travels through history, providing stories and hands-on evidence to take readers deep into the world of conspiracies and unanswered questions. Brad Meltzer is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Inner Circle, The Book of Fate, and seven other bestselling thrillers. In addition to his fiction, Brad is one of the only authors to ever have books on the bestseller list for nonfiction (History Decoded), advice (Heroes for My Son and Heroes for My Daughter), children's books (I Am Amelia Earhart and I Am Abraham Lincoln) and even graphic books (Justice League of America). He is also the host of Brad Meltzer's Decoded on the History Channel, and Brad Meltzer's Lost History on H2. He currently lives in Florida. You can find much more about him at BradMeltzer.com. You can also see what he's doing right now at Facebook.com/BradMeltzer and on Twitter @bradmeltzer.
John Wilkes Booth: Was Lincoln's Assassin Apprehended?
WHAT IF I TOLD YOU that after murdering President Abraham Lincoln, the most famous assassin in American history lived for 40 more years?
We all know the story: In 1865, on a Friday night at Ford's Theatre, John Wilkes Booth killed our 16th president with a single bullet to the back of his head. Instantly becoming America's most wanted man, Booth jumped from the presidential balcony and fled on horseback across Maryland and Virginia. But some speculate that the history books-which tell us that Booth was shot 12 days later at Garrett's farm near Port Royal, Virginia-are flat-out wrong.
Some believe Booth didn't die that night. They claim he was actually acting on behalf of the Confederate Secret Service, who then aided him in his escape. They argue the man killed at Garrett's barn was actually a look-alike, a patsy used to throw off Union soldiers. What's even more amazing: This is just one of three plausible theories of Booth's escape. If there's even the slightest possibility John Wilkes Booth was able to escape the law and live as a fugitive for another 40 years, I want to know what happened.
It's time to decode John Wilkes Booth.
It's an irresistable combination: master storyteller Brad Meltzer, counting down the world's top ten most intriguing stories-the great conspiracies, from Leonardo da Vinci's stolen prophecy to the Kennedy assassination. Adapted from Metlzer's hit series on HISTORY®, the book explores those fascinating, unexplained questions that nag at history buffs and conspiracy lovers: Why was Hitler so intent on capturing the Roman "Spear of Destiny"? Where di
