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The Lost Tomb: And Other Real-Life Stories of Bones, Burials, and Murder
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite History & Biography (2024)Douglas Preston, the #1 bestselling author of The Lost City of the Monkey God , presents jaw-dropping true stories of Egyptian burial chambers, prehistoric ruins, pirate treasure, bizarre crimes, and more…
What's it like to be the first to enter an Egyptian burial chamber that's been sealed for thousands of years? What horrifying secret was found among the prehistoric ruins of the American Southwest? Who really was the infamous the Monster of Florence?
Douglas Preston's journalistic explorations have taken him from the haunted country of Italy to the jungles of Honduras. He was granted exclusive journalistic access to the largest tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Kings, broke the story of an extraordinary mass grave of animals killed by the asteroid impact that ended the Cretaceous period and caused the extinction of the dinosaurs, and explored what lay hidden in the booby-trapped Money Pit on Oak Island. When he hasn't been co-authoring bestselling thrillers featuring FBI Agent Pendergast, Preston has been writing about some of the world’s strangest and most dramatic mysteries.
The Lost Tomb brings together an astonishing and compelling collection of true stories about buried treasure, enigmatic murders, lost tombs, bizarre crimes, and other fascinating tales of the past and present.
What's it like to be the first to enter an Egyptian burial chamber that's been sealed for thousands of years? What horrifying secret was found among the prehistoric ruins of the American Southwest? Who really was the infamous the Monster of Florence?
Douglas Preston's journalistic explorations have taken him from the haunted country of Italy to the jungles of Honduras. He was granted exclusive journalistic access to the largest tomb in Egypt's Valley of the Kings, broke the story of an extraordinary mass grave of animals killed by the asteroid impact that ended the Cretaceous period and caused the extinction of the dinosaurs, and explored what lay hidden in the booby-trapped Money Pit on Oak Island. When he hasn't been co-authoring bestselling thrillers featuring FBI Agent Pendergast, Preston has been writing about some of the world’s strangest and most dramatic mysteries.
The Lost Tomb brings together an astonishing and compelling collection of true stories about buried treasure, enigmatic murders, lost tombs, bizarre crimes, and other fascinating tales of the past and present.
300 pages, Hardcover
First published December 5, 2023
1243 people are currently reading
23202 people want to read
About the author
Douglas Preston
178 books13.4k followersDouglas Preston was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1956, and grew up in the deadly boring suburb of Wellesley. Following a distinguished career at a private nursery school--he was almost immediately expelled--he attended public schools and the Cambridge School of Weston. Notable events in his early life included the loss of a fingertip at the age of three to a bicycle; the loss of his two front teeth to his brother Richard's fist; and various broken bones, also incurred in dust-ups with Richard. (Richard went on to write The Hot Zone and The Cobra Event, which tells you all you need to know about what it was like to grow up with him as a brother.)
As they grew up, Doug, Richard, and their little brother David roamed the quiet suburbs of Wellesley, terrorizing the natives with home-made rockets and incendiary devices mail-ordered from the backs of comic books or concocted from chemistry sets. With a friend they once attempted to fly a rocket into Wellesley Square; the rocket malfunctioned and nearly killed a man mowing his lawn. They were local celebrities, often appearing in the "Police Notes" section of The Wellesley Townsman. It is a miracle they survived childhood intact.
After unaccountably being rejected by Stanford University (a pox on it), Preston attended Pomona College in Claremont, California, where he studied mathematics, biology, physics, anthropology, chemistry, geology, and astronomy before settling down to English literature. After graduating, Preston began his career at the American Museum of Natural History in New York as an editor, writer, and eventually manager of publications. (Preston also taught writing at Princeton University and was managing editor of Curator.) His eight-year stint at the Museum resulted in the non-fiction book, Dinosaurs in the Attic, edited by a rising young star at St. Martin's Press, a polymath by the name of Lincoln Child. During this period, Preston gave Child a midnight tour of the museum, and in the darkened Hall of Late Dinosaurs, under a looming T. Rex, Child turned to Preston and said: "This would make the perfect setting for a thriller!" That thriller would, of course, be Relic.
In 1986, Douglas Preston piled everything he owned into the back of a Subaru and moved from New York City to Santa Fe to write full time, following the advice of S. J. Perelman that "the dubious privilege of a freelance writer is he's given the freedom to starve anywhere." After the requisite period of penury, Preston achieved a small success with the publication of Cities of Gold, a non-fiction book about Coronado's search for the legendary Seven Cities of Cibola. To research the book, Preston and a friend retraced on horseback 1,000 miles of Coronado's route across Arizona and New Mexico, packing their supplies and sleeping under the stars--nearly killing themselves in the process. Since then he has published several more non-fiction books on the history of the American Southwest, Talking to the Ground and The Royal Road, as well as a novel entitled Jennie. In the early 1990s Preston and Child teamed up to write suspense novels; Relic was the first, followed by several others, including Riptide and Thunderhead. Relic was released as a motion picture by Paramount in 1997. Other films are under development at Hollywood studios. Preston and Child live 500 miles apart and write their books together via telephone, fax, and the Internet.
Preston and his brother Richard are currently producing a television miniseries for ABC and Mandalay Entertainment, to be aired in the spring of 2000, if all goes well, which in Hollywood is rarely the case.
Preston continues a magazine writing career by contributing regularly to The New Yorker magazine. He has also written for National Geographic, Natural History, Smithsonisan, Harper's,and Travel & Leisure,among others.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/dougla...
As they grew up, Doug, Richard, and their little brother David roamed the quiet suburbs of Wellesley, terrorizing the natives with home-made rockets and incendiary devices mail-ordered from the backs of comic books or concocted from chemistry sets. With a friend they once attempted to fly a rocket into Wellesley Square; the rocket malfunctioned and nearly killed a man mowing his lawn. They were local celebrities, often appearing in the "Police Notes" section of The Wellesley Townsman. It is a miracle they survived childhood intact.
