The History Detectives Explore Lincoln's Letter, Parker's Sax, and Mark Twain's Watch

Book excerpt: Explore the secrets of America's past with the official companion to PBS's History Detectives Could a Civil War POW have fashioned a working camera from a tin can, a spyglass lens, and a pine plank? What can an ancient and battered banjo reveal about America's musical and segregated past? How could a man save his own life by proving that he had forged a painting? These are just a few of the intriguing and puzzling questions posed to super sleuths Wes Cowan, Elyse Luray, Gwendolyn Wright, and Tukufu Zuberi in this fascinating book. The perfect companion to the hit public television series, including an episode guide, this book is filled with intriguing case files, pictures, how-to's, and checklists that bring mysteries to life and give you the practical advice and tips you need to solve your own historical puzzles. From genealogical research to patent and property searches to DNA analysis and more, it gives you the lowdown on all of the high-tech tools that can help get to the bottom of a case. Packed with fun and useful information for the whole family, it will deepen your appreciation for the way in which seemingly ordinary objects can connect you to important people and events from the past and give you the know-how to do some history detecting of your own.