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The Folio Book of Historical Mysteries
From the publisher's website:
From the decline and fall of the Roman empire to the assassination of John F. Kennedy, history is littered with tantalising enigmas that have defied easy explanation and generated a wealth of speculation.
In this book of historical whodunits, Ian Pindar has drawn upon the wisdom of many of the leading experts to dispel myth and propaganda, weigh the evidence and reveal the most likely solutions to 20 of the past’s most intractable mysteries. Some of these mysteries, such as the murder of the princes in the Tower, are familiar from our schooldays. Others were the causes célèbres of their day: why was the Mary Celeste abandoned by her crew? Did Anastasia miraculously survive the callous murder of the Russian imperial family in 1918?
Many conundrums are so old that they have become the subject of legend. The disappearance of 130 children from the German town of Hamelin in 1284 gave rise to tales of a charismatic piper who lured them from their homes – but what is the truth concealed behind the well known story? As A. J. P. Taylor said, the duty of the historian ‘is to understand what happened and why it happened’. For anyone who has been captivated by the legend of Atlantis or dreamt about unearthing Captain Kidd’s pirate treasure, this book will prove impossible to put down.
From the decline and fall of the Roman empire to the assassination of John F. Kennedy, history is littered with tantalising enigmas that have defied easy explanation and generated a wealth of speculation.
In this book of historical whodunits, Ian Pindar has drawn upon the wisdom of many of the leading experts to dispel myth and propaganda, weigh the evidence and reveal the most likely solutions to 20 of the past’s most intractable mysteries. Some of these mysteries, such as the murder of the princes in the Tower, are familiar from our schooldays. Others were the causes célèbres of their day: why was the Mary Celeste abandoned by her crew? Did Anastasia miraculously survive the callous murder of the Russian imperial family in 1918?
Many conundrums are so old that they have become the subject of legend. The disappearance of 130 children from the German town of Hamelin in 1284 gave rise to tales of a charismatic piper who lured them from their homes – but what is the truth concealed behind the well known story? As A. J. P. Taylor said, the duty of the historian ‘is to understand what happened and why it happened’. For anyone who has been captivated by the legend of Atlantis or dreamt about unearthing Captain Kidd’s pirate treasure, this book will prove impossible to put down.
- GenresNonfictionHistory
352 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 20, 2025
£5 well spent in a charity shop. This is a collection of essays on different historical mysteries. There's something for everyone: the building of Stonehenge, the abandonment of the Mary Celeste, and (my personal favourite) the fate of the Princes in the Tower. Perhaps a book best dipped into.
Some of the essays haven't aged well against subsequent scholarship. That's inevitable and doesn't detract from them as decent introductions to a wide range of happenings.
Some of the essays haven't aged well against subsequent scholarship. That's inevitable and doesn't detract from them as decent introductions to a wide range of happenings.
August 25, 2010
An anthology of essays will always bring a mix of quality and this commissioned volume by the Folio Society is no different. This volume covers 20 historical mysteries that are "unsolved." Each essay is authored by an expert in the topic or the field and offers their thoughts and potential solution to the question at hand. Several topics seem to be prefunctory; Stonehenge and Atlantis come to mind, included when there is little to add or even when there is not much of mystery to the topic. Others offer interesting insights in both the topic and the methodology behind the author's conclusions. The sections of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, Mary Celeste and Jack Ripper all offered well thought and, at least to me, new perspectives on the subject. Others, Kasper Hauser and Voynich Manuscripts were subjects I was not familiar but found interesting. 3 stars all-in-all, but on an indivdual basis sections would rate from 1 star (Atlantis) to 5 (Man in the Iron Mask, Pied Piper).
February 4, 2014
Good, if occasionally dated collection of essays about an assortment of historical mysteries through time. Examples include: Was Atlantis real? Was Napoleon murdered? Why did Rome fall? Was Robin Hood real or a myth?
The section on Grand Duchess Anastasia doesn't benefit from information learned in the last few years, that would have made a fitting coda to the chapter. And the piece on "Who Shot JFK?" disappointed me because it merely trotted out the kind of crazy scenarios that have been lampooned time and again.
The conclusions drawn about Jack the Ripper, the Mary Celeste and the Man in the Iron Mask struck me as more credible. And if not more credible, they were at least very thought-provoking.
"What Happened to the Amber Room?" was my favorite, primarily because it was the only mystery which was entirely new to me.
The section on Grand Duchess Anastasia doesn't benefit from information learned in the last few years, that would have made a fitting coda to the chapter. And the piece on "Who Shot JFK?" disappointed me because it merely trotted out the kind of crazy scenarios that have been lampooned time and again.
The conclusions drawn about Jack the Ripper, the Mary Celeste and the Man in the Iron Mask struck me as more credible. And if not more credible, they were at least very thought-provoking.
"What Happened to the Amber Room?" was my favorite, primarily because it was the only mystery which was entirely new to me.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews