Mysteries in History: From Prehistory to the Present

by Paul D. Aron

Overview

This work is an engaging exploration of the process of historical research, following historians as they search for solutions to the greatest mysteries of all time.

Award-winning author Paul Aron takes readers on a jourbaney through great historical mysteries through the ages. Entertaining in themselves, the stories also show that history is not merely living, but lively. The reader who comes to the book thinking history is boring will leave with a changed outlook with regard to both the subject matter and the process of writing history.

Each chapter is a carefully and thoroughly researched presentation not of popularized accounts but of valid historical scholarship. Chronologically arranged, the essays show the historical process in action. For each disputed historical point, theories arise, become standard wisdom, and then are revised as additional information becomes available. This book reveals the mechanics of that process, including spirited debate, swashbuckling archaeology, and the application of modern science to ancient questions.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781851098996
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	11/07/2005
Pages:	464
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Paul D. Aron is senior editor for The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. His published works include Did Babe Ruth Call His Shot? and Unsolved Mysteries of American History.

Editorial Reviews

This is more than a history text, however: it demonstrates how professional historians do detective work to resolve such mysteries even centuries later and provides reference keys to such investigations to encourage student investigation. An excellent key for teaching research tools.” —California Bookwatch

“This work is recommended as a nonreference resource for high schools, colleges, and public libraries.” —American Reference Books Annual

“Mysteries in History from Prehistory to the Present… is a nifty compilation of puzzles that just might jog jaded undergraduates into an appreciation for the complexities of the past. Aron summarizes the controversial aspects of 75 historical questions—such as when people first arrived in America, who King Arthur was, where Columbus landed, how Davy Crockett died, whether Hitler murdered his niece, why Rudolf Hess flew to Scotland, and what Reagan knew about Iran-Contra—and offers some annotated suggestions for further reading.” —Association of College and Research Libraries

From the Publisher