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angelicwicked's review against another edition
4.0
I’m not a fan of History books but this was great, especially for someone who loves learning about conspiracies! I also love the amount of detail provided so it wasn’t an information overload for me.
kb2287's review against another edition
4.0
I am a sucker for a good conspiracy--lucky for me so is Brad Meltzer. This was a fun afternoon read, even though some of Meltzer's theories are a bit far-fetched even for a conspiracy-theory lover. Meltzer explores American conspiracies from who really shot Lincoln-to what Fort Knox is really hiding-to the location of the White House's cornerstone, and of course no American conspiracy book would be complete without the assassination of President Kennedy. Definitely a fun read for fans of of History Decoded and conspiracy theorists alike.
qkjgrubb's review against another edition
Good book for a sick day
My head hurts and I'm woozy, so instead of some best selling literary work, I read this. Aliens! Secret Societies! JFK assassination theories!! It was like binge watching sensationalist television on my Kindle. Interesting enough to keep me going, witty enough to make me smile and shocking enough to mix well with my meds for all kinds of crazy dreams.
My head hurts and I'm woozy, so instead of some best selling literary work, I read this. Aliens! Secret Societies! JFK assassination theories!! It was like binge watching sensationalist television on my Kindle. Interesting enough to keep me going, witty enough to make me smile and shocking enough to mix well with my meds for all kinds of crazy dreams.
kel_pru's review against another edition
4.0
This little book provided me with interactive entertainment. My favorite conspiracies+ removable documents in little folders= nerdy fun for the start of break.
librarylapin's review against another edition
3.0
This book will not be too interesting for avid conspiracy theorists. It attempts to decode these mysteries and you end up with the same information you had at the beginning. They add to the investigation by asking some friend of a witness who knew someone once. Usually at then end of the chapter the author agrees that the new facts don't tell you anything. It was fun for me because I wasn't aware of some of the conspiracies and the book does a good job at explaining the reason for the mystery and what is speculated. It is also written in a gossipy tone which I enjoyed.
chrisbaker1981's review against another edition
5.0
This is a fun look at some of the best conspiracies out there. Serves as a great primer on conspiracies; I was familiar with some, others were new to me.
jennifermreads's review against another edition
4.0
"In the end, to me, this is what Decoded is all about: Not just counting down the top conspiracies through history—but reminding us exactly why these stories carve at our core—and what they say about us as people." -- Brad Meltzer, History DecodedMy sister alerted me to this book and I am so glad she did. History Decoded is a refreshing way to explore bits of American history and trigger curiosity. The addition of the “artifacts” at the start of each chapter provides the reader a hands-on approach to the research the Decoded team does when researching their stories and adds an interesting dynamic to the presentation of each story.
For someone who is so fascinated with Abraham Lincoln, I was surprised I had never heard the theory that John Wilkes Booth may have survived—and that it is a theory that could be proved or disproved with a simple DNA test. A DNA test that, in attempts to arrange it, has met obstacle after obstacle. Seriously? If anything can stoke an on-going conspiracy theory it is obstacles to easy conclusions being tossed by the judiciary in the way of researchers!
I had never heard of the controversies about the Confederate Gold, the Georgia Guidestone, or the White House cornerstone. How on earth had I missed stories about DB Cooper because: WOW! Someone who could have pulled off a lucrative hijacking and parachuted to freedom? And the spear of destiny? Yup, another conspiracy, and relic, I had never heard of.
But Da Vinci’s prediction of an apocalypse, Fort Knox being empty of gold, UFOs, and the multiple JFK assassination theories? I was familiar with all of those and had previously read about them. But I was still glued to the pages History Decoded dedicated to them, eagerly looking for new information—or an answer.
And, those looking for answers should keep looking. This is a book about the process, the stories, the questions. The resolutions, if they can be found, are not yet discovered.
** Contents: Introduction; #10 John Wilkes Booth: Was Lincoln’s Assassin Apprehended?; #9 Confederate Gold: Stolen Treasure or Hidden Wealth of a New Confederacy?; #8 The Georgia Guidestones: America’s Stonehenge; #7: DB Cooper: American Outlaw; #6 The White House: Where Is the Cornerstone of Democracy; #5 The Spear of Destiny: History’s Most Sacred Relic; #4 The Real Da Vinci Code: Did Leonardo Predict an Apocalypse?; #3 Is There Any Gold in Fort Knox?; #2 UFOs: Inside Roswell and Area 51; #1 The Kennedy Assassination; The Truth Is Out There; Acknowledgments; The Decoded Team; Photo Credits
sarahcoller's review against another edition
4.0
I've always loved a good conspiracy theory so this book of the top 10 "greatest" was a fun read.
The funniest one was the story of John Wilkes Booth's traveling mummy. The coolest one was the marked trees as Bob Brewer has studied some right here in Arkansas! The most believable one was DB Cooper--that one seems pretty obvious! The not-so-interesting one was about Da Vinci. Not a whole lot of new info there...in fact, I'm not really sure what the conspiracy was. But, it was interesting to see a self-portrait I'd not seen. Regarding aliens---I've always wondered if they are the Bible's Nephilim. All in all, it was a good read. I set it down and literally immediately picked up Meltzer's, The House of Secrets!
The funniest one was the story of John Wilkes Booth's traveling mummy. The coolest one was the marked trees as Bob Brewer has studied some right here in Arkansas! The most believable one was DB Cooper--that one seems pretty obvious! The not-so-interesting one was about Da Vinci. Not a whole lot of new info there...in fact, I'm not really sure what the conspiracy was. But, it was interesting to see a self-portrait I'd not seen. Regarding aliens---I've always wondered if they are the Bible's Nephilim. All in all, it was a good read. I set it down and literally immediately picked up Meltzer's, The House of Secrets!