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Foreword This book asks some of history’s grandest questions: Did Mark Hofmann discover sensational documents—from the first example of printing in America to historical Mormon writings—that helped shape American history ? Was the bombing of Pearl Harbor a consequence of treason in the Oval Office? And did madman Adolf Hitler actually pen a revealing multivolume set of diaries? Has the very burial cloth of Jesus, mysteriously imprinted with his haunting visage, survived the ages? Was the Holy Grail of paleontology, the long-sought “missing link,” discovered in, of all places, a gravel pit in England? And could lost pages from John Wilkes Booth’s diary provide the true, shocking account of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination? Given this book’s title, one can expect that the answers are no, no, no, no, no, and—yes—no. Yet the emphatic, simple answers belie the wonderful stories that are behind each question, and then the additional, intriguing stories behind each revelation. For these are not mere hoaxes, like the Feejee Mermaid once exhibited by P. T. Barnum. The showman later admitted it was indeed “a questionable , dead mermaid,” a work of creative taxidermy. Today, no one passionately clings to the belief that the now-lost curio was authentic, despite several “originals” that occasionally remind us of the humbug. In contrast, the cases presented in Hoax endure. They are not just hoaxes in history, but all would attempt, quite literally in a few instances, to rewrite history—a measure of their importance. Some continue to deceive, while others, although generally accepted as deceptions, offer lessons in how to pick our future steps through history’s minefields. Moreover, these cases required teams of investigators and scientists to ferret out the facts, often employing a bewildering array of sophisticated forensic techniques or an exhaustive study of obscure but relevant documents, or both. Just presenting the evidence in a readable fashion in such cases is a daunting task that many writers necessarily avoid, but Edward Steers Jr. xii Foreword is up to the challenge. As a scientist (a molecular biochemist) turned acclaimed historian, he utilizes his enviable background and considerable talents to sort facts from pseudofacts, and he writes clearly in the process. In contrast to many other authors of books on famous hoaxes, he discusses each case fully in its historical context. His is not just a presentation of great deceptions and a treatise on credulity; it is also an engaging seminar, both on how facts and falsehoods vie for belief and on the interplay of history and science. Along this inviting journey back in time we get ringside seats to an archaeological dig where legerdemain prevailed, to episodes of bravado and folly in the lead-up to America’s war in the Pacific, and to the meticulous production of some of the world’s most cunning forgeries, as well as to the further outrageous acts—including bombing murders—that were attempted to hide the trickery. Ultimately, even perhaps a bit uncomfortably, we encounter that most revealing of elements: the nearly unstoppable impulse , the frequent headlong rush to believe in fraudulent history and science when they tell us what we want to hear. But as Steers shows us again and again, if we wish to know the truth in historical matters, we cannot begin with a desired answer and work backward to the evidence, seeking to bolster our belief. Instead, we must find the best evidence, let it lead us where it will, and then believe what it proves, like it or not. Such an approach requires toughness of mind and spirit, but we have a guide who is both principled and fearless. So turn the page and let the adventures begin. Or as Sherlock Holmes, candle in hand early one morning, urged (in “The Adventure of the Abbey Grange”): “Come, Watson, come! The game is afoot. Not a word! Into your clothes and come!” Joe Nickell Senior Research Fellow Committee for Skeptical Inquiry Amherst, New York ...

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