After unaccountably being rejected by Stanford University (a pox on it), Preston attended Pomona College in Claremont, California, where he studied mathematics, biology, physics, anthropology, chemistry, geology, and astronomy before settling down to English literature. After graduating, Preston began his career at the American Museum of Natural History in New York as an editor, writer, and eventually manager of publications. (Preston also taught writing at Princeton University and was managing editor of Curator.) His eight-year stint at the Museum resulted in the non-fiction book, Dinosaurs in the Attic, edited by a rising young star at St. Martin's Press, a polymath by the name of Lincoln Child. During this period, Preston gave Child a midnight tour of the museum, and in the darkened Hall of Late Dinosaurs, under a looming T. Rex, Child turned to Preston and said: "This would make the perfect setting for a thriller!" That thriller would, of course, be Relic.
In 1986, Douglas Preston piled everything he owned into the back of a Subaru and moved from New York City to Santa Fe to write full time, following the advice of S. J. Perelman that "the dubious privilege of a freelance writer is he's given the freedom to starve anywhere." After the requisite period of penury, Preston achieved a small success with the publication of Cities of Gold, a non-fiction book about Coronado's search for the legendary Seven Cities of Cibola. To research the book, Preston and a friend retraced on horseback 1,000 miles of Coronado's route across Arizona and New Mexico, packing their supplies and sleeping under the stars--nearly killing themselves in the process. Since then he has published several more non-fiction books on the history of the American Southwest, Talking to the Ground and The Royal Road, as well as a novel entitled Jennie. In the early 1990s Preston and Child teamed up to write suspense novels; Relic was the first, followed by several others, including Riptide and Thunderhead. Relic was released as a motion picture by Paramount in 1997. Other films are under development at Hollywood studios. Preston and Child live 500 miles apart and write their books together via telephone, fax, and the Internet.
Preston and his brother Richard are currently producing a television miniseries for ABC and Mandalay Entertainment, to be aired in the spring of 2000, if all goes well, which in Hollywood is rarely the case.
Preston continues a magazine writing career by contributing regularly to The New Yorker magazine. He has also written for National Geographic, Natural History, Smithsonisan, Harper's,and Travel & Leisure,among others.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/dougla...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 709 reviews
December 8, 2023
The Lost Tomb is an excellent collection of previously published magazine journals by Preston.
There are altogether 13 stories, my favorite has to be "Unexplained Deaths" section.
I never heard of Roopkund lake in the Himalayas before and to know they found hundreds of 500-800 year-old bones and skulls there just blows my mind. It's a mass grave and very intriguing.
I love reading about the Dyatlov Expedition where all 9 experienced campers and skiers died. It's always interesting hearing about the theories but I didn't know there were as many as 70+ "explanations" some more farfetched than others.
What I wasn't expecting to see is Amanda Knox's case. It's very disturbing that the public prosecutor in Knox's case and the Monster of Florence serial murders is the same man, Giuliano Mignini. There's no word for this man except epic fail. Preston and crime reporter, Mario Spezi got entangled with that drama. The Monster of Florence limited series is coming to Apple TV and I can't wait to see it.
There are so many excellent stories to list. Now that I'm going through the contents, I enjoyed them all!
I didn't know beforehand that the author used to be a writer and editor at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Now I know where the setting and inspiration for Relic came from!
I do wish there were answers to every story here and have to agree with retired archaeologist Stuart Fiedel, "I hate unsolved mysteries" too!
I've been wanting to read Preston's nonfiction book like The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story which has been on my TBR for some time. I'm glad to finally get a sneak peek into his other writings besides my all-time favorite series of his with Lincoln Child, Aloysius Pendergast Series through an advance reader's copy. Highly recommend it to those who enjoy true crime, history, Archaeology, Paleontology, Anthropology, and peculiar mysteries.
Thank you Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for the DRC.
Available Dec 5, 2023
There are altogether 13 stories, my favorite has to be "Unexplained Deaths" section.
I never heard of Roopkund lake in the Himalayas before and to know they found hundreds of 500-800 year-old bones and skulls there just blows my mind. It's a mass grave and very intriguing.
I love reading about the Dyatlov Expedition where all 9 experienced campers and skiers died. It's always interesting hearing about the theories but I didn't know there were as many as 70+ "explanations" some more farfetched than others.
What I wasn't expecting to see is Amanda Knox's case. It's very disturbing that the public prosecutor in Knox's case and the Monster of Florence serial murders is the same man, Giuliano Mignini. There's no word for this man except epic fail. Preston and crime reporter, Mario Spezi got entangled with that drama. The Monster of Florence limited series is coming to Apple TV and I can't wait to see it.
There are so many excellent stories to list. Now that I'm going through the contents, I enjoyed them all!
I didn't know beforehand that the author used to be a writer and editor at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. Now I know where the setting and inspiration for Relic came from!
I do wish there were answers to every story here and have to agree with retired archaeologist Stuart Fiedel, "I hate unsolved mysteries" too!
I've been wanting to read Preston's nonfiction book like The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story which has been on my TBR for some time. I'm glad to finally get a sneak peek into his other writings besides my all-time favorite series of his with Lincoln Child, Aloysius Pendergast Series through an advance reader's copy. Highly recommend it to those who enjoy true crime, history, Archaeology, Paleontology, Anthropology, and peculiar mysteries.
Thank you Grand Central Publishing and Netgalley for the DRC.
