Product Description
There's something joyfully fascinating about the Unknown.

Since earliest times we humans have been thrilled and chilled by things we can not understand--weather, death, the movement of stars and planets, even the darkness of night.

In order to cope with these great terrors, myths and legends were born--dragons and ghosts and winged beings from heavenly realms.

Even today, as we enter the new millennium, the old fears remain--haunting reminders of a dark and uncertain past, a past teeming with secrets and mysteries too awesome and frightening to contemplate. Instead of dragons and ghosts and lost civilizations like Atlantis, however, modern terrors include UFOs, tropical plagues and killer asteroids from the far reaches of space.

Anyone who thinks we have outgrown our old fears and fascination for the Unknown need only visit a bookstore or tune in to cable television. Many of these popular books and programs deal with angels, ghosts, lost civilizations, UFOs, doomsday comets and other mysteries.

Wouldn't it be wonderful, I used to muse, if someone came along and did a book about the most compelling mysteries--a kind of no-nonsense compendium that gives us a brief but thorough overview of the world's greatest mysteries of science, religion, folklore and history?

Fortunately, such a book has now appeared--E. Randall Floyd's startlingly clear and concise 100 of the World's Greatest Mysteries: Strange Secrets of the Past Revealed. From the Big Bang and rise of man to death-dealing asteroids and spontaneous human combustion, this book covers them all, an amazing range of facts, figures and compelling human drama, all told from a seasoned journalist's perspective.

Mr. Floyd, a former European correspondent for United Press International, professor of history, motion pictures screenwriter and author of more than a dozen best-selling books, says the idea for the book originated with his nationally syndicated newspaper column, Strange Encounters.

"I would get letters from people all the time asking if such a book were available,"

Mr. Floyd notes. "These were serious readers looking for a book full of facts and figures, not outlandish claims, hoaxes and junk theories like you find in so much New Age stuff."

Mr. Floyd spent five years researching and writing the book.

The usual topics are included--Atlantis, Stonehenge, Bigfoot, the Bermuda Triangle and sea serpents--as well as strange disappearances, mysterious skyfalls, fabled creatures, elaborate hoaxes and near-death-experiences. Category titles are especially appealing--like Fin, Fang & Fantasy; Into the Unknown; Heavenly Fires; Heavenly Fates; Spectral Incursions; Hoaxes & Outlandish Claims.

What is refreshingly different about this book is the way Mr. Floyd presents the information.

"I approached this material the way any good journalist would," Mr. Floyd explains.

"I wanted to present the facts and let the reader draw his own conclusion about each case." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

100 of the World's Greatest Mysteries
100 of the World's Greatest Mysteries is a good book for those who want to know trivia for Jeopardy or those who want some interesting, new dinner table conversation.E. Randall Floyd incorporates many of the world's mysteries, with some being more well-known than others, into one colorful book.Although some of the tales did not have lots of detail, most of the tales were pleasantly unusual and had enough details to keep me satiated. I especially liked the stories about the long-lost cities or empires.Once again, I wish that there was more concrete evidence for some of these tales.However, this book is not a bad collection and worth checking out in the library.

Good Subject Matter, Poor Author
There are many interesting tales in this book.Few that have never been read before, but there is enough extra information included here to make them good for the second round.The editing is poor, with a few errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar here and there.The largest problem in this book, however is the attitude of the author.The reader can clearly tell what he is stating as fiction or myth, and what he presumes to be fact.He tells the story of the beginning of Earth (in his mind, the "Big Bang") as if he had been there.His annoying, persistent use of words like "negroid" and referring to Native Americans as "Indians" are both unprofessional and offensive.Over all, this pretentious bore should not be writing books on mysteries of the unknown, because he obviously thinks he knows everything.

