Detecting Forgery: Forensic Investigation of Documents

Detecting Forgery reveals the complete arsenal of forensic techniques used to detect forged handwriting and alterations in documents and to identify the authorship of disputed writings. Joe Nickell looks at famous cases such as Clifford Irving\u27s autobiography of Howard Hughes and the Mormon papers of document dealer Mark Hoffman, as well as cases involving works of art. Detecting Forgery is a fascinating introduction to the growing field of forensic document examination and forgery detection. Seldom does a book about forgery come along containing depth of subject matter in addition to presenting clear and understandable information. This book has both, plus a readability that is accessible to those studying questioned documents as well as seasoned experts. -- Journal of Forensic Identification The author\u27s expertise in historical documents is unmistakably evident throughout the book. Once I began reading, I found it hard to put down. -- Journal of Questioned Document Examination Guides the reader through various methods and techniques of identifying fakes and phone manuscripts. -- Manchester (KY) Enterprisehttps://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_legal_studies/1000/thumbnail.jp

Ambrose Bierce is Missing: And Other Historical Mysteries

What constitutes historical truth is often subject to change. Through ingenious detection, the accepted wisdom of one generation may become the discredited legend of another—or vice versa. In this wide- ranging study of historical investigation, former detective Joe Nickell allows the reader to look over his shoulder as he demonstrates the use of varied techniques in solving some of the world\u27s most perplexing mysteries. All the major categories of historical mystery are here—ancient riddles, biographical enigmas, hidden identity, “fakelore,” questioned artifacts, suspect documents, lost texts, obscured sources, and scientific challenges. Each is then illustrated by a complete case from the author\u27s own files. Nickell’s investigation of the giant Nazca drawings in Peru, for example—thought by some to provide proof of ancient extraterrestrial visitations—uses innovative techniques to reveal a very different origin. Other cases concern the 1913 disappearance of writer and journalist Ambrose Bierce, the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, the truth about the identity of John Demjanjuk (“Ivan the Terrible” to Polish death camp victims), the fate of a lost colonial American text, the authenticity of Abraham Lincoln\u27s celebrated Bixby letter, and the apparent real-life model for a mysterious character in a novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In reaching his solutions, Nickell demonstrates a wide variety of investigative techniques—chemical and instrumental analyses, physical experimentation, a “psychological autopsy,” forensic identification, archival research, linguistic analysis, folklore study, and many others. His highly readable book will intrigue the scholar and the history buff no less than the mystery lover. Joe Nickell, a former investigator for a world-famous detective agency, teaches at the University of Kentucky and is author of several books, including Pen, Ink, and Evidence.https://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_history_in_general/1002/thumbnail.jp

[Bibliography of \u3cem\u3eMissing Pieces: How to Investigate Ghosts, UFOs, Psychics, & Other Mysteries\u3c/em\u3e] Part 2: Reference Sources for the Investigator

This is a list of major reference works representing important information sources for the investigator of ghosts, UFOs, psychics, and other mysteries

Real or Fake: Studies in Authentication

This book reveals the secret to detecting artifacts items. Detailing how the pros determine whether an Abraham Lincoln signature is forged or if a photograph of Emily Dickinson is genuine, the book provides the essential tools necessary to identify counterfeits. In this general introduction to the principles of authentication, the book provides readers with step-by-step explanations of the science used to detect falsified documents, photographs, and other objects. Illustrating methods used on hit shows such as Antiques Roadshow and History Detectives, the book recommends that aspiring investigators employ a comprehensive approach to identifying imitations. One should consider the object\u27s provenance (the origin or derivation of an artifact), content (clues in the scene or item depicted), and material composition (what artifacts are made of), as well as the results of scientific analyses, including radiographic, spectroscopic, microscopic, and microchemical tests. Including fascinating cases drawn from an illustrious career, the book combines historical and scientific investigations to reveal reproductions and genuine objects. This book explains the warning signs of forgery, such as patching and unnatural pen lifts; chronicles the evolution of writing instruments, inks, and papers; shows readers how to date photographs, papers, and other materials; and traces the development of photographic processes since the mid-nineteenth century.https://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_social_history/1011/thumbnail.jp

Crime Science: Methods of Forensic Detection

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\u27s 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. The case studies clearly highlight the subject being discussed and bring to life the application of that particular forensic science. -- Gideon Epstein Extremely well written and easy to read. -- Journal of Forensic Identification An excellent basic book for the criminologist. -- Lee A. Kilty Nickell and Fischer, both nationally-recognized forensic scientists, have collaborated on step-by-step descriptions of crime-science investigations. -- Library Journal In this must-read for anyone in the crime-solving field, the authors examine the amazing and complicated crime scene, taking the reader on an educational journey as they explain processes ranging from how to verify a bullet came from a specific gun to how teeth determine the age of a decayed body. -- Paintsville Herald Nickell and Fischer provide a comprehensive primer of forensic investigation for the uninitiated. -- Publishers Weekly Beautifully organized and ingeniously supplemented by real-life criminal case-histories at the end of each chapter, the book provides a detailed—yet simplified—review of the major methods and techniques of forensic science and criminalistics. Anyone and everyone interested in either real crime or crime-fiction or both, will want to read and regularly refer to this comprehensive and informative source by experts in the field. -- Robert A. Baker This book is well-written and should be of considerable value to those training for a career in these areas. -- Science & Justice 1999 Delivers the goods for the educated layperson. Once getting into the book, readers will be hard-pressed to put it down. -- USA Todayhttps://uknowledge.uky.edu/upk_legal_studies/1001/thumbnail.jp