Detecting Forgery: Forensic Investigation of Documents

by Joe Nickell

Book Overview

Clifford Irving's autobiography of Howard Hughes. Han Van Meegeren's brilliant reproductions of Jan Vermeer's seventeenth-century paintings. The sensational Mormon papers of document dealer Mark Hoffman. All were important discoveries - until, that is, the tools of forensic investigation revealed each to be a remarkable work of forgery that would send the worlds of literature, art, and history reeling. In a book that's as difficult to put down as...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0813119537
• ISBN13: 9780813119533
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Length: 228 Pages
• Weight: 1.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.5" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Excellent starting point - signed, William Shakespeare

I agree with the other two reviewers that this work is not a comprehensive treatise on the subject of detecting forgery. However, it does give beginners (like me) a good place to start. It is clearly written and broad (if not deep) in coverage. I would call this book "workmanlike" and "solid." If I were a writer of mystery novels, this would be a good reference for this area of criminal(?) activity. The small section on the autopen especially intrigued me (hint: don't buy John F. Kennedy autographed documents). The bibliography in the back is its greatest asset if you want to pursue the topic of forgery to a deeper level. Our interlibrary loan people are going to be hustling for years as I track down some of the sources Nickell cites in this book.

Detecting Forgery

This book is a fairly in depth study into the history and current practice of forensic study of written materials. It is a bit broad for modern use of law enforcement investigations but has some good information. For the price and information provided it's a good investment.