My impressions of reading this book in 1992.

I was only familiar with Nickell through the essay on reproducing the Nazca lines (included in this book). At first his clear, popular writing story made me think he was just a talented amateur who dabbled in historical mysteries. However, after the Ambrose Bierce myster,y it became apparent that Nickell is a professional investigator at home in an impressive number of areas: detecting forgery, literary investigation (of sources and attribution), questions of identity, scientific investigation. Nickell convincingly argues Bierce faked his mysterious disappearance in revolutionary Mexico and committed suicide somewhere in the Grand Canyon.

Nickell gives the historical investigator some idea of methodology in each area and gives references for more detailed instruction. I found the chapter on John Demjanjuk aka “Ivan the Terrible” particularly interesting. Nickel, hired by the John Denjanjuk Defense Fund, makes a compelling case for asserting Demjanuk was guilty as charged.

Nickell also investigates the Shroud of Turin.

One weakness of the book is I don’t think Nickells presented a very clear explanation of how Swift’s Lost Silver Mines were originally a Masonic parable. ( )