Book recommendations.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Ps I think Launton Anderson is a woman, Herlock.

[Ms Diddles]

One of the most baffling of all mysteries has to be The Dyatlov Pass Mystery. I’d never read a book on the case before so I was looking for a really good book on the case and imo I found just the one. It’s called Death Of Nine: The Dyatlov Pass Mystery by Launton Anderson. I have nothing to compare it to of course but I’d say that if you want a good introduction to the case, background on the victims, the journey itself, diary entries, autopsy reports, unanswered questions, strange unexplained facts, unbiased evidence and loads of photographs then this is the one. It’s such a complex case that it’s an achievement to get it into just 280 pages. Check out the website and forum on the case - there are some real experts on this case going into minute details. The author also reviews the theories (a paragraph on each one) and then gives the one that he favours (which I’m not totally sold on but I can see his point of view) I’m convinced that it was a murder and not the result of some natural phenomenon or some kind of animal (certainly not a Yeti!) Who did it though? I have a feeling that there’ll never be an answer to that one although it may be locked away somewhere in Russia. When an official enquiry comes up with one of the stupidest theories of all you tend to get the impression that this is a subject that they are no longer willing to discuss.

Recommended.

Ps I think Launton Anderson is a woman, Herlock.

[Ms Diddles]

The Keith McCloskey book "Mountain of the Dead" is a good one too.

I just checked with my friend, the documentary which we watched was called "An Unknown Compelling Force".

[Ms Diddles]

Admittedly this is after reading just one book on the subject but I just can’t see how it possibly could c.d. According to the medical evidence in the book 2 of the hikers had their eyes gouged out while they were still alive. Some of them were badly burned. 2 of them had double the normal radiation levels on their clothing which dropped when their clothing was put in water by investigators, so they can’t know how high it was originally because both of those bodies were actually found in water. Some of them had each other’s clothing on. Then there was the many cuts on the tent. As mysteries go c.d. this one has to be near the top of the tree imo.

Hi Herlock!

Yep! This one keeps me awake at night too!!

I've read pretty much all the available literature, and from what I recall some of the evidence mentioned above (the radiation levels / eyes and tongue removal pre mortem) is very much open to debate.

You'll see it contested in other books.

The autopsy reports are woefully vague too.

Then there's the intriguing detail of the missing person report pre-dating anyone knowing the hikers were missing.

I recall quite liking Donnie Eichar's book "Dead Mountain" although I'm not convinced by his conclusions (avoiding spoilers here!!).

There was also quite a good documentary released recently (2019 / 2020?), which I saw at a friends house through a haze of festive booze.

I can't recall the details (!), but I can find out if you're interested?

I was initially convinced that there was some kind of KGB conspiracy thing going on, but I now lean towards avalanche as the likeliest explanation.

Initially the thinking was that an avalanche was unlikely to have occurred at the location, but recent research has overturned that pretty convincingly.

It doesn't exactly explain all of the weird facets of the case, but simply playing the odds, I see it as the likeliest (if rather mundane) explanation.

If you decide to read a bit more about the case, please do post your thoughts.

I'd be interested to see what you think.....

[Herlock Sholmes]

The latest theory appears to be that the deaths were due to a slab avalanche, which is a special type of deadly snowslide that can strike on low-angled slopes. Could be but does that explain all of the very bizarre occurrences?

https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7vwg8/the-dyatlov-pass-mystery-may-have-just-been-solved-by-new-video-evidence

c.d.

Admittedly this is after reading just one book on the subject but I just can’t see how it possibly could c.d. According to the medical evidence in the book 2 of the hikers had their eyes gouged out while they were still alive. Some of them were badly burned. 2 of them had double the normal radiation levels on their clothing which dropped when their clothing was put in water by investigators, so they can’t know how high it was originally because both of those bodies were actually found in water. Some of them had each other’s clothing on. Then there was the many cuts on the tent. As mysteries go c.d. this one has to be near the top of the tree imo.

[c.d.]

The latest theory appears to be that the deaths were due to a slab avalanche, which is a special type of deadly snowslide that can strike on low-angled slopes. Could be but does that explain all of the very bizarre occurrences?

https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7vwg8/the-dyatlov-pass-mystery-may-have-just-been-solved-by-new-video-evidence

c.d.

