More Unsolved Mysteries Of History, From Jamestown To Jimmy Hoffa

by Paul Aron

Who killed Martin Luther King, Jr.? Were POWs left behind in Vietnam? Did St. Brendan the Navigator discover America, centuries before Columbus? In this encore to Unsolved Mysteries of American History, Paul Aron sleuths out some of our nation’s most perplexing puzzles. Drawing on the latest research, he marshals the evidence on thirty enduring riddles,Was Aaron Burr a traitor? Did Lincoln provoke the attack on Fort Sumter? Why didn’t the Allies bomb Auschwitz? Who was Emily Dickinson’s “Master”—the man (or woman) who inspired her love poems? Did Shoeless Joe Jackson throw the 1919 World Series? Who was to blame for the Bay of Pigs fiasco? What has J.D. Salinger written since he stopped publishing? What caused Gulf War Syndrome? For each mystery, Aron lays out the facts, deftly summarizing competing theories, and judiciously weighing the evidence. Complete with extensive suggestions for further reading, his book is a wonderful way to explore some of America’s most intriguing historical conundrums—and a tantalizing read from first page to last.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, American History

232 pages, Hardcover

First published January 19, 2004

About the author

Paul Aron is senior editor at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Previously he was a reporter for The Virginia Gazette and executive editor at Simon & Schuster.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Warning: Readers picking up this book in order to read solutions to the mysteries presented will be disappointed. Nothing conclusive will be given, allowing the reader to make his or her own judgement. After all, the title itself says the mysteries are unsolved (although one has been solved since the publishing of this book regarding the identification of "Deep Throat," and the person was mentioned in Aron's write-up, so I give him some credit). I saw the reviews for this book from my fellow readers complaining about this aspect, so future readers beware. If instead one reads the book, as I did, ready to be presented with evidence pointing to possible answers for which you can decide for yourself, you should enjoy it. It contains 30 mysteries spanning the history of America and the United States from pre-colonial times to the 1990s in chronological order. Aron provides pertinent evidence to argue various angles of the mysteries, allowing the reader to see why answers have been inconclusive, hence the mystery. At the end of each mystery, Aron includes an annotated bibliography of sources, some of which are mentioned in his write-up, organized chronologically for readers to investigate the mysteries further. I found some mysteries to be well-known, others I never heard of, and still others were events in history I never realized had been called into question. I think the range of topics provides something for everyone, as long as readers are NOT looking for answers to the mysteries.

[Jacquelyn Stevenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys history and the occasional historical conspiracy. Each chapter is filled with one of America’s unsolved mysteries. There were some things I knew and some things I learned. Very interesting and captivating! Highly recommend

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

Which remain unsolved, uniformative