Very Enjoyable
I recently bought this book, and I can tell you...what a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon!I would have given the title 5 stars if it had gone into greater depth on some of the subjects, but hey...it is 100 of the World's Greatest Mysteries, they've got a lot of ground to cover here.This is not an in depth exploration of life's deeper meanings.This IS a brief telling of great mysteries that skips, like a rock on still water, from subject to subject.Purely entertaining, light reading, and a truly enjoyable vacation for the mind.Enjoy...

great book!
I have always enjoyed reading about BigFoot, sea serpents, UFOs, ghosts and other so-called "mysteries." Some books are pure trash, but I found Mr. Floyd's book a thoroughly pleasurable experience. It's history and science and mythology and religion all rolled into one. It gets right to the point and does not stray, as do so many books that try to cover this material. The writing style is pure bliss--but packs a punch and leads the reader panting for more information. One thing about this book is that the author does not appear to draw preposterous conclusions; he leaves that up to the reader. Each one of these articles would make a nice book in its own right. Both of my teenagers have read this book and have recommended it to their friends. Just thought you'd like to know!

excellent introduction to our mysterious world
I found this an excellent introduction to many of the world's greatest mysteries. Concise and well-written, this author refuses to go where so many "fringe" authors go. In other words, he presents the facts as a good journalist would, without drawing sensational conclusions. This is good reading, highly recommended for readers of all ages. For those readers wishing to learn more about the material, there is an excellent bibliography. ... Read more

Product Description
In the spring of 1862, 19-year old Wiley Nesmith kissed his beautiful young bride goodbye, then marched off to war. Before leaving, he promised her he'd be home soon. But that wasn't to be. For the next three years he followed General Robert E. Lee into battle after battle across the thunderous killing fields of Virginia and Pennsylvania, Seven Pines, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Spotsylvannia, Cold Harbor and Petersburg.

Based on a true story, Deep in the Heart is more than a book about heroic deeds and bloody sacrifices on the battlefield. It is also the deeply moving story about one young couple's undying love for each other and their bittersweet devotion to "the Cause" and how one small Georgia town and its people struggle to survive the horrors of Sherman's invasion. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Very disappointed
I heard this author interviewed on Georgia Public Radio and was excited to hear about the book, because my great-great grandfather was in the same Company A of Georgia's 49th Regiment as was the book's main character.What a let-down. I have never been so disappointed in a book.I thought it was very poorly written.Amateurish even.I could not even finish the book, because I was so disappointed at how poorly it was done. There was no sense of setting or characterization, or feeling for the characters.They felt like cardboard cut-outs. "Cold Mountain," this ain't.

Great Book
This book was most interesting to me because Garrett NeSmith was my Great,Great,Grandfather. Although in the book his age is off by about 19 years I could still see all of the events in my mind as I read the book. Not knowing what any of my relatives from the pasted looked like (except for Wiley) I could picture each one of them in my mind. This book really brought to life a part of my family history.

Absolutely terrific
I just want you to know how much I enjoyed reading Deep in the Heart. I live in the Chicago area, but was in Macon, Georgia, on business. I stopped in the Barnes & Noble to have a cup of coffee and browsed a bit. I came across Deep in the Heart and picked it up. I thought it was absolutely terrific, particularly the battle descriptions. I enjoyed the differing perspectives, as well.

I am also impressed with the research that must have gone into this book. I am curious, however. As much as I have read about the Civil War, there has been little I have read in the way of atrocities committed by the invading and occupying Union troops. I am sure that it occurred, particularly as the war progressed.

In Deep in the Heart, I was particularly stunned by the "trial" and hanging of the Confederate captured by the Union patrol, as well as the assault on the ambulance.

Once again, thank you for a wonderful book. I was sorry to finish it.