Available Dec 5, 2023
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July 12, 2023
⤅ Nonfiction Book of the Month: May 2023
I'm alive! Was just in a terrible book slump that lasted WEEKS. Naturally, it took a nonfiction book about murders and mysteries to snap me out of it.
This is actually a collection of previously published journal articles by Preston, spanning the last 35-ish years of his career, on a variety of topics - the Oak Island mystery, the Monster of Florence serial killer, human cannibalism in South America, and more. Some articles are definitely better than others. The eponymous article about the 'lost tomb', for example, is fascinating: it's about the discovery by Kent Weeks of KV5, tomb of Ramesses II's sons, and the greatest archaeological discovery in the Valley of Kings since Howard Carter opened up Tutankhamun's tomb.
Each article comes with an 'update' section detailing some developments that have occurred since it was published. This is particularly useful for those articles published decades ago, but the updates could have been a LOT more detailed. Ultimately, it's not what you could call a satisfying book, because it just offers bite-sized chunks of mysteries so profound entire books could be dedicated to them. Still, a good starting point for getting involved with some of the more bizarre things the world has to offer.
December 10, 2023
This is a collection of essays that the author has written for various magazines throughout the years. It’s non fiction with different topics, often thrilling ones. Murders, mysteries, fraud and fossils. I really enjoyed this and wish the book had been twice as thick!
May 22, 2024
Listened to the audiobook with Simon.
May 30, 2024
A fascinating collection of Preston’s nonfiction pieces he had written for various publications over the years. Preston has lived an extraordinary life and met many interesting figures that have given him such interesting subjects to write about. Fans of his fiction novels will recognize where he found a lot of inspiration as they’re reading through these articles.
December 5, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley, Hachette Audio, and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC. It hasn't affected the contents of my review.
I didn't realize going in that this would be a collection of the author's previously published essays and articles, mostly from The New Yorker, but in the end it didn't really matter. Even though nearly all of them were out of date, most published in the 90s and early 2000s, Preston gives 2023 updates on the articles when called for.
I had a good time listening to this. I love stories about lost treasures, the science of figuring out Why Humans and Where Humans, etc., and academic drama (there is so much of that in here). We've also got forged arrowheads sold for thousands of dollars, cannibalism, mysterious deaths, and lots of fights over human remains. My favorite chapter was probably the one about the Dyatlov Pass incident in Russia. That one had an extremely interesting hook, and the added bonus of the mystery being solved by the end.
I would definitely recommend this if you're in the mood for crusty long dead bones, and scholarly controversy.
I didn't realize going in that this would be a collection of the author's previously published essays and articles, mostly from The New Yorker, but in the end it didn't really matter. Even though nearly all of them were out of date, most published in the 90s and early 2000s, Preston gives 2023 updates on the articles when called for.
I had a good time listening to this. I love stories about lost treasures, the science of figuring out Why Humans and Where Humans, etc., and academic drama (there is so much of that in here). We've also got forged arrowheads sold for thousands of dollars, cannibalism, mysterious deaths, and lots of fights over human remains. My favorite chapter was probably the one about the Dyatlov Pass incident in Russia. That one had an extremely interesting hook, and the added bonus of the mystery being solved by the end.
I would definitely recommend this if you're in the mood for crusty long dead bones, and scholarly controversy.
November 28, 2024
3.5 stars. I loved the mysteries he talked about, but I felt most could have been condensed. I also didn’t understand why he spoke so derogatorily toward “conspiracy theories”, when in fact they are much more closer to his passions than he realizes. At one point, he even spoke in a general way about disliking anyone who thought outside the mainstream. Like, WHAT???
November 19, 2023
Douglas Preston is part of one of my favorite team authors, Preston & Child. So I always make it a point to read their individual endeavors. And The Lost Tomb did not disappoint.
The Lost Tomb contains a collection of thirteen different true stories. Some of them I was familiar with, but most of them were new to me. What I found interesting is that some of these true stories inspired Preston & Child’s popular fiction novels such as Dead Mountain and Riptide.
The collection of stories are varied and cover topics from pirate treasure, cannabalism in the Southwest, a newly discovered Egyptian tomb, as well as the Monster of Florence investigation. All of the stories provided a behind the scenes look into Preston’s journalistic pursuits. It was very interesting to say the least.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Lost Tomb and I look forward to reading more non-fiction books from the author. Five solid stars.
I received a DRC from Grand Central Publishing through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
The Lost Tomb contains a collection of thirteen different true stories. Some of them I was familiar with, but most of them were new to me. What I found interesting is that some of these true stories inspired Preston & Child’s popular fiction novels such as Dead Mountain and Riptide.
The collection of stories are varied and cover topics from pirate treasure, cannabalism in the Southwest, a newly discovered Egyptian tomb, as well as the Monster of Florence investigation. All of the stories provided a behind the scenes look into Preston’s journalistic pursuits. It was very interesting to say the least.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Lost Tomb and I look forward to reading more non-fiction books from the author. Five solid stars.
I received a DRC from Grand Central Publishing through NetGalley. The review herein is completely my own and contains my honest thoughts and opinions.
January 5, 2024
This is not an unbiased review. I've been a fan of Preston's work for decades, both solo and in collaboration with Lincoln Child. I reached the point long ago where I just automatically buy and read anything that has either of their names on it. Experience tells me that I won't be let down.
The Lost Tomb is nonfiction, a collection of articles that Preston has written over the years for magazines like Smithsonian and The New Yorker. He writes of archeological expeditions, true crime, the Oak Island mystery, the Dyatlov Pass incident, and more. Longtime readers of his fiction will recognize the Genesis of many of his books in these journalistic pieces (though at least one was written *after* the novel in question was published, a case of life imitating art.)
The articles are fascinating. Preston seems equally facile with fiction and non- . I also appreciated the afterwords for each article, where he goes into detail about any new information that's come out since the article was published.
