Over the years, I've been contacted by the family of John Wilkes Booth, by former U.S. presidents, and (of course) by the Freemasons. In my thrillers, I've taken readers into the secret labyrinth below the U.S. Capitol (it's real), the hidden tunnels below the White House (also real--it's a bomb shelter), and even to the secret entrance below the Lincoln Memorial (did you really think when presidents arrive for a visit, they just run up the front steps?).
Those stories are what led to Decoded. Three years ago, the HISTORY network told me that if I gave them a list of my favorite historical mysteries, they'd give me a team to help solve them. From there, Buddy Levy, Christine McKinley, Scott Rolle, and our amazing producers and crew have become true family. Together, we've explored some of the greatest conspiracies (and myths) that history has to offer. …
From the Introduction...
Over the years, I've been contacted by the family of John Wilkes Booth, by former U.S. presidents, and (of course) by the Freemasons. In my thrillers, I've taken readers into the secret labyrinth below the U.S. Capitol (it's real), the hidden tunnels below the White House (also real--it's a bomb shelter), and even to the secret entrance below the Lincoln Memorial (did you really think when presidents arrive for a visit, they just run up the front steps?).
Those stories are what led to Decoded. Three years ago, the HISTORY network told me that if I gave them a list of my favorite historical mysteries, they'd give me a team to help solve them. From there, Buddy Levy, Christine McKinley, Scott Rolle, and our amazing producers and crew have become true family. Together, we've explored some of the greatest conspiracies (and myths) that history has to offer.
To me, history is a giant game of telephone. What's vital is finding the first whisper. Yet of all the questions people ask us about conspiracies, the number one is simply this: Which is your favorite?
And so, this book. Inside, you'll see our favorites, counting down from the mysteries surrounding the Lincoln assassination, to the search for Confederate gold, to the existence of UFOs, to . . . well . . . like I said, you'll see.
Some of the mysteries are pretty decent and some are just really lame (i.e. the Georgia Guidestones). It isn't difficult to detect that the book is based on a tv series, as it goes into as much depth as you would expect from a 30 minute episode. It also has the structure and conventions of a low budget basic cable documentary series (making sure to say the series title, like "let's decode this mystery" in every segment). Mildly interesting but ultimately pretty breezy and insubstantial.
