Forensic Science History

In The Poisoner's Handbook, Blum draws from highly original research to track the fascinating, perilous days when a pair of forensic scientists began their trailblazing chemical detective work, fighting to end an era when untraceable poisons offered an easy path to the perfect crime.

Groundbreaking scientific analysis that breaks the JFK assassination wide open! Did a shot from the "grassy knoll" kill President Kennedy? If so, was Oswald part of a conspiracy or an innocent patsy? Why have scientific experts who examined the evidence failed to put such questions to rest? In 2001, scientist Dr. Donald Byron Thomas published a peer-reviewed article that revived the debate over the finding by the House Select Committee on Assassinations that there had indeed been a shot from the grassy knoll, caught on a police dictabelt recording.

Track the chilling true crime history of forensic science, watching ancient clues evolve into modern DNA breakthroughs. This gripping narrative thrusts you into the center of pivotal murder investigations that forever transformed criminal justice. Perfect for your daily commute or an intense...

Every investigator knows the golden rule of a crime scene. Physical evidence never lies. Yet history is full of tragic missteps where the truth was buried beneath tunnel vision, forced confessions, and ignored details. This collection dives deep into the most complex investigations of the modern era. It explores the dark intersection where human error meets the undeniable reality of biology. You will follow the painstaking journey of real detectives, geneticists, and innocence organizations as they strip away decades of deception to reveal what actually happened. From tragic disappearances ...

The history of science is crazy. Did you know that a standup comedian pioneered atomic theory 25 centuries ago? Or that a brother-and-sister musical duo were the first people to discover a planet? The Wacky History of Science, 2026 Electronic Edition tells the stories of 79 scientific geniuses who said and did stuff that was nuts. For example, you can learn about how George Washington Carver gave massages to a United States President, and an ancient cult leader created one of the most important mathematical theorems ever. While making important discoveries about subatomic particles and ...

On October 20, 1973, in San Francisco, a White couple strolling down Telegraph Hill was set upon and butchered by four young Black men. Thus began a reign of terror that lasted six months and left 15 Whites dead and the entire city in a state of panic. The perpetrators wanted nothing less than a race war.

What motivates those who commit violence in the name of political beliefs? Terrorism today is not solely the preserve of Islam, nor is it a new phenomenon. It emerges from social processes and conditions common to societies throughout modern history, and the story of its origins spans centuries, encompassing numerous radical and revolutionary movements. Marc Sageman is a forensic psychiatrist and government counter-terrorism consultant whose bestselling books provide a detailed, damning corrective to commonplace yet simplistic notions of Islamist terrorism.

On July 27, 1996, a hapless former cop turned hypervigilant security guard named Richard Jewell spotted a suspicious bag in Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park, the town square of the 1996 Summer Games. Inside was a bomb, the largest of its kind in FBI and ATF history. Minutes later, the bomb remotely detonated by the attacker amid a crowd of 50,000 people. But thanks to Jewell, it only killed two and wounded 111, not the hundreds who authorities estimated could have otherwise died. With the eyes of the world on Atlanta, the games continued.

Deep Waters Hide Dark Secrets. The American South is renowned for its sweeping landscapes, sun-drenched coastlines, and thick, untamed wetlands. But beneath the scenic beauty of these blackwater bayous, mangrove forests, and coastal flatlands lies a shifting, treacherous terrain that has long been weaponized by the nation's most ruthless predators. In this gripping non-fiction anthology, journey deep into the shadows of the southern wilderness to uncover twenty of the most chilling, dynamic, and historic criminal investigations ever recorded. From the quiet mist of Lake Seminole to the ...

From the quiet, desperate hands of a 19th-century housewife to the state-sponsored assassins of the Cold War, the methods have evolved, but the motive remains the same. This meticulously researched account opens the case files on the world’s most infamous poisoners, revealing the dark intersection of science, ambition, and human cruelty. Journey through a history of hidden horror, from the panic of the 1982 Tylenol attacks and the chilling efficiency of Harold Shipman, the doctor who preyed on his patients, to the radioactive ghost trail that exposed the assassins of Alexander Litvinenko....

Why do we still believe in UFOs, despite repeated efforts to dismiss them? For most of the twentieth century, reports of unidentified flying objects were treated as cultural error: cranks, hoaxes, late-night radio. Then, abruptly, the posture changed. The Pentagon released videos it could not...

Trade true crime fiction for the gripping history of forensic science and discover how investigators truly catch killers. Leave behind the polished television myths and journey from ancient trials by ordeal to the rise of modern crime labs. This sweeping narrative reveals the grueling...

The dead cannot speak. But they do not stay silent. FORENSIC HISTORY Summarized takes you on a pulse-pounding journey through the evolution of truth. For thousands of years, the perfect crime was a terrifying possibility. A splash of poison, a wipe of a blade, and a killer could vanish into the crowd. Justice was a game of rumors, torture, and luck. Then, the scientists arrived. Author Devon Kade and The Sum It Collective pivot the lens from the "who" of murder to the "how" of detection. This is the biography of the battle between the criminal mastermind and the scientific detective. You ...

Take a fascinating deep dive into the dark world of forensic science as experts team up to solve the identity of an unknown woman, using the rapidly evolving techniques being used to break the most notorious cold cases. Fans of true crime shows like CSI, NCIS, Criminal Minds, and Law &Order know...

Written by the forensic nurse who transformed the way the FBI profiles and catches serial killers, this thought-provoking book takes an intimate look at the creation of the Behavioral Science Unit–the inspiration for Hulu’s Mastermind documentary. In the 1970s, the FBI created the...

The Bureau takes listeners behind the scenes of the FBI, from its creation in 1908 to the scandals of present day. Based on exclusive interviews, Kessler reveals the inside story surrounding the events of September 11 and the investigation into the anthrax mailings. The Bureau delves deep within the agency, presenting the organization in its historical context and answering questions concerning its somewhat checkered past.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER The New York Times bestselling author of Being Mortal and Complications examines, in riveting accounts of medical failure and triumph, how success is achieved in a complex and risk-filled profession The struggle to perform well is universal: each one of us faces fatigue...

 Forensics for Dummies takes you inside the world of crime-scene investigation to give you the lowdown on this exciting field. Written by a doctor and former Law & Order consultant, this guide will have you solving crimes along with your favorite TV shows in no time. 

A propulsive work of narrative nonfiction about how the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre, how the robbery made the portrait the most famous artwork in the world—and how the painting by Leonardo da Vinci should never have existed at all. On a hot August day in Paris, just over a century ago...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A gripping account of the deadliest Ebola epidemic yet, an urgent wake-up call about the future of emerging viruses, and a tribute to the doctors and scientists fighting to protect us—from the #1 bestselling author of The Hot Zone “Crisis in the Red Zone reads...