The Loch Ness Mystery Solved

by Ronald Binns

Book Overview

There is no scientific evidence whatsoever for the existence of the Loch Ness Monster.That is the conclusion reached by Ronald Binns in his book, The Loch Ness Mystery: Solved. "The real mystery of the monster," writes Binns, "is why it should periodically seize the wider public imagination and continue to be given credence, even when much of the evidence can be shown to be suspect."Loch Ness, the most famous stretch of water in the British Isles,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0879752785
• ISBN13: 9780879752781
• Release Date: February 1984
• Publisher: Prometheus Books
• Length: 228 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Fascinating history of a popular 20th Century Mystery

Of the books I have read about the Loch Ness enigma, this one is my favorite. It is wonderful in that it goes back to original sources (obscure 1930s newspaper stories that started it all) and quotes them much more fully than other authors have done. Oftentimes, the info that was left OUT of the other books proves very illuminating. Although I guess this book would fall under the category of "debunking", I found its story of how the popular Loch Ness legend came about to be an absolutely fascinating study of human nature. The only drawback to the writing style are very occasional (and unnecessary) insertions of dry, sarcastic humor, that tended to lessen for me the otherwise unbiased appearance of the research. This is a small quibble about a fascinating and emminently readable book. This one has a place on my library shelf right next to two similar studies of popular legends: The Bermuda Triangle Mystery Solved (wonderfully written), and The Amityville Horror Conspiracy (fascinating info, but also tends toward a little unnecessary sarcasm in stating its case).

A Book For The Rational Person

Ronald Binn's "The Loch Ness Mystery Solved" is well worth the effort of looking for an out-of-print book. It is a balanced look into a mystery that should have died years ago. And although many "So Called" Crypto-zoologists claim to be open minded, they so often knock down the plausible and rational explanations for many of the monster sightings. This book presents a middle of the road look at the evidence, or lack there of. It is ashame that other books on the subject are not written with the same fairness as this one. I recommend this book to all those who are willing to look at the real evidence and not the hysteria that is so often presented to the public at large. To say that this book is "close-minded" or "mean-spirited" is far from the truth. Binn's gives credit to many of the explorers that have spent years looking for the creature, and he presents their words to counter his own arguments. If you want a really good presentation of the history of Loch Ness and the Mystery surrounding