Indiana Jones in History

Who Is the Real Indiana Jones?

Long before Steven Spielberg filmed the exploits of everyone's favorite fedora-wearing action hero, Indiana Jones' real-life counterparts had ventured across the world in search of archaelogical treasure. Following in their footsteps leads to that most unlikely of all destinations: Hollywood.

Heroes and rogues like Egyptologist Howard Carter, the Great Belzoni, Central Asian treasure hunter Aurel Stein, and others like them form the historical genesis of Indiana Jones. Their stories are told here in rich detail, and their lives examined for the cinematic elements that led to the creation of a pop culture icon.

With his concluding chapter on the Indiana Jones films, Professor Justin Jacobs comes full circle, examining how history is morphed into our escapist entertainment, and how that entertainment reshapes our view of the past.