Should be on every Civil War reader's list
As a Civil War buff, I have read a lot of books about that tragic era over the years. Some are good, some are bad. Some merely go through the motions without much regard to either historical accuracy or the human pathos. I always try to read books that I feel approach the war from an honest, original and fresh angle, without having to sacrifice historical accuracy. And since there are so many books out there, a book has to really do something to me in a hurry to force me to stay with it for longer than an hour or so. Such was this fine book, Deep in the Heart, which I truly enjoyed reading. It tells a wonderful story about a simple farm boy from Georgia who goes off to serve with General Lee in Virginia. The battle scenes are first rate, some of the best I have ever read. The storyline, which is based on true events, is deeply touching--young soldier has to leave his family behind to go off to fight a war he understands very little about. It not only follows the odyssey of Private Wiley Nesmith and his six brothers (who have to fight their respective battles), it also follows the horrible ordeal the folks in his hometown of Irwington, Ga., have to go through when General Sherman launches his March to the Sea through the heart of Georgia. It is a splendid, well-told book with appealing and sympathetic characters, great narrative (especially the battle scenes) and leaves the reader feeling he has been touched in a very special way. I found the book a great history lesson in itself, as well as a nifty piece of literature. I highly recommend this book. Deep in the Heart should be on every Civil War reader's list--and required reading in Civil War Honors programs in every school in the country. We need more stories like this to give our youngster's the "true facts" about that awful time in our nation's history.

Oh, my God -- Just put it down
Floyd had real, original Civil War letters to work from in writing this book, and it is my firm belief that the author of said letters should come back from the dead and run Floyd through with a bayonet, or at least give him lice or something. The parts of the book -- mostly battle scenes -- that appear to have been taken from original documents are fairly good, but Floyd has failed to flesh them out, so that what we end up with is a disjointed, scattered account that lacks dramatic tension. The reader gets to the end of the book and thinks "wait... did I just read something?". The plot line concerning Wiley's wife waiting at home was treacly. And, as if that wasn't enough, the book is full of small but annoying errors: a piece of jewelry inscribed *19*-something for the year; the Orange Plank Road as "a dirt path". Overall, I'd say don't bother. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Southern mysteries
An okay book. Interesting, but most of the information is what you have heard if you were raised in the south. ... Read more

Product Description
The history books don't tell everything about these fascinating, notoriously naughty individuals. They were saints and sinners, visionaries and villains, angels and assassins. Some rose to fame and fortune and led the country to greatness. Others lurked in the shadows, quietly orchestrating chaos and madness. All of them made history in profound, sometimes shocking ways.

Marie Laveau - Nat Turner - "Stonewall" Jackson - Huey Long - George Armstrong Custer - Jane Addams - Jay Gould - Marcus Garvey - James McGready - Madam Blavatsky - Isadore Duncan - "Wrong Way" Corrigan - Howard Phillips Lovecraft - Ambrose Bierce - Col. William Simmons - Wovoko - Hetty Green - Lizzie Borden - P.T. Barnum - Cotton Mather - Edgar Cayce - Ignatius Loyola Donnelly - and MORE! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Bad Journalism,flubbed facts,dumb author
According to the author of this book,E.Randall Floyd,he'kept notes and collected biographical data,tons of it"on the 40 or so subjects of this book...Now while I do not suggest that I can dispute every entry,there are several people here that Randall has profiled using faulty or flat-out made up data,which is suggestive to me that most and perhaps all of his mini-biographies are flawed...Take,for example,Lizzie Borden...according to Randall"...at her trial lizzie gave a bewildering array of conflicting stories about her whereabouts during the murder"WRONG ! Lizzie Borden DID NOT TESTIFY AT HER OWN TRIAL !Indeed the trial record clearly states that her one comment was that she would have her lawyers speak for her!So how come Randall has Lizzie making these"conflicting accounts"?Because they were made AT THE INQUEST,NOT THE TRIAL,and,because they were made without benifit of an attorney's advice they were never admitted as evidence at her trial.One would think that something as basic as this would not have been missed,or misunderstood by any REAL journalist.Then there is the notion,on Randall's part that the alledged murder weapon was discovered "in a toolshed out back"WRONG AGAIN !The item in question was discovered in the basement of the Borden home.Later on Randall claims that"a few years before her death" lizzie vacated her parents working class home in order to move into a mansion on the fashionable"hill" section of Fall River...Lizzie did this within one yearof her aquittal,in the 1890s,and did not actually die until 1927,about thirty years afterwards..the list of mistakes and omissionsIN THIS ONE ENTRY ALONE are almost endless,which leads me to believe that there are other entries with similiarly botched research(if what Randall has done here can even be called such)...I mean,if we are going to write fiction,Mr.Randall,we really ought to identify it as such.

