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Bones Never Lie

How Forensics Helps Solve History's Mysteries

ebook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

How did King Tut really die?

The mystery of the young pharaoh's death is only one of the puzzles that modern science has helped solve. Thanks to forensics—the science of examining physical evidence—we now know that King Tut died of malaria. We also know that stomach cancer, and not arsenic as suspected, killed Napoleon.

Seven intriguing stories about historical royal figures whose demise was suspicious, and hard scientific facts about crime-solving techniques make each event seem like an episode of CSI rather than a history lesson.

Kids will be fascinated to find out how scientists use autopsy results, DNA testing, bone fragments, and even insects to determine the cause of death.

At times a gripping whodunit, at others an exercise in deductive reasoning, this book will be hard to put down for any kids who love mysteries, murder, and suspense.

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  • Reviews

    • Kirkus

      Starred review from March 1, 2013
      Was Napoleon poisoned? Did King Rama VIII shoot himself? And just whose bones were found in the Temple prison? Only the bones know. MacLeod provides here a neat introduction to the art and science of forensics, which examines the physical evidence of a death scene through DNA analysis, fingerprinting, bone analysis, autopsies, blood tests, X-rays and a slew of other high-tech methods. She examines seven particular cases in which the verdict had long been in dispute: the deaths of the Mayan royal family, Napoleon, the Man in the Iron Mask, King Rama VIII of Thailand, Grand Duchess Anastasia, King Tut and Marie-Antoinette's son. Each episode is a taut short story, complete with historical context, conjectures, and plenty of background information and colorful minutiae ("Anastasia always had lots of energy, despite her painful bunions"). The canny unraveling of the evidence reveals the thought process of each forensic team. It will come as a shock to many that what they thought they knew about the deaths of these characters has been overthrown by recent forensic discoveries. In real life, forensics can be slow and tedious, but MacLeod invests these high-profile deaths with considerable vim and drama. A good selection of staged and archival photographs and artwork accompany the stories. A fully fleshed and crisply told story of forensics at its romantic best. (glossary, sources, further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 10-12)

      COPYRIGHT(2013) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

    • The Horn Book

      January 1, 2013
      Based on a true incident, this fictional account tells how in 1884 a fourteen-year-old Native American boy is lynched in Canada by the leaders of a white mob attempting to cover up the murder of a local citizen. Although that murder remains unsolved, Stewart builds a credible case against the probable perpetrators. An afterword separates fact from fiction.

      (Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Formats

  • OverDrive Read
  • PDF ebook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:7.7
  • Lexile® Measure:1000
  • Interest Level:4-8(MG)
  • Text Difficulty:5-7

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