The Hunt for History

Nathan Raab,AmericaΓÇÖs preeminent rare documents dealerdescribes his years as the Sherlock Holmes of historical artifactsΓÇöquesting after precious finds and determining their authenticityΓÇöand he shows us what the past can tell us about the present. 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she became the first woman to fly the Atlantic; an American flag carried to the moon and back by Neil Armstrong; an unpublished letter written by Albert Einsteindiscussing his theory of relativity. Each daypeople from all over the world contact Nathan Raab for help understanding what they havewhat it might be worthand how to sell it. The Raab CollectionΓÇÖs presidentNathan is a modern-day treasure hunter and one of the worldΓÇÖs most prominent dealers of historical artifacts. Most weekshe travels the countryscours auctionsor fields phone calls and emails from people who think they may have found something of note in a grandparentΓÇÖs attic. In The Hunt for HistoryRaab shares some fascinating stories about his professional exploits: 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 JFKΓÇÖs body back to Washington. Whether itΓÇÖs the first report of NapoleonΓÇÖs death or an unpublished letter penned by Albert Einstein to a curious soldierevery document and artifact Raab uncovers comes with a spellbinding storyΓÇöand often offers new insights into a life we thought we knew.