As I said, I've reached the point where I'll buy and happily read anything with Douglas Preston's name on it. The Lost Tomb only gives me further incentive to do so. Highly recommended!
The Lost Tomb is nonfiction, a collection of articles that Preston has written over the years for magazines like Smithsonian and The New Yorker. He writes of archeological expeditions, true crime, the Oak Island mystery, the Dyatlov Pass incident, and more. Longtime readers of his fiction will recognize the Genesis of many of his books in these journalistic pieces (though at least one was written *after* the novel in question was published, a case of life imitating art.)
The articles are fascinating. Preston seems equally facile with fiction and non- . I also appreciated the afterwords for each article, where he goes into detail about any new information that's come out since the article was published.
As I said, I've reached the point where I'll buy and happily read anything with Douglas Preston's name on it. The Lost Tomb only gives me further incentive to do so. Highly recommended!
dnf
December 5, 2024Maybe trying this on audio was a mistake for me, I don't know, but although the stories may be interesting I couldn't stand how much the author sang his own praises throughout it all. He seemed to keep coming back to how great he is, and how brilliant his novels are.
January 10, 2024
*libby app, Overdrive was better *
----
Overall very enjoyable with one I was meh on and the other I lost my appetite for part of the day.
The narrator (not the author btw) does a good job.
My mini reviews individually: (being lazy and copying from status updates, may not be in book order)
Never knew about the Monster of Florence. ..wow.
All the misconduct in the case, it might never be solved.
This idiot in charge should have been fired and sued imho.. and he was in charge of the Amanda Knox case??? *facepalm* He was in trouble for his behavior in the other one, why was he in charge of this??
Skeletons in the lake.. intriguing mystery. Wonder if anyone will ever find out what happened.
Skeletons in the Closet: Again, I see both sides of the narrative, and I sympathize more with the Indians. I hope that both sides can come to an agreement/solution, but I think the museums may really dig their heels in.
Will have to lookup more on this later on.
It's appalling some of the collection practices... and what they did to those four people who died of tuberculosis after coming here, made me feel illwhen they returned fire so to speak) not get into trouble 🤔??? Feel free to tell me why if you know the laws from back then.
It's a wonder nobody was seriously hurt as a result of all the threats flying around.
Of course that idiot had abuse of power dismissed (or whatever the right term is) on a technicality *snorts* still baffles me he was allowed to be in charge of another case.. I hope he was fired after the Amanda Knox case
Oak Island: not my favorite part of the book so far.. heard so much about this, most wasn't new to me.
If treasure is buried there, I have my doubts they will find it. I can see why the legend has drawn so many people there though.
Unsolving Mysteries:
I see both sides and agree with both in a sense... think it's important to learn about the past but the native Americans deserve respect too.
The history of the world can change in a moment with new discoveries.. scientists and the like shouldn't be so stuck in their ways and reject anything that doesn't fit their mold.
I remember hearing all those theories about Dead Mountain.. so many out that you're not sure what to believe 🤔 . The theory from the disgraced prosecutor sounded plausible to me but *shrugs
Maybe if more of an effort would have been made, it'd be solved? Who knows...
Perhaps this'll be one that will remain a mystery.
Hell Creek:
Sounds like an interesting and fascinating place. Wouldn't mind seeing it up close and looking at the dinosaur fossils. Crazy to think that if the dinosaurs 🦕 hadn't died, we wouldn't be here. (Much as I would like to see a T Rex in person from a safe distance, still wouldn't want to live side by side with dinosaurs.
Quite a discovery that guy made... still playing it in my head.
— Jan 06, 2024 06:53PM
TL is 52% done
The mystery of Sandia:
Who knows what is true and what isn't? Cases made for both, with defenders on both sides and some in the middle.
Frank seemed to have many contradictions (right word?) He did have passion for his profession, I'll give him that.
Clovis is another subject that I want to lookup more on sometime.
Cannibals of the Canyon:
Made me nauseous listening to it but it was interesting enough that I powered through. Learned a bunch of new things 👍🏼 Wouldn't recommend it if you have a sensitive stomach like me. (I sped up the narration to get through it quicker).
Work at KV-5/lost tomb:
This was my favorite section besides Hell Creek.
I would have loved to have been at excavation site and seeing all that history in person.
Excavating for over 30 yrs and still uncovering things and looking for the burial chambers.. that'll be something when they finally find them.
----
Overall very enjoyable with one I was meh on and the other I lost my appetite for part of the day.
The narrator (not the author btw) does a good job.
My mini reviews individually: (being lazy and copying from status updates, may not be in book order)
Never knew about the Monster of Florence. ..wow.
All the misconduct in the case, it might never be solved.
This idiot in charge should have been fired and sued imho.. and he was in charge of the Amanda Knox case??? *facepalm* He was in trouble for his behavior in the other one, why was he in charge of this??
Skeletons in the lake.. intriguing mystery. Wonder if anyone will ever find out what happened.
Skeletons in the Closet: Again, I see both sides of the narrative, and I sympathize more with the Indians. I hope that both sides can come to an agreement/solution, but I think the museums may really dig their heels in.
Will have to lookup more on this later on.
It's appalling some of the collection practices... and what they did to those four people who died of tuberculosis after coming here, made me feel illwhen they returned fire so to speak) not get into trouble 🤔??? Feel free to tell me why if you know the laws from back then.
It's a wonder nobody was seriously hurt as a result of all the threats flying around.
Of course that idiot had abuse of power dismissed (or whatever the right term is) on a technicality *snorts* still baffles me he was allowed to be in charge of another case.. I hope he was fired after the Amanda Knox case
Oak Island: not my favorite part of the book so far.. heard so much about this, most wasn't new to me.
