
Shadow Pasts
'Amateur Historians' and History's Mysteries
William D. Rubinstein(Author)
Routledge (Publisher)
1st Edition
Published on 1. November 2007
Book
Paperback/Softback
208 pages
978-0-582-50597-1 (ISBN)
Description
For many intelligent people, the stuff of history does not consist of the kind of dry-as-dust investigations of diplomatic, economic, or political history that most university historians research and write about, but the famous topics of ?history?s mysteries?- who was Jack the Ripper? Was there a conspiracy to kill President Kennedy? Did Richard III murder the Princes in the Tower? What are the mysteries of the ancient Pyramids?
Not only have a great many books and articles been written on these and similar topics by so-called ?amateur historians,? but they have generated societies, conferences, newsletters, and television programmes. Many people who are not academic historians take a keen interest in these topics, and have in some cases made themselves real experts on them, with interesting theories of their own.
Despite all of this, however, these topics are virtually ignored by academic historians and can be treated with contempt. In Shadow Pasts, William D. Rubinstein a well-known and widely published history professor, examines seven of the most famous and interesting topics which have been discussed, debated, examined, and written about by ?amateur historians. Each of these mysteries and the theories surrounding them are examined in detail, with Professor Rubinstein presenting his own original and sometimes surprising conclusions about what really happened.
Not only have a great many books and articles been written on these and similar topics by so-called ?amateur historians,? but they have generated societies, conferences, newsletters, and television programmes. Many people who are not academic historians take a keen interest in these topics, and have in some cases made themselves real experts on them, with interesting theories of their own.
Despite all of this, however, these topics are virtually ignored by academic historians and can be treated with contempt. In Shadow Pasts, William D. Rubinstein a well-known and widely published history professor, examines seven of the most famous and interesting topics which have been discussed, debated, examined, and written about by ?amateur historians. Each of these mysteries and the theories surrounding them are examined in detail, with Professor Rubinstein presenting his own original and sometimes surprising conclusions about what really happened.
Reviews / Votes
'Professor Rubinstein has done amateur historians a service in this book by bringing the work they do to a wider reading public.'Paul Begg author of Jack the Ripper: The Definitive History (2005) and Mary Celeste: The Greatest Mystery of the Sea (2007).
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 11 mm
Weight
324 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-582-50597-1 (9780582505971)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
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Book
12/2016
1st Edition
Routledge
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E-Book
09/2014
1st Edition
Routledge
€53.99
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E-Book
09/2014
1st Edition
Routledge
€53.99
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Person
Bill Rubinstein is a Professor at Aberystwyth. He is well known as a controversial author in historical circles. His best selling books include The Truth Will Out, which presents a new candidate for The Shakespeare Authorship Debate and The Myth of Rescue which refuted the idea that more Jews could have been saved by the Allies from the Holocaust.
Content
1. Introduction: The 'Amateur Historian' and the Study of History
2. The Assassination of President Kennedy
3. The 'Jack the Ripper' Murders
4. The Shakespeare Authorship Question
5. Richard III and the Princes in the Tower
6. Did Jesus Marry and Survive the Crucifixion?
7. The Mysteries of Rudolf Hess
8. Ancient Mysteries: The Great Pyramid and the Sphinx
2. The Assassination of President Kennedy
3. The 'Jack the Ripper' Murders
4. The Shakespeare Authorship Question
5. Richard III and the Princes in the Tower
6. Did Jesus Marry and Survive the Crucifixion?
7. The Mysteries of Rudolf Hess
8. Ancient Mysteries: The Great Pyramid and the Sphinx