Conspiracy theory isn’t just a pastime, it’s a subject not many have been able to decode. Some believe that Princess Diana didn’t die in the car accident, for others the aliens created the pyramids. However, in reality, those aren’t conspiracies, but plot hatches by those who can’t explain the reality behind these incidents. After going through History Decoded – The 10 Greatest Conspiracies of All Time, you will definitely be able to distinguish between a real conspiracy and a fake one, because it unravels mysteries with the help of facts, figures, and evidence.
Authored by Brad Meltzer (who is not just an award-winning author but a renowned TV personality who hosts Brad Meltzer’s Decoded on History Network) and co-authored by former editor Keith Ferrell, this book doesn’t beat about the bush.
Brad Meltzer may have spoken about some of these conspiracies in his TV show, but in print, it is double the fun since you can inspect the 30 plus removable facsimile documents which include the alleged will of John Wilkes Booth as well as the FBI sketch of D.B. Cooper who hijacked a plane and then went missing with the loot.
In fact, the book begins on an explosive note and carries the tone till the last page, shocking the readers with every written word, every piece of evidence gathered and every image printed. Not only does it comprise summaries of 10 of the most intriguing topics discussed by every person on the planet, but also tries to make sense of these events. Don’t be surprised to find the words Roswell, Da Vinci, and JFK in these pages, because that’s just the tip of the iceberg that would crash the common-sense pillars of your mind, and make you look at everything suspiciously.
The conspiracies this book tackles include the assassinations of Presidents Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy and while the latter is discussed at length, the former’s main subject is the supposed apprehension of the assassin. You will also get to read about the status of Confederate Gold and also why Georgia Guidestones is known as America’s Stonehenge alongside discussions on the mysteries beneath the White House. That’s not all, the Spear of Destiny’s magical powers (if any) are also discussed here, just like the possible lack of gold in the most secure building in the world, and the alleged arrival of the UFOs.
Was it John Wilkes Booth who was killed in the shootout after assassinating the US President or did he go on to live under a false name; why hasn’t Fort Knox been open to the public or for audit after 1974; are there UFOs in Area 51; what do Leonardo Da Vinci’s apocalyptic predictions mean and why didn’t the FBI pursue a lead that could have led them to the real identity of DB Cooper, these are the things this book discovers and if your excitement level is raised, join the club.
Just like he did on TV, Brad Meltzer distributes the top 10 conspiracies in 10 separate chapters, beginning with the one he considers the least important, and ending with the one he believes is the biggest of ‘em all. And then he dissects the biggest one into 10 pieces and makes you wonder if whatever you thought you knew was valid or not. Every question he poses, every fact he uncovers, every theory he shares has some logic behind it so don’t be surprised on being asked ‘What if I told you that Fort Knox is empty?’ or ‘What makes the Spear of Destiny history’s most sacred relic?’, he has an idea about such questions and keeps the readers intrigued with his breadcrumbs until the final reveal at the end of the chapter.
Not only does his team interview the experts, witnesses, or in some cases the suspects but also analyses ancient texts (in case of ancient mysteries) and newspaper clippings (in case of modern ones). In their quest to make the public aware of the lies being told to them, they go to lengths not many have gone before. It’s true that some of the inquiries don’t have a definitive conclusion, but they lead them towards another possible lead which in turn results in the unravelling of evidence that was hidden from the public eye.
The way he tackles each conspiracy makes you want to use your brain and apply the same process to those conspiracies which aren’t part of the book. After all, if you were told that all the shots that killed Kennedy came from the rear rather than from multiple angles, or that D.B. Cooper didn’t pull the stunt alone and had help while escaping from the infamous Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 305, your mind will begin to contemplate how other mysteries could be solved if a proper investigation is carried out.
Ever wondered how you would feel if you got to know that John Wilkes Booth, the most notorious assassin in the history of the world, didn’t die 12 days after his biggest ‘achievement’ or that a President was involved in the assassination of his predecessor? This book takes you one step closer to that feeling by giving you foolproof evidence that the authorities are lying to the public for reasons better known to them.
It comes up with as many as 30 such pieces which might change your mind regarding the most mindboggling incidents in history. From the executive order from the US President that resulted in the creation of Fort Knox to the death certificate of JFK, from the press release of the first UFO sighting to the map of the Vatican Grottoes, everything you need to know to keep the conspiracy nut in you alive is attached before the beginning of each chapter.
The book is also laced with photographs, illustrations, and newspaper clippings that contradict the official version of all the ten incidents mentioned in the book. If it says that Chuck Yeager’s feat of breaking the sound barrier three months after the Roswell incident should be deemed suspicious, or that the FBI failed to apprehend D.B. Cooper despite having multiple leads, then everyone from the investigator to those at the helm must be held accountable. The interviews of some of the eyewitnesses also point the fingers at the top, which is never a good thing no matter where you live.
So why was the guard assigned to Abraham Lincoln absent from his post on the day he was assassinated? Why was Hitler so intent on capturing the Roman Spear of Destiny? What is the government hiding in Area 51? Why wasn’t the Magic Bullet theory ridiculed when it was presented after the JFK assassination? This book explains everything in detail to the readers and while the narrative is fast-paced, and written in a no-nonsense manner, it takes you on a ride that you will never forget. Think of it as a dot-to-dot book for adults in which one dot leads to another and in the end, it completes a whole picture that might not have seemed possible when the first two dots were joined.
After going through this book, you will start believing in many things that were unknown to you such as the presence of Freemasons in the White House, the possibility that D.B. Cooper was a disgruntled airline employee hiding in plain sight, or even the plans for the Confederacy to rise again via hidden stashes of ‘rebel gold’. It also pays tribute to Oliver Stone’s film on the JFK assassination and praises it in such a way that it would make you want to watch it again, this time more closely and attentively.
The book comes in hardcover, because the many pieces of evidence it contains wouldn't suit a paperback version. Not only is it an ideal companion for fans of secret histories, it will also give normal readers an insight into the many things they might have read but not known about. There are some conspiracies that are missing in these pages with the moon landing being one of them. While many might feel that it would be laughable to include such a historic feat in a book about conspiracies, others believe that a ‘near misses’ mention would have been good enough.
The hidden chamber filled with government secrets behind Mount Rushmore could also have been added to the list alongside many other unexplained anomalies like the Bermuda Triangle, the lost city of Atlantis, and even the truth behind the 9/11 tragedy to name a few. Despite these missing conspiracies, the book keeps the readers interested, the conspiracy theorists excited and those at the helm under pressure because of its to-the-point questions, fascinating facts, and knack of highlighting inconsistencies. Not only does it keep readers enthralled, it encourages the youngsters to dig for the truth because it’s still out there.
Omair Alavi is a freelance contributory who writes about film, television, and popular culture. All facts and information are the sole responsibility of the writer
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