The Hunt for History

On the Trail of the World's Lost Treasures—from the Letters of Lincoln, Churchill, and Einstein to the Secret Recordings Onboard JFK's Air

By: Nathan Raab, Luke Barr

Narrated by: Fred Sanders

Nathan Raab, America’s preeminent rare documents dealer, delivers a “diverting account of treasure hunting in the fast lane” (The Wall Street Journal) that recounts his years as the Sherlock Holmes of historical artifacts, questing after precious finds and determining their authenticity.

A box uncovered in a Maine attic with twenty letters written by Alexander Hamilton; a handheld address to Congress by President George Washington; a long-lost Gold Medal that belonged to an American President; a note that Winston Churchill wrote to his captor when he was a young POW in South Africa; paperwork signed and filled out by Amelia Earhart when she became the first woman to fly the Atlantic; an American flag carried to the moon and back by Neil Armstrong; an unpublished letter written by Albert Einstein, discussing his theory of relativity.

Each day, people from all over the world contact Nathan Raab for help understanding what they have, what it might be worth, and how to sell it. The Raab Collection’s president, Nathan is a modern-day treasure hunter and one of the world’s most prominent dealers of historical artifacts. Most weeks, he travels the country, scours auctions, or fields phone calls and emails from people who think they may have found something of note in a grandparent’s attic.

In The Hunt for History, “Raab takes us on a wild hunt and deliciously opens up numerous hidden crevices of history” (Jay Winik, author of April 1865)—spotting a letter from British officials that secured the Rosetta Stone; discovering a piece of the first electric cable laid by Edison; restoring a fragmented letter from Andrew Jackson that led to the infamous Trail of Tears; and locating copies of missing audio that had been recorded on Air Force One as the plane brought JFK’s body back to Washington. Whether it’s the first report of Napoleon’s death or an unpublished letter penned by Albert Einstein to a curious soldier, every document and artifact Raab uncovers comes with a spellbinding story—and often offers new insights into a life we thought we knew.

A must fr history lovers!

This book gets better and better as it goes along. If you are at all interested in history, you will be in awe.

I wished it was longer

Most of the chapters of this book was not something I have had interest in, but this book brought it into focus and was so interesting. It's amazing what families have hidden away in a box in the closet. Fascinating.

Honesty

Straight forward description showing virtues of capitalism and perpertuation of historic documents.
Recommend it to all who enjoy artifacts of history.

Fascinating book - humanizes, deepens history

The author's ability to make history and meaning vibrate with aliveness - through the exploration of historical documents. He humanizes the stories we know and deepens our understanding. Very fun, interesting, exspansive

Great Listen!

This was a great listen! I love history and this book was full of it. I just wish I was able to see some of the things he talks about in person! The narrator was great also.

If you’re into history, this book is a must.