The Holy Grail, the Lance of Longinus, and the True Cross are some of the most revered artifacts in the world today. These Christian relics are also a source of limitless controversy. They have incited bloodshed and are claimed to be a source of miracles. They inspire fear and hope among the faithful, and yet are a perennial target for skeptics, both Christian and secular. This study examines the authenticity of numerous Christian relics, investigating not only the objects themselves, but also the methods that were used to substantiate these proposed treasures. The perennial debate over the authenticity of such relics as the Shroud of Turin, the cross on which Christ was crucified, and the head of John the Baptist leads Joe Nickell to study the available evidence.

The Jesus Relics: From the Holy Grail to the Turin Shroud

Nickell, Joe

Religion & Spirituality

History Pr Ltd

Recounts the history of writing and writing materials

Pen, Ink, and Evidence: A Study of Writing and Writing Materials for the Penman, Collector, and Document Detective

Business & Money

Skills

Univ Pr of Kentucky

Investigates the Nazca markings, the disappearance of Ambrose Bierce, the identification of a Nazi war criminal, lost silver mines, and historical facts concerning Lincoln, Daniel Boone, and Nathaniel Hawthorne

Ambrose Bierce Is Missing: And Other Historical Mysteries

History

Americas

Camera Clues: A Handbook for Photographic Investigation

In Camera Clues, Joe Nickell shares his methods of identifying and dating old photos and demonstrates how to distinguish originals from copies and fakes. Particularly intriguing are his discussions of camera tricks, darkroom manipulations, retouching techniques, and uses of computer technology to deceive the eye. Camera Clues concludes with a look at allegedly "paranormal" photography, from nineteenth-century "spirit photographs" to UFO snapshots.

Camera Clues: A Handbook of Photographic Investigation

Arts & Photography

Photography & Video

Detecting Forgery: Forensic Investigation of Documents

Clifford Irving's "autobiography" of Howard Hughes. Han Van Meegeren's brilliant reproductions of Jan Vermeer's seventeenth-century paintings. The sensational Mormon papers of document dealer Mark Hoffman. All were important discoveries - until, that is, the tools of forensic investigation revealed each to be a remarkable work of forgery that would send the worlds of literature, art, and history reeling.In a book that's as difficult to put down as a good mystery, Joe Nickell explores the world of questioned documents. He reveals the mission of forensic sleuths and their often nearly impossible tasks: to detect forged handwritings, uncover alterations in documents, and identify the authorship of disputed or anonymous writings - to use the eye and the tools of science to make evident the often imperceptible and to expose the cunning art of the forger.Detecting Forgery covers the essential aspects of forensic document examination and illuminates the scientific with historical information on famous forgers, as well as captivating case studies and numerous illustrations from the author's own files, explaining how forgers ply their nefarious trade and how document examiners uncover the subtly clever deceptions. This enlightening book focuses primarily on documents yet provides considerable information on uncovering forged prints, paintings, and other works of art. Nickell reveals the complete arsenal of forensic techniques used in uncovering forgeries of modern as well as historical documents and provides an invaluable source for collectors and dealers, professional document examiners, archivists, and historians.

Collections, Catalogs & Exhibitions

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

The O.J. Simpson trial. The Lindbergh kidnapping. The death of Marilyn Monroe. The assassination of the Romanovs. The Atlanta child murders. All controversial cases. All investigated with the latest techniques in forensic science. Nationally respected investigators Joe Nickell and John Fischer explain the science behind the criminal investigations that have captured the nation's attention. Crime Science is the only comprehensive guide to forensics. Without being overly technical or treating scientific techniques superficially, the authors introduce readers to the work of firearms experts, document examiners, fingerprint technicians, medical examiners, and forensic anthropologists. Each topic is treated in a separate chapter, in a clear and understandable style. Nickell and Fisher describe fingerprint classification and autopsies, explain how fibers link victims to their killers, and examine the science underlying DNA profiling and toxicological analysis. From weapons analysis to handwriting samples to shoe and tire impressions, Crime Science outlines the indispensable tools and techniques that investigators use to make sense of a crime scene. Each chapter closes with a study of a well-known case, revealing how the principles of forensic science work in practice.

Crime Science: Methods of Forensic Detection

Politics & Social Sciences

Fischer, John F.

