Unsolved History

"A fascinating and unusual collection." -- Lore and Language

"A riveting collection of historical mysteries that can stand as 'mere' entertainment, or a thought-provoking introduction to an exciting field of study." -- Reading for Pleasure

"Into a relatively few pages not only has Nickell managed to pack the philosophy, strategy, and tactics of scholarly research and scientific investigation, but he also walks the reader, in step-by-step fashion, through nine separate and diverse historical mysteries he has confronted and solved." -- Skeptical Inquirer

"Long before those history detectives hit PBS & Co., there was Joe Nickell." -- Rockland (ME) Courier-Gazette

"Nickell ably exploits tests of evidence, reasoning, forensic science, literary analysis, and historiography, making difficult concepts clear with apt example. [He] deftly promotes the difficult art of discovering reality in mystery." -- Register of the Kentucky Historical Society

"Nickell takes a practical no-nonsense approach to a series of historical mysteries, surveying the evidence and working out whether there is a case to be made for the strange conclusions that people have often reached." -- Year's Work in Critical and Cultural Theory

"The stories are interesting and the scientific approaches used to investigate them are fascinating." -- Paintsville (KY) Herald