Unsolved Mysteries of American History: An Eye-Opening Journey through 500 Years of Discoveries, Disappearances, and Baffling Events [Hardcover]

Paul Aron (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0471153699 | ISBN-13: 978-0471153696 | Publication Date: September 22, 1997 | Edition: 1

"A lively tour through our past and an ingenious primer in the art of historical detection." --Robert A. Gross, author of The Minutemen and Their World

Did Leif Ericsson beat Columbus to America? What happened to the Lost Colony of Roanoke? Did Pocahontas really save John Smith? Did Davy Crockett die at the Alamo? What really happened to Amelia Earhart, and was she a spy? Who killed JFK?

Unsolved Mysteries of American History re-creates the most mystifying events of our past, following some of our greatest historians as they search for the elusive answers. Spanning more than five centuries--from Leif Ericsson and Columbus through Watergate and Iran-Contra--Aron makes sense of all the latest discoveries and speculations. Here is everything you could ever want from a detective story: dramatic twists and turns, intellectual challenges, frustrating dead-ends, murderous mayhem, and thrilling espionage.

"Stimulating and pleasurable, fair and objective . . . recommended for both the history buff and the fan of true-life mysteries."--Kirkus Reviews

"Everyone loves a mystery and a history mystery best of all. Aron has assembled an impressive array of 'whodunits.'" --Ivor Noel Hume, former director, Department of Archaeology, Colonial Williamsburg author of The Virginia Adventure

"A welcome gateway for historical exploration." --Booklist

"Aron performs something of a minor miracle: He zeroes in on the very core of historical mysteries and provides new insights for reconsidering mystifying events." --Allan W. Eckert, author of Sorrow in Our Heart

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

In a collection of 30 articles, Unsolved Mysteries of American History takes some of the most notable quandaries of the American past and tries to offer some solid answers, or at least alternate explanations. Paul Aron takes on the serious ("Why did Truman drop the bomb?") as well as the frivolous ("Did Babe Ruth call his shot?"). The book is written to entertain, but Aron provides a bibliography for further reading at the end of each essay, and steers readers to heavier tomes if they wish to dig deeper into the various subjects.

From Library Journal

Aron, a reporter for the Virginia Gazette, presents here his findings on significant "mysteries" of America's past. He briefly examines 30 controversial questions in chronological order, ranging from "When did the first people arrive in America?" to "What did Reagan know about Iran-contra?" Though he does not claim to provide definitive answers, he offers evidence for both sides of every issue. Each chapter ends with a bibliography. Perhaps the most interesting question tackled is "How did Davy Crockett die?"; Aron strongly suggests that Crockett surrendered at the Alamo rather than fighting to his death there. The author's simple, straightforward style is suitable for junior-high level and above. This volume is comparable to Richard Shenkman's Legends, Lies, and Cherished Myths of American History (Morrow, 1988). Recommended for public libraries.?Norman Malwitz, Queens Borough P.L., Great Neck, N.Y.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (September 22, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471153699
• ISBN-13: 978-0471153696
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #313,441 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Paul Aron is Managing Editor of Publications at The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Previously he was a reporter for The Virginia Gazette, executive editor at Simon and Schuster, and editor at Doubleday.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for serious history students, July 7, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Unsolved Mysteries of American History: An Eye-Opening Journey through 500 Years of Discoveries, Disappearances, and Baffling Events (Paperback)

Does not try to force pet answers to vast historial questions, but gives the readers a good foundation for thought and further study. As a high school history teacher I would want my students to step into something like this; rather than the water down junk in most texts.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Interesting Look At The Major Events Of The US, March 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Unsolved Mysteries of American History: An Eye-Opening Journey through 500 Years of Discoveries, Disappearances, and Baffling Events (Hardcover)

This book gives all of its readers a very interesting and in depth veiw of the major events that have shaped America's History. even if you dont know abot all of the events that are included within its pages, it is stil very intriuging. I would say that if if American History floats your boat give this book a read.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ahh good old American History, January 28, 2008

By 

cooperandre (Fullerton, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unsolved Mysteries of American History: An Eye-Opening Journey through 500 Years of Discoveries, Disappearances, and Baffling Events (Paperback)

Impartial presentation of unsolved mysteries of American history, the author gives all comparative points of view as well as utmost current revisionist views of unsolved history. I especially enjoyed the fact that at the end of each subject the author gives you a list of additional research for each subject, as this book contains 30 subjects and lightly give the reader a brief scenario of each topic, not nearly as in-depth as some may like but enough to provoke further research. The author has done a very fine job of compiling the facts of each event and presenting them with in the timeline of history.