[Herlock Sholmes]

One of the most baffling of all mysteries has to be The Dyatlov Pass Mystery. I’d never read a book on the case before so I was looking for a really good book on the case and imo I found just the one. It’s called Death Of Nine: The Dyatlov Pass Mystery by Launton Anderson. I have nothing to compare it to of course but I’d say that if you want a good introduction to the case, background on the victims, the journey itself, diary entries, autopsy reports, unanswered questions, strange unexplained facts, unbiased evidence and loads of photographs then this is the one. It’s such a complex case that it’s an achievement to get it into just 280 pages. Check out the website and forum on the case - there are some real experts on this case going into minute details. The author also reviews the theories (a paragraph on each one) and then gives the one that he favours (which I’m not totally sold on but I can see his point of view) I’m convinced that it was a murder and not the result of some natural phenomenon or some kind of animal (certainly not a Yeti!) Who did it though? I have a feeling that there’ll never be an answer to that one although it may be locked away somewhere in Russia. When an official enquiry comes up with one of the stupidest theories of all you tend to get the impression that this is a subject that they are no longer willing to discuss.

Recommended.

[Abby Normal]

From what I have read, Doc Holliday was generally an easy going, well mannered Southern gentleman except when crossed and especially if he had been drinking (which was most of the time). Then it was like stepping on a rattlesnake. He pretty much considered himself a dead man because of his tuberculosis and therefore just didn't give a ****.

His lady friend, Big Nose Kate, said that after the gunfight at the O.K. Corral he sat on the edge of the bed in his hotel room and cried saying it had been just absolutely terrible.

c.d.

hi cd
just seeing this. I never heard that about Docs remorse after the gunfight at the OK corral. It shows more of the human side to these charactors. Doc and wyatt Earps(and his brothers) stories are all amazing too. most people think that the gunfight at the OK corral was the climax to that story-it was actually just the beginning showdown-the feud continued long after with more crazy and lethal encounters between these two groups. wild west indeed!

BTW I beleive this is an authentic photo of wyatt, Doc and morgan and virgil Earp. Can anyone verify?

[c.d.]

"A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson. His attempt, along with a companion, to hike the 2,000 mile Appalachian Trail. If you love the outdoors and you love to laugh out loud, this is a classic. Bill Bryon is extremely funny and entertaining. Over 9,700 reviews on amazon. Highly recommended.

https://www.amazon.com/A-Walk-in-Woods-Bill-Bryson-audiobook/dp/B009GBVCAG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=HFCJMSI87HU2&keywords=a+walk+in+the+woods+by+bill+bryson&qid=1652718563&sprefix=a+wal%2Caps%2C403&sr=8-1

c.d.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Hello Herlock,

"The Killer Angels" by Michael Shaara won the Pulitzer Prize and is considered a classic of the Civil War. The books by his son, Jeff Shaara, are also excellent and start with "Gods and Generals." In my opinion, Jeff is the equal of his father.

https://www.amazon.com/The-Killer-Angels-Michael-Shaara-audiobook/dp/B00029DHWM/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1I3PQ0MUMGHLD&keywords=the+killer+angels&qid=1652231882&s=audible&sprefix=the+killer+angels%2Caudible%2C126&sr=1-1

https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Generals-Novel-Civil-Trilogy/dp/B085Z8WXRW/ref=sr_1_10?crid=31F2TUQ1HPDSR&keywords=jeff+shaara&qid=1652231585&s=audible&sprefix=jeff+shaara%2Caudible%2C176&sr=1-10

c.d.

Thanks c.d.

[Herlock Sholmes]

"If I had my choice I would kill every reporter in the world, but I am sure we would be getting reports from Hell before breakfast." William Tecumseh Sherman

I quickly skimmed this thread before going to make myself some breakfast and thought “that’s a bit extreme Enigma,” then I realised that you were quoting Sherman.

[Herlock Sholmes]

Hi Herlock, with your interest in the American Civil War, you might give the memoirs of General William T Sherman a read. He was possibly the first general who realised what total war entailed.

To read online:

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/4361/4361-h/4361-h.htm

To download the ebook

https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4361

Hi Enigma,

Thanks for those. Coincidentally I was looking at something on Project Gutenberg last night.

[Enigma]

Hi again Herlock,
Another recommendation. This is the unsolved mystery of the murders of two sisters and their brother on Boxing Day 1898 in Gatton Queensland.

[Enigma]

"War is hell."

William Tecumseh Sherman

"If I had my choice I would kill every reporter in the world, but I am sure we would be getting reports from Hell before breakfast." William Tecumseh Sherman

[c.d.]

"War is hell."

William Tecumseh Sherman