Biography lite - very cool
Containing extremely short biographies of some of the most intriguing people in American History, "The Good, The Bad & the Mad" is a book well worth reading for anyone who is interested in American history and/or the characters that made it up.Containing vignettes on such personages as P.T. Barnum, Marie Laveau, H.P Lovecraft, Ambrose Bierce and Nikola Tesla, just to name a VERY few, this is a very easily-accessible way to learn a little bit about a lot of people.It has made me interested to learn more about many of these fascinating people who helped create our melting pot.

Weird people in American history?
I'm not sure the author of this book knows the definition of 'weird'. What makes Isadora Duncan 'weird' or Tecumseh or 80% of the other people listed in this book? One of my all time heroes Nikola Tesla's actual 'weirdness' is glossed over in less than three sentences, then we're told it's 'bizzare behavior' to watch and enjoy a lightning storm or to feed and care for animals in the park. This book is pap, a meaningless collection of watered down facts about people you've barely or never heard of and won't care about once you have.

Recommended Reading!!!
I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of "mini-biographies" by E. Randall Floyd. These people were truly good, bad and mad--and definitely "weird" in every sense of the word.

I have passed this bookalong to several friends who have also enjoyed learning so much "darkstuff" about some of America's greatest literary, artistic andhistorical icons. I hope to see a follow-up book very soon!!!

It's the "dark side" of history
This book makes me wish I had Professor Floyd as a history teacher. These crazy people come to life in a way that makes me almost cry one moment, laugh the next. Some were quite scary and makes me wonder how I missedknowing all this stuff about them for so long. I really think more teachersshould tell the truth about the people in our country's past the same wayProf. Floyd has done. Excellent job and highly recommended! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Very interesting.
Fascinating summary of some of the greatest legends and mysteries ofAmerica, though not very thorough.It does, however, provide an excellentstarting point for further reading on the subjects. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

It is really just fluff
This book does not read like history.But of course it wasn't written by a historian but a newspaper reporter.The brief bios of the folks in Floyd's bood are interesting enough, but it is a "fluff" read...there is no substance.Though Floyd may consider the people he wrote about "weird" most aren't any more than you or I.When you do find an interesting quote, Floyd doesn't bother to give us an endnote or footnote to let the reader know where the quote came from.Furthermore, most of what you find in the book is pretty much American legend or assumed fact without any real research to back it up.

Academic, yet fluffy!
The author of this book lectures at Augusta State University, in Georgia, and the tone and structure of a historian often become apparent within this book.
Every short chapter in "The Good, the Bad, and the Mad: Some Weird People in American History" deals with a different figure in America's past.Many of the characters are people everyone has heard of and that really don't seem that weird.Others are weird but are used more as devices to talk about a weird subject such as a house full of staircases that lead nowhere, or the wilder revivals of the early West.
The chapters, like essays in a historical review, often start with summaries of everything that's going to be in that chapter, and then go on to tell the stories.Some of the chapters feel like four summaries of the same information in a row.Most end with the character dying.
The characters seem arbitrarily selected, with a disproportionate amount of fantasy authors and people who believe in lost continents.The Western half of the country is notably underrepresented, as are any Spanish colonizers (many of who were very weird), and as are very many people before the nineteenth century.
The chapters could have been placed in a more sensible order--for instance chronologically--but instead jump around from nearly modern day to Cotton Mather to the early-1900s to an Indian chief.
The book's ending is abrupt, without any sort of an afterword, and the entire thing feels fluffy and forgetable.In fact, leafing through it now, on the same day I finished reading it, I can't match stories to all of the names in the table of contents.
The book also lacks any sort of notes, index, or bibliography, and seems to turn a lot of fascinating stories into slight little anecdotes.
All that said, I basically enjoyed this book, though it left me feeling a little ripped off.Some of the characters it introduced to me made me want to read more about them elsewhere, and the author does have a knack for finding very amusing quotes.
I liked this book.I'll keep it.But I wish it were better--more complete, indexed, with longer chapters, a wider cast of characters, and the guts to decide if it was something academic or something to be read on an airplane.