If treasure is buried there, I have my doubts they will find it. I can see why the legend has drawn so many people there though.
Unsolving Mysteries:
I see both sides and agree with both in a sense... think it's important to learn about the past but the native Americans deserve respect too.
The history of the world can change in a moment with new discoveries.. scientists and the like shouldn't be so stuck in their ways and reject anything that doesn't fit their mold.
I remember hearing all those theories about Dead Mountain.. so many out that you're not sure what to believe 🤔 . The theory from the disgraced prosecutor sounded plausible to me but *shrugs
Maybe if more of an effort would have been made, it'd be solved? Who knows...
Perhaps this'll be one that will remain a mystery.
Hell Creek:
Sounds like an interesting and fascinating place. Wouldn't mind seeing it up close and looking at the dinosaur fossils. Crazy to think that if the dinosaurs 🦕 hadn't died, we wouldn't be here. (Much as I would like to see a T Rex in person from a safe distance, still wouldn't want to live side by side with dinosaurs.
Quite a discovery that guy made... still playing it in my head.
— Jan 06, 2024 06:53PM
TL is 52% done
The mystery of Sandia:
Who knows what is true and what isn't? Cases made for both, with defenders on both sides and some in the middle.
Frank seemed to have many contradictions (right word?) He did have passion for his profession, I'll give him that.
Clovis is another subject that I want to lookup more on sometime.
Cannibals of the Canyon:
Made me nauseous listening to it but it was interesting enough that I powered through. Learned a bunch of new things 👍🏼 Wouldn't recommend it if you have a sensitive stomach like me. (I sped up the narration to get through it quicker).
Work at KV-5/lost tomb:
This was my favorite section besides Hell Creek.
I would have loved to have been at excavation site and seeing all that history in person.
Excavating for over 30 yrs and still uncovering things and looking for the burial chambers.. that'll be something when they finally find them.
May 6, 2024
There are two things that make a great book: It gives you much to ponder over and it is worth reading over and over. Douglas Preston's collection of his magazine articles offers many mysteries with some having no definitive answers but it is nonfiction after all. I found the book not to be dry reading of science and true crime but tales of true drama as we get to know some true characters. What I found to be a highlight is the controversy of what is to be done with Native America remains in the Natural and Anthropological institutions. I am sympathetic to the cause of scientific research but I also feel that the dead laid in their graves with tender loving care deserve some respect. I found this book to be excellent and for the purposes of not spoiling it for other readers I will end my review now.
February 22, 2024
In this collection of articles about bones, burials, and murder, Preston takes us on a tour of topics as diverse as prehistoric forgeries, men obsessed with treasure which may or may not exist, and why the Internet is so rabid about Amanda Knox.
Preston does a good job of highlighting the strange personalities that populate these bizarre stories, and I appreciated the brief updates at the end of each section about the subjects of the articles. I did expect more crime and less archeology than we were given, but that's probably on me.
However, I did wish the order of the articles was more chronological - some articles refer to the same topics, but being so out of order made it harder to see the connections between them.
Preston does a good job of highlighting the strange personalities that populate these bizarre stories, and I appreciated the brief updates at the end of each section about the subjects of the articles. I did expect more crime and less archeology than we were given, but that's probably on me.
However, I did wish the order of the articles was more chronological - some articles refer to the same topics, but being so out of order made it harder to see the connections between them.
October 8, 2024
Some interesting stuff but it feels like I have read all this before on the actual books he wrote on the subjects.
November 7, 2023
A really interesting piece of nonfiction. It was great to get to read all of Preston's articles in one place, though I had already read a few. I think the best part of the book is the little sections at the end of every short piece that tells us readers what has happened with the case in question since the original article was published. Most of this book exemplifies how truth really can be stranger than fiction.
As the articles aren't connected to each other, I thought it was only fair to rate each piece separately.
Buried Treasure - ⭐⭐⭐
Monster of Florence - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Skeletons at the Lake - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Skiers at Dead Mountain - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Skeleton on the Riverbank - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Mystery of Oak Island - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Mystery of Sandia Cave - ⭐⭐
The Mystery of Hell Creek - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Clovis Point Con - ⭐⭐
Trial by Fury - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Skeletons in the Closet - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cannibals of the Canyon - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Lost Tomb - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
As the articles aren't connected to each other, I thought it was only fair to rate each piece separately.
Buried Treasure - ⭐⭐⭐
Monster of Florence - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Skeletons at the Lake - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Skiers at Dead Mountain - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Skeleton on the Riverbank - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Mystery of Oak Island - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Mystery of Sandia Cave - ⭐⭐
The Mystery of Hell Creek - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Clovis Point Con - ⭐⭐
Trial by Fury - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Skeletons in the Closet - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cannibals of the Canyon - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Lost Tomb - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I received a free copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 22, 2024
Perhaps my mediocre rating of this book is attributable to an expectation gap on my part. I had read one of Preston's other books some time ago and found it very interesting and exciting, so when I saw this new book, with its provocative cover and lurid subtitle, I quickly took it out of the library, expecting a feast of interesting, even scary, stories. That's not what I got. The book is a collection of old articles, previously published in the 1980s and 90s, mainly on archeological discoveries and mostly of interest to a specialized audience. Preston briefly updates as an endnote the status of each of the articles, but I feel that he's really taking advantage of the reader by reprinting old material in this way without full disclosure. Also, the book certainly doesn't live up to the promise of the title and the cover. In summary, disappointing.
June 7, 2024
This would have probably been even better if I had read any of the associated books. However, there were a lot of interesting cases.
This had tons of awesome info, but the formatting and the way it is presented to the reader is fairly messy and disjointed.
Of course as a Hannibal lover, there was a certain part that was my favorite!
