Brad Meltzer - History Decoded: The 10 Greatest Conspiracies of All Time

John Wilkes Booth

Was Lincolns assassin cornered and killed in a burning Virginia barn 12 days after he killed the presidentor did he live years longer under an alias? Conspiracy buffs and serious investigators have argued and speculated over this for more than a century.

Those stories are what led to Decoded. Three years ago, the HISTORY network told me that if I gave them a list of my favorite historical mysteries, theyd give me a team to help solve them. From there, Buddy Levy, Christine McKinley, Scott Rolle, and our amazing producers and crew have become true family. Together, weve explored some of the greatest conspiracies (and myths) that history has to offer.

To me, history is a giant game of telephone. Whats vital is finding the first whisper. Yet of all the questions people ask us about conspiracies, the number one is simply this: Which is your favorite?

And so, this book. Inside, youll see our favorites, counting down from the mysteries surrounding the Lincoln assassination, to the search for Confederate gold, to the existence of UFOs, to... well... like I said, youll see.

As always, our goal is to show you the facts presented by both sides. Well give you our theoriesplus the sensible and logical questions to askand then you decide who you believe. Look inside. Theres a reason we want you to pull out the evidence and physically examine it for yourself.

As for those who want the full solutions to every one of these mysteries, let me say it now: Dont write me letters asking for those answers. In some of the chapters, youll see an answer. In others, youll get the facts as they exist. Anyone who promises you all the answers is forgetting that theres a reason these are the greatest conspiracies and mysteries of all time.

On the very first day we started filming Decoded, one of the producers said to me, On shows like this, the fewer facts you have, the more scary music you play. We decided right there, we didnt want to be one of those shows. And yes, we may have our share of scary music, but when it comes to Decodedand the stories in hereweve stuck to one motto: The scariest story of all is always the true story.

Show me your favorite conspiracy and Ill show you who you are. Yknow what that means? It means youre about to find out a great deal about yourself. Just like I did on that day in Mrs. Shermans history class.

See you in the archives.

Brad Meltzer, 2013

What if I told you that after murdering President Abraham Lincoln, the most famous assassin in American history lived for 40 more years?

We all know the story: In 1865, on a Friday night at Fords Theatre, John Wilkes Booth killed our 16th president with a single bullet to the back of his head. Instantly becoming Americas most wanted man, Booth jumped from the presidential balcony and fled on horseback across Maryland and Virginia. But some speculate that the history bookswhich tell us that Booth was shot 12 days later at Garretts farm near Port Royal, Virginiaare flat-out wrong.

Some believe Booth didnt die that night. They claim he was actually acting on behalf of the Confederate Secret Service, who then aided him in his escape. They argue the man killed at Garretts barn was actually a look-alike, a patsy used to throw off Union soldiers. Whats even more amazing: This is just one of three plausible theories of Booths escape. If theres even the slightest possibility John Wilkes Booth was able to escape the law and live as a fugitive for another 40 years, I want to know what happened.