Some interesting people.
Floyd gives short biographies of 38 interesting people.As he states in his introduction, he selected out of his own criteria.The author seems fascinated with science fiction writers, and believers in the continent of Atlantis.There were at least three each of those people.Other than that, Floyd selects the usual selection of interesting people in American life such as Custer, Pillow,and Chivington.

This is an OK read.I learned about some interesting people.However, there is not a lot of meat in this book.It is a quick light read.

HAVE FUN LEARNING ABOUT WIERD HISTORY!
If you like to learn about the other side of those people who have shaped our history you will love this book.Many of the people you read about here are also in our history books,but this tells about the eccentricities of these individuals that history has tried to cover up.I was a big fan of "IN SEARCH OF "as a kid,and now I like "SIGHTINGS".If you can relate to what I'm saying,this will be the type of book that will keep your interest.The stories are short and sweet,enough to feel like you get to know a good deal about these people without drawing out the story like some of the biography's do.Great for someone like me with a short attention span!!I came away feeling like it was the wierdness of the people that led them to take the chances in their lives that took them to greatness. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a one-volume reprint edition of Great Southern Mysteries and More Great Southern Mysteries. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Spooky!
Wow!I never knew that the South had so many strange happenings!Sure, we all know about the famous skunk ape(bigfoot, sasquatch) and the Bermuda Triangle, but did you know that there are healing springs in South Carolina, a sea maiden in Biloxi, or a headless horsemen in Texas?Do you know the true story behind the Bell Witch of Tennessee, the Fountain of Youth, or Blackbeard? I only knew half of the story before I read this book.E. Randall Floyd does a teriffic job of relaying spine-tingling tales and making you question reality.This book not only tells the story, but gives you the history and the myths behind the mystery.After reading this book, there are so many new places in the south that I want to visit just so I can see some of these things for myself!Floyd will make a believer out of you! ... Read more

Product Description
Miracle: an event that appears unexplainable by the laws of nature and so is held to be supernatural in origin or an act of God.– American Heritage DictionaryWhenever something out of the ordinary happens – a hail-Mary pass that scores the winning touchdown, an unexpected windfall of cash, a phone call from a long-lost friend, a biopsy that comes back negative – we call it a miracle.Through history, people of all cultural and religious backgrounds have believed in miracles. From Constantine’s vision of the Cross at Milvian Bridge to the Star of Bethlehem that heralded the rise of a new messiah, empires and religions have flowered or faltered based on perceived miracles and visions.While skeptics might argue that miraculous happenings are nothing more or less than mere coincidence, believers say they are the work of God. In his remarkable new book, In the Realm of Miracles & Visions, best-selling author E. Randall Floyd explores the fascinating truth behind some of the most famous miracles and visions in history, including:

* Stigmata: Wounds of Passion

* Bilocation

* Sacred Apparitions

* The Holy Fire of Jerusalem

* Weeping Madonnas & Bleeding Statues

* Laying on of Hands

* the Prophecies of Fatima and Lourdes

* Spear of Destiny

* Star of Bethlehem

* The Gift of the Veil-Born

* Signs, Wonders and Prophecies

* Miraculous Survivals

* Minds & Hands that Heal

* Flying Priests & Nuns ... Read more

Product Description
Strange secrets of the past revealed ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Horrible conspiracy theories!
I've read the first few chapters, and this book is nothing but a collection of conspiracy theories! The author says that the secrets are revealed, but all the author does is state what others have done and leave the end hanging. In addition, there is much false evidence - for example, it claims that the Biblical Jews sacrificed every first born child. I put down the book when I read this, it is simply not true. Do not buy this book if you are looking for a collection of reliable information. ... Read more

Product Description
"Ghostly voices, oozing slime, blood-splattered walls, levitating pigs, glowing red eyes, infestations of flies, and a pit into hell in the basement-its enough to keep you turning the pages of any horror novel. But in this book, its only the beginning, and its all true!" ... Read more

Product Description
great southern mysteries, two volumes in one ... Read more