3 Stars
This had tons of awesome info, but the formatting and the way it is presented to the reader is fairly messy and disjointed.
Of course as a Hannibal lover, there was a certain part that was my favorite!
3 Stars
November 13, 2024
This is an assortment of different articles that he investigated and wrote for magazines. I thought it was an interesting and informative read. I am currently reading the Kindle version of The Monster of Florence he wrote many years ago and the only other case I've heard of is Oak Island and I don't think either one will be solved. He does seem to go where few would go to investigate stories so kudos to him. I cringed a bit at some of his other adventures.
January 5, 2024
4 Stars
This book is made up of articles Preston has written for various publications over the years. Most have updates, all are fascinating.
This book is made up of articles Preston has written for various publications over the years. Most have updates, all are fascinating.
November 8, 2023
This book is best if you are unfamiliar with the author's non-fiction.
I love Preston's work, both fiction and non-fiction, and was very excited by this. Unfortunately, much of this is recycled material.
However, if I'd read this as someone new to the material, I would have loved it.
As usual, Preston's style is engaging and he brings so many of these mysteries to life. And, if you're a fan of the author's fiction (hello Pendergast!), you should enjoy some of these real life situations.
Definitely readable and engaging!
* ARC via publisher
I love Preston's work, both fiction and non-fiction, and was very excited by this. Unfortunately, much of this is recycled material.
However, if I'd read this as someone new to the material, I would have loved it.
As usual, Preston's style is engaging and he brings so many of these mysteries to life. And, if you're a fan of the author's fiction (hello Pendergast!), you should enjoy some of these real life situations.
Definitely readable and engaging!
* ARC via publisher
April 6, 2024
This is a compilation of previously published magazine articles for The New Yorker, Nat Geo, and others with updates at the end of each chapter on any new findings since his articles were written. A few were super fascinating - The Monster of Florence and The Skiers at Dead Mountain - but the rest didn’t hold my interest as much.
May 12, 2024
Douglas Preston is not only one of my favorite thriller authors (if you haven't discovered Agent Pendergast, get reading ASAP!) but also the man behind The Lost City of the Monkey God, one of the most exciting real-life adventures I've read in recent memory. To say my expectations for The Lost Tomb were high would be an understatement, but even if it wasn't quite what I was expecting (I'll get to that in a moment), I still found it to be a fascinating read.
Preston could have been a total stranger and I'd still have bought this for Chapter 6, The Mystery of Oak Island, alone - but that's where I had to reset expectations. I'd hoped this would be a new article, a walk-through of the site and the recent discoveries, but it's actually a reprint from way back in 1988, a full 8 years before Rick and Marty Lagina got involved. It's still a good read, but (a) it's old news and (b) it's more history and research than first-person observation. It does have a short afterword that updates the facts of the story, as do all the other reprints, so no matter how familiar you may be with the stories, there's something new to explore.
With my expectations set regarding reprints and research, I flipped back to the beginning and enjoyed this from cover to cover, exploring stories I knew, was vaguely familiar with, or knew nothing about.
The Monster of Florence (the Italian serial killer) and Trial by Fury (Amanda Knox) were two of the most chilling entries, not so much for the murders themselves, but because of the media circus, social media insanity, and police corruption surrounding them. A common theme of the book is how we define (and redefine) history, and to whom it belongs, with these being stunning examples of how we do the same to current events.
Nearly half of the stories are about skeletons, their discoveries, and the mysteries surrounding them. Contained within those stories are fascinating elements of anthropology, archaeology, multiple branches of science, and even politics. It's amazing (and sometimes unsettling) the way one advancement or discovery can cast so much doubt on existing theories, but it's wonderful to see how the truth of the stories comes together.
The Mystery of Hell Creek was one of the more science-heavy stories, and definitely one of my favorites, looking at the theories surrounding the end of the dinosaurs. The Clovis Point Con was another interesting story, and a rare case of deliberate forgery and manipulation of the science being used to create a story. The book closes with The Lost Tomb, which is exactly the kind of story I was craving, one where Preston does get his hands dirty participating in the excavation of the Valley of the Kings, and that's a story I'd love to see get The Lost City of the Monkey God treatment - hopefully without the near-death experiences.
https://sallybend.wordpress.com/2024/...
Preston could have been a total stranger and I'd still have bought this for Chapter 6, The Mystery of Oak Island, alone - but that's where I had to reset expectations. I'd hoped this would be a new article, a walk-through of the site and the recent discoveries, but it's actually a reprint from way back in 1988, a full 8 years before Rick and Marty Lagina got involved. It's still a good read, but (a) it's old news and (b) it's more history and research than first-person observation. It does have a short afterword that updates the facts of the story, as do all the other reprints, so no matter how familiar you may be with the stories, there's something new to explore.
With my expectations set regarding reprints and research, I flipped back to the beginning and enjoyed this from cover to cover, exploring stories I knew, was vaguely familiar with, or knew nothing about.
The Monster of Florence (the Italian serial killer) and Trial by Fury (Amanda Knox) were two of the most chilling entries, not so much for the murders themselves, but because of the media circus, social media insanity, and police corruption surrounding them. A common theme of the book is how we define (and redefine) history, and to whom it belongs, with these being stunning examples of how we do the same to current events.
Nearly half of the stories are about skeletons, their discoveries, and the mysteries surrounding them. Contained within those stories are fascinating elements of anthropology, archaeology, multiple branches of science, and even politics. It's amazing (and sometimes unsettling) the way one advancement or discovery can cast so much doubt on existing theories, but it's wonderful to see how the truth of the stories comes together.
