Andrew Lawler je novinář a autor, který se specializuje na vědecké a archeologické psaní. Jeho práce se vyznačuje hlubokým zájmem o propojení historie, vědy a lidské civilizace. Prostřednictvím svých textů zkoumá, jak se zdánlivě obyčejné věci, jako je například kuře, staly hnací silou pokroku a jak nás touha po poznání a odhalování tajemství provází od nepaměti. Lawlerův styl je poutavý a přibližuje složité téma čtenářům.
Kniha sleduje mnohovrstevnatou historii objevování jeruzalémského podzemí od poloviny 19. století až do současnosti; podzemí, ve kterém je ukryto pět tisíc let existence biblického města. Plastické a poutavé líčení archeologických počinů a jejich politických, kulturních a náboženských dopadů podává autor s důkladností historika a vypravěčským…
In a masterful combination of historical sleuthing and journalistic exploration on four continents, Lawler reframes the way we feel and think about all domesticated animals and even nature itself.
Set in 1863, the narrative follows a French politician who uncovers rumors of biblical treasures in Jerusalem, a city then overlooked and underexplored. His groundbreaking excavation of an ancient tomb marks the beginning of serious archaeological pursuits, attracting explorers from various nations eager to stake their claims. This pivotal moment not only establishes archaeology as a legitimate field but also ignites fierce competition and controversy, transforming Jerusalem into a focal point of global interest and conflict over its historical and religious significance.
*National Bestseller* A sweeping account of America's oldest unsolved mystery, the people racing to unearth its answer, and the sobering truths--about race, gender, and immigration--exposed by the story of the Lost Colony of Roanoke. In 1587, 115 men, women, and children arrived at Roanoke Island on the coast of North Carolina. Chartered by Queen Elizabeth I, their colony was to establish England's first foothold in the New World. But when the colony's leader, John White, returned to Roanoke from a resupply mission, his settlers were nowhere to be found. They left behind only a single clue--a "secret token" carved into a tree. Neither White nor any other European laid eyes on the colonists again. What happened to the Lost Colony of Roanoke? For four hundred years, that question has consumed historians and amateur sleuths, leading only to dead ends and hoaxes. But after a chance encounter with a British archaeologist, journalist Andrew Lawler discovered that solid answers to the mystery were within reach. He set out to unravel the enigma of the lost settlers, accompanying competing researchers, each hoping to be the first to solve its riddle. Thrilling and absorbing, The Secret Token offers a new understanding not just of the first English settlement in the New World but of how the mystery and significance of its disappearance continues to define and divide our country.
In 1587, 115 men, women, and children arrived on Roanoke, an island off the coast of North Carolina. Chartered by Queen Elizabeth I, their colony was to establish a foothold for England in the New World. But by the time the colony's leader, John White, returned to Roanoke from a resupply mission in England, his settlers were nowhere to be found. They had vanished into the wilderness, leaving behind only a single clue, the word 'Croatoan' carved into a tree. The disappearance of the Lost Colony became an enduring American mystery. For four centuries, it has gone unsolved, obsessing countless historians, archeologists, and amateur sleuths. Today, after centuries of searching in vain, new clues have begun to surface. Here, Andrew Lawler offers a beguiling history of the Lost Colony, and of the relentless quest to bring its fate to light.