Social Sciences

University Press of Kentucky

As a former private investigator and forensic writer, Joe Nickell has spent much of his career identifying forged documents, working undercover to infiltrate theft rings, and investigating questioned deaths. Now he turns his considerable investigative skill toward the paranormal, researching the most well-known and mysterious phenomena all over the world―spontaneous human combustion, UFO visitations, auras, electronic poltergeists, and many, many more―with an eye toward solving these mysteries rather than promoting or dismissing them. Real-Life X-Files: Investigating the Paranormal examines the cases of over forty paranormal mysteries. Using a hands-on approach, Nickell visits the scene of the so-called unexplainable activity whenever possible and attempts to physically duplicate the miraculous. Whether he's inflicting stigmata on himself or recreating the liquefying blood of Saint Januarius, Nickell does whatever necessary to eliminate the probable before considering the supernatural. What is left is that much more fascinating. Nickell reports on familiar legends from American history such as the supernatural events surrounding Abraham Lincoln's death and the supposed crash landing of an alien spacecraft near Roswell, New Mexico. He closely examines claims of the miraculous, from rose petals bearing the likeness of Jesus to photographs of a "golden door" to heaven. Controversial mysteries such as clairvoyance and "spirit painting," haunted places, and freaks of nature are just a few of the many topics covered. Suspenseful, engrossing, funny, and grounded in scientific methodology, Real-Life X-Files provides real explanations for the "paranormal" activities that have intrigued human beings for centuries.

Real-Life X-Files: Investigating the Paranormal

Reference

The ultimate guide to the quintessential Derby drink! A simple concoction―bourbon, mint, sugar, and water―the mint julep is legendary. Few people know its history and even fewer know how to properly mix this classic cocktail. Lighthearted, entertaining, and informative, The Kentucky Mint Julep explores the lore and legend of the Kentucky Derby's traditional tipple. Joe Nickell looks at the origins of the julep, offers a brief history of American whiskey and Kentucky bourbon, and shares some classic julep tales. Information on julep cups, tips on garnishing and serving, and reminiscences from the likes of Charles Dickens, Washington Irving, and General John Hunt Morgan give a fun, historic look at Kentucky's favorite drink. The book includes numerous recipes―for classic juleps, modern variations, non-alcoholic versions, and the author's own thoroughly researched "perfect" mint julep. This delightful book is illustrated with historic photographs, a map of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and more.

The Kentucky Mint Julep

Cookbooks, Food & Wine

Beverages & Wine

With a foreword by James Randi Paranormal investigator Joe Nickell has spent more than thirty years solving the world's most perplexing mysteries. This new casebook reveals the secrets of the Winchester Mystery House, the giant Nazca drawings of Peru, the Shroud of Turin, the "Mothman" enigma, the Amityville Horror house, the vicious goatsucking El Chupacabras, and numerous other "unexplainable" paranormal phenomena. Nickell has traveled far and wide to solve cases, which include a weeping icon in Russia, the elusive Bigfoot-like "yowie" in Australia, the reputed power of a headless saint in Spain, and an "alien hybrid" in Germany. He has gone undercover―often in disguise―to reveal the tricks of those who pretend to talk to the dead, accompanied a Cajun guide into a Louisiana swamp in search of a fabled monster, and gained an audience with a voodoo queen. Superstar psychic medium John Edward, pet psychic Sonya Fitzpatrick, evangelist and healer Benny Hinn, and many other well-known figures have found themselves under Nickell's careful scrutiny. The Mystery Chronicles examines more than three dozen intriguing mysteries. Nickell uses a hands-on approach and the scientific method to steer between the extremes of mystery mongering and debunking. His investigative skills have won him both acclaim and controversy during his long career as one of the world's foremost paranormal investigators.

The Mystery Chronicles: More Real-Life X-Files

James Randi

Secrets of the Sideshows

The carnival sideshows of the past have left behind a fascinating legacy of mystery and intrigue. The secrets behind such daring feats as fire-eating and sword swallowing and bizarre exhibitions of human oddities as "Alligator Boys" and "Gorilla Girls" still remain, only grudgingly if ever given up by performers and carnival professionals. Working alongside the performers, Joe Nickell blows the lid off these mysteries of the midway. The author reveals the structure of the shows, specific methods behind the performances, and the showmen's tactics for recruiting performers and attracting crowds. He also traces the history of such spectacles, from ancient Egyptian magic and street fairs to the golden age of P.T. Barnum's sideshows. With revealing insight into the personal lives of the men and women billed as freaks, Nickell unfolds the captivating story of the midway show.

Humor & Entertainment

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Books by Nickell, Joe