The Mystery of Hell Creek was one of the more science-heavy stories, and definitely one of my favorites, looking at the theories surrounding the end of the dinosaurs. The Clovis Point Con was another interesting story, and a rare case of deliberate forgery and manipulation of the science being used to create a story. The book closes with The Lost Tomb, which is exactly the kind of story I was craving, one where Preston does get his hands dirty participating in the excavation of the Valley of the Kings, and that's a story I'd love to see get The Lost City of the Monkey God treatment - hopefully without the near-death experiences.
https://sallybend.wordpress.com/2024/...
November 30, 2024
4.5 stars rounded down. The Lost Tomb is a collection of Douglas Preston’s articles previously published over the course of his career. Preston has certainly lived an interesting life, to say the least.
He covers everything from the Italian serial killer dubbed the Monster of Florence (to the point where he says he’s been banned from Italy) to the excavation of KV5 in the Valley of Kings.
I found the articles engaging and informative for the most part. I do think some of them could have been trimmed down a little? Or perhaps the articles should have been a bit more diversified? Several articles cover early, early American civilizations/artifacts (Clovis). So there were times when something might be discussed that I felt my eyes glazing over. Or sometimes we’d dive into the history/biography of the head Archaeologist/researcher/etc. when all I really need is maybe their education and work history? I don’t really care how they met their wife. lol
But otherwise I found it to be very accessible and informative. Many of these articles are from pre2000, which is good because it means even if you’ve somehow read the article before it’s probably not fresh in your mind, but is bad because I did sometimes wonder how/if any new information had given additional insight to these topics and found the afterwords a little underwhelming.
Standout articles for me:
Trial by Fury - Sociology of the internet- why the Amanda Knox case was so divisive.
The Lost Tomb - I’m a sucker for all things Egypt. Preston writes about the discovery of KV5 in the Valley of Kings.
The Kennewick Man (The Skeleton on the Riverbank) - I have heard of the Kennewick man before but I don’t know if I ever realized this was discovered in America? I feel kinda dumb but I was fascinated by this story and learned a lot. This is also an interesting discussion in conjunction with The Lost Tomb- both involved excavating human remains, but one is much more controversial than the other? Even though Kennewick Man is technically older than the tombs, and presumably even farther removed from modern civilization.
Skeletons in the Closet- this one shares similar themes with Kennewick man but I think is meant to examine the ethics of museum collecting/collections. It’s a complex and sensitive subject and I thought Preston did a good job of navigating it while managing to remain neutral. Although some of the anecdotes he shares are absolutely appalling.
The Mystery at Hellcreek - Dinosaurs!
Other mysteries that will probably be at least somewhat familiar to some: Dyatlov Pass and The Mystery at Oak Island.
Overall a good mix of the familiar and the new. I will continue to read from Preston, particularly his nonfiction.
He covers everything from the Italian serial killer dubbed the Monster of Florence (to the point where he says he’s been banned from Italy) to the excavation of KV5 in the Valley of Kings.
I found the articles engaging and informative for the most part. I do think some of them could have been trimmed down a little? Or perhaps the articles should have been a bit more diversified? Several articles cover early, early American civilizations/artifacts (Clovis). So there were times when something might be discussed that I felt my eyes glazing over. Or sometimes we’d dive into the history/biography of the head Archaeologist/researcher/etc. when all I really need is maybe their education and work history? I don’t really care how they met their wife. lol
But otherwise I found it to be very accessible and informative. Many of these articles are from pre2000, which is good because it means even if you’ve somehow read the article before it’s probably not fresh in your mind, but is bad because I did sometimes wonder how/if any new information had given additional insight to these topics and found the afterwords a little underwhelming.
Standout articles for me:
Trial by Fury - Sociology of the internet- why the Amanda Knox case was so divisive.
The Lost Tomb - I’m a sucker for all things Egypt. Preston writes about the discovery of KV5 in the Valley of Kings.
The Kennewick Man (The Skeleton on the Riverbank) - I have heard of the Kennewick man before but I don’t know if I ever realized this was discovered in America? I feel kinda dumb but I was fascinated by this story and learned a lot. This is also an interesting discussion in conjunction with The Lost Tomb- both involved excavating human remains, but one is much more controversial than the other? Even though Kennewick Man is technically older than the tombs, and presumably even farther removed from modern civilization.
Skeletons in the Closet- this one shares similar themes with Kennewick man but I think is meant to examine the ethics of museum collecting/collections. It’s a complex and sensitive subject and I thought Preston did a good job of navigating it while managing to remain neutral. Although some of the anecdotes he shares are absolutely appalling.
The Mystery at Hellcreek - Dinosaurs!
Other mysteries that will probably be at least somewhat familiar to some: Dyatlov Pass and The Mystery at Oak Island.
Overall a good mix of the familiar and the new. I will continue to read from Preston, particularly his nonfiction.
November 30, 2023
Murders, mysteries and mummies – what more could you want?!
Preston presents a very compelling collection of odd tales from around the world where fact truly is stranger than fiction. I found his prose to be very easy to read and accessible, and the flow of his stories really kept me engaged. Not to mention the subject material is SO fascinating that you can’t help but devour it.
I wish I had known before picking this up that the stories were a compilation of previously published articles. Some were very outdated, and while there was a quick update blurb at the end of each story, the articles themselves kind of felt dated. Needless to say, it was still a great read but I think the initial blurb should mention that this is a collection of his journalistic articles, rather than new material.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Available December 5, 2023
Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Preston presents a very compelling collection of odd tales from around the world where fact truly is stranger than fiction. I found his prose to be very easy to read and accessible, and the flow of his stories really kept me engaged. Not to mention the subject material is SO fascinating that you can’t help but devour it.
