Synopses & Reviews
Explore the secrets of America's past with the official companion to PBS's History Detectives
Could a Civil War POW have fashioned a working camera from a tin can, a spyglass lens, and a pine plank? What can an ancient and battered banjo reveal about America's musical and segregated past? How could a man save his own life by proving that he had forged a painting? These are just a few of the intriguing and puzzling questions posed to super sleuths Wes Cowan, Elyse Luray, Gwendolyn Wright, and Tukufu Zuberi in this fascinating book.
The perfect companion to the hit public television series, including an episode guide, this book is filled with intriguing case files, pictures, how-to's, and checklists that bring mysteries to life and give you the practical advice and tips you need to solve your own historical puzzles. From genealogical research to patent and property searches to DNA analysis and more, it gives you the lowdown on all of the high-tech tools that can help get to the bottom of a case. Packed with fun and useful information for the whole family, it will deepen your appreciation for the way in which seemingly ordinary objects can connect you to important people and events from the past and give you the know-how to do some history detecting of your own.
Synopsis
The book would be a how to, sort of a Hardy Boys Detective Manual for history, full of sidebars, pictures and stories, a natural for fans of the show, history buffs, and genealogists (most stories involve some sort of family angle). It will repurpose material used and unused from the show and mine and expand the material at their incredible website, in particular the sections on Investigative Techniques, DIY Guide, and Case Files. There's also a lot of stuff for kids, who watch the show with their parents, that we could work in.
Synopsis
Reviews of the hit PBS show History Detectives:
“Entertaining…a little bit of science and a little bit of history, tarted up with a "CSI" style introduction.”—The New York Times.
“History Detectivesalways proves worth a look!”—St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“PBS' History Detectivesis unique in a TV universe littered with history shows. The value of this show goes beyond mere historical curiosities. It stresses the amount of research and diligence needed to uncover the truth.”—Rocky Mountain News
“A brainier fantastic four investigates items from the pages of our pasts in the fifth season premiere of History Detectiveson PBS.”—Detroit News
"Every search leads into some kind of surprising area. The objects are like the MacGuffin in Alfred Hitchcock's films, a small object or event that leads to complex plot turns and, always, surprises."—The Oregonian
Synopsis
This companion book to the hit PBS television series "The History Detectives"--described by "The New York Times" as entertaining . . . a little bit of science and a little bit of history, tarted up with a CSI-style introduction"--uncovers more of history's mysteries.
Synopsis
Explore the secrets of America's past with the official companion to PBS's History Detectives
Could a Civil War POW have fashioned a working camera from a tin can, a spyglass lens, and a pine plank? What can an ancient and battered banjo reveal about America's musical and segregated past? How could a man save his own life by proving that he had forged a painting? These are just a few of the intriguing and puzzling questions posed to super sleuths Wes Cowan, Elyse Luray, Gwendolyn Wright, and Tukufu Zuberi in this fascinating book.
The perfect companion to the hit public television series, including an episode guide, this book is filled with intriguing case files, pictures, how-to's, and checklists that bring mysteries to life and give you the practical advice and tips you need to solve your own historical puzzles. From genealogical research to patent and property searches to DNA analysis and more, it gives you the lowdown on all of the high-tech tools that can help get to the bottom of a case. Packed with fun and useful information for the whole family, it will deepen your appreciation for the way in which seemingly ordinary objects can connect you to important people and events from the past and give you the know-how to do some history detecting of your own.
About the Author
Barb Karg is a journalist, graphic designer, layout artist, and screenwriter, and the author or coauthor of twenty-two books, including several in the bestselling Everything series.
History Detectives is produced for PBS by Oregon Public Broadcasting and Lion Television.
Table of Contents
Preface.
Acknowledgments.
Chapter One. Snapshots in Time.
Chapter Two. entertainment in the Shadows.
Chapter Three. Life Imitates Art.
Chapter Four. An Uncivil War.
Chapter Five. If Walls Could talk.
Chapter Six. American Icons.
Chapter Seven. Child's Play.
Chapter Eight. Whispers in the Mist.
Chapter Nine. Dollars and Sense.
Chapter Ten. Let Freedom Ring.
Chapter Eleven. Family Ties.
Chapter Twelve. The Quest for Equality.
Chapter Thirteen. Armed and Dangerous.
Chapter Fourteen. The Treasure Trove.
Chapter Fifteen. That's Entertainment!
Chapter Sixteen. Skeletons in the Closet.
Chapter Seventeen. Flight, Fright, and Perilous Plights.
Chapter eighteen. Signed, Sealed, and Delivered.
Chapter Nineteen. Dubious Dwellings.
Chapter Twenty. World at War.
Episode Guide.
Photography Credits.
Index.