Jumbo's hide, Elvis's ride, and the tooth of the Buddha : more marvelous tales of historical artifacts

The book behind the History Channel's new series, "History's Lost and Found." Following on his acclaimed Lucy's Bones, Sacred Stones and Einstein's Brain, the insatiably curious Harvey Rachlin tells the fascinating and often hilarious tales of forty more historical artifacts, ranging from the obscure to the majestic. Each of these objects is a tangible piece of history, with its own story to tell, a story that opens a window to the past, giving us a glimpse into the time from which it came and the people whose lives it affected. After three blockbuster specials in 1998, "History's Lost and Found," based on Rachlin's writing, premieres as a weekly prime-time show in August, 1999 (Saturdays, 8:00 P.M.). Whether tracing the four existing original copies of the Magna Carta, or recounting the mad police search to recover Marilyn Monroe's white dress from The Seven-Year Itch, Rachlin presents a wonderfully diverse range of tales of historical artifacts. Imagine King John of England in 1215, affixing his seal to the Magna Carta with no idea of how it would change the course of history. Or imagine chairmaker John Folwell in colonial Philadelphia -- could he have foreseen that the chair he made would be used by George Washington in the Constitutional Convention, or that it would survive to be displayed in the place that came to be known as Independence Hall? Could Marilyn Monroe have known how popular the white dress she wore in The Seven Year Itch would become -- or that later it would be involved in a massive New York police manhunt?

History is made up of not just the great figures that have shaped the fate of nations. Sometimes the course of history can be changed by something as small as a nail, or a ball, or a dress. There are thousands of these historical oddities, littered throughout the museums and libraries of the world -- artifacts that have survived the test of time, that have come through the fires and furies of history to stand before us. Harvey Rachlin picks up where he left off in the popular Lucy's Bones, Sacred Stones, and Einstein's Brain, here exploring the fascinating and often hilarious tales behind forty more historical objects, ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous, from the glorious to the grotesque. Each is a tangible piece of history with its own story to tell, offering a glimpse into the time from which it came and the people whose lives it affected.

Rachlin, insatiably curious, examines them all, from Galileo to Jefferson, Edison to ENIAC. He tells the stories of Able, the first monkey to survive space travel; of the Zimmermann telegram, which was instrumental in American involvement in World War I; of Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, which freed the slaves in the American South. He reaches into the distant past to discover the legend of the Sacred Tooth of the Buddha, and into the annals of American history to trace the voyages of Lewis and Clark.

Funny, farcical, or tragic, the stories behind these artifacts are the legacies from our past. In sharing them with us, Harvey Rachlin gives us a chance to understand those who have come before us.

"History is made up of not just the great figures that have shaped the fate of nations. Sometimes the course of history can be changed by something as small as a nail, or a ball, or a dress. There are thousands of these historical oddities, littered throughout the museums and libraries on the world - artifacts that have survived the test of time, that have come through the fires and furies of history to stand before us. Harvey Rachlin picks up where he left off in the popular Lucy's Bones, Sacred Stones, and Einstein's Brain, here exploring the tales behind forty more historical objects, ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous, from the glorious to the grotesque. Each is a tangible piece of history with its own story to tell, offering a glimpse into the time from which it came and the people whose lives it affected."--BOOK JACKET. Leap across time with bestselling author Harvey Rachlin as he collects over 50 of the most fascinating objects in the world, under one book. The Mounted Hide of Stonewall Jackson's Battle Horse, The Black Obelisk, The Rosetta Stone, George Washington's False Teeth, Vice Admiral Lord Nelson's Uniform Coat, The Elephant Man's Skeleton, and Lincoln's Death Bed are just some of the objects Rachlin explores with wit, pick and an amazing sense of spectacle. Publisher's Weekly calls Lucy's Bone's, Sacred Stones, and Einstein's Brain ""entertaining and enlightening."" Library Journal declares Rachin's Once again historian Harvey Rachlin uncovers odd and stirring stories behind some of the most fascinating objects in the world. "Jumbo's Hide," Publisher's Weekly writes, "is entertaining and enlightening … a pageant of human aspiration, achievement, obsession, and belief." Artifacts explored include: The truce flag that ended World War I, The Maltese Falcon, John Adam's pigtail and Jesse James' Stickpin and Galileo's middle finger. A companion to the History Channel's series History's Lost and Found presents a fascinating, frequently humorous look at forty historical artifacts that provide a key glimpse into the past, ranging from tracing the four extant copies of the Magna Carta >to the search fro Marilyn Monroe's white dress from The SevenYear Itch. 12,500 first printing. Looks at forty historical artifacts that provide a key glimpse into the past, ranging from tracing the four extant copies of the Magna Carta to the search for Marilyn Monroe's white dress from "The Seven Year Itch." A new book by the beloved author of *Lucy's Bones, Sacred Stones, and Einstein's Brain* and History Channel consultant provides fascinating, often hilarious pedigrees for forty important historical artifacts.