I wish I had known before picking this up that the stories were a compilation of previously published articles. Some were very outdated, and while there was a quick update blurb at the end of each story, the articles themselves kind of felt dated. Needless to say, it was still a great read but I think the initial blurb should mention that this is a collection of his journalistic articles, rather than new material.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Available December 5, 2023
Thank you to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for an advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
January 14, 2025
This collection of essay, many first published in The New Yorker, is endlessly fascinating. Each is provided with an update, and some of the times have been modified to indicate context (i.e. "next year" will be clarified with something like "[1999]").
Some of the essays overlap and some of the information is repeated, but overall there is much to think about here, and Preston skillfully canvasses different opinions in his work.
From Oak Island, Nova Scotia, to vast Egyptian tombs — there is something here for everyone.
Some of the essays overlap and some of the information is repeated, but overall there is much to think about here, and Preston skillfully canvasses different opinions in his work.
From Oak Island, Nova Scotia, to vast Egyptian tombs — there is something here for everyone.
October 11, 2023
Enter a past time, with burials and history all combined into one book! Within these pages, you will be able to travel all over the world, and take a look at some of the unique burial practices from different cultures. Throughout time, burial practices have differed.
I think what floored me the most in this book was the discussion on the Anasazi tribe, which was quite different from what history as often portrayed. Having lived in New Mexico, spending time learning about the different tribes in the region, it was a great chapter, and one that I really enjoyed reading.
Throughout this book, you are going to be given different books, sources, and other resources that you can go back and look at. I loved making a list of different sources to look at, and expanding some knowledge on areas that I was not fully familiar with.
The one outlyer in this book is the Amanda Knox case, which doesn't really seem to fit with the rest of the book.
Great read, and one that I have been looking forward to for quite some time! Highly recommend this one!
I think what floored me the most in this book was the discussion on the Anasazi tribe, which was quite different from what history as often portrayed. Having lived in New Mexico, spending time learning about the different tribes in the region, it was a great chapter, and one that I really enjoyed reading.
Throughout this book, you are going to be given different books, sources, and other resources that you can go back and look at. I loved making a list of different sources to look at, and expanding some knowledge on areas that I was not fully familiar with.
The one outlyer in this book is the Amanda Knox case, which doesn't really seem to fit with the rest of the book.
Great read, and one that I have been looking forward to for quite some time! Highly recommend this one!
December 22, 2023
This was a collection of previously published magazine articles by Douglas Preston, so it spans many years in terms of when he wrote them. But I like that at the end, he would add an epilogue if there was additional information related to the case that has shown up since he first wrote and published the article.
The stories range from archeological stories (my favorites) to true crime (some I liked more than others) to conspiracy stories about mysterious deaths, buried treasure, etc. Besides being a journalist, he was also a writer and editor at the American Museum of Natural history and I loved how he talked about it being the inspiration for Relic and Reliquary. I also liked that he talked about how many funereal remains there are of mostly indigenous people not just at the American Museum of Natural History, but also at museums around the world, and the politics and ethics regarding their study.
Each story had unique elements and while I found some more interesting than others, I still found myself fascinated by some aspect of each one. After listening to this collection, I would love to read his Lost City of the Monkey God.
The narration was done by Will Collyer and I thought he did a solid job drawing you into the story. His voices were not always distinctive, but for the most part it worked. There was one feature of the audio that some might find distracting--the beginning and the end of each story has background music and there were a few times when I had to go back and relisten because the music made it hard for me to understand everything he said. So if I were to make one suggestion--it would be to leave the music out. It doesn't really add anything to the narration and can be a distraction.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The stories range from archeological stories (my favorites) to true crime (some I liked more than others) to conspiracy stories about mysterious deaths, buried treasure, etc. Besides being a journalist, he was also a writer and editor at the American Museum of Natural history and I loved how he talked about it being the inspiration for Relic and Reliquary. I also liked that he talked about how many funereal remains there are of mostly indigenous people not just at the American Museum of Natural History, but also at museums around the world, and the politics and ethics regarding their study.
Each story had unique elements and while I found some more interesting than others, I still found myself fascinated by some aspect of each one. After listening to this collection, I would love to read his Lost City of the Monkey God.
The narration was done by Will Collyer and I thought he did a solid job drawing you into the story. His voices were not always distinctive, but for the most part it worked. There was one feature of the audio that some might find distracting--the beginning and the end of each story has background music and there were a few times when I had to go back and relisten because the music made it hard for me to understand everything he said. So if I were to make one suggestion--it would be to leave the music out. It doesn't really add anything to the narration and can be a distraction.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
August 31, 2024
A bit disappointed as the other book I've read by Douglas Preston, the Lost City of the Monkey God, is possibly my fave non-fiction book ever.
I just found I wasn't as into a lot of these stories as I wanted to be. It made the book a bit of a drag at times. Though there were some I did enjoy, especially the Amanda Knox one.
I just found I wasn't as into a lot of these stories as I wanted to be. It made the book a bit of a drag at times. Though there were some I did enjoy, especially the Amanda Knox one.
December 28, 2024
Doug Preston wrote these accounts approx 30 years ago about different mysteries he had come across. Egyptian tombs, the death of the dinosaurs, and the history of man in North America. He is a real life Indiana Jones. Some of these accounts later became fiction novels based on true events. It is an interesting view of a mystery writer’s process.
September 25, 2025
Sick nonfiction book. It went into different articles written by Preston about awesome topics from Eqyptian tomb findings to debunking conspiracies on Oak island to postulating what really happened to the hikers at Dyatlov pass. Even though Preston comes off a bit narcissistic, it was fantastic on the interviewing and cross referencing information from several sources. Some of the historic twists were crazy ngl.
I'd recommend for anyone wanting some short historic stories. I'm gonna go watch some documentaries now lol.
I'd recommend for anyone wanting some short historic stories. I'm gonna go watch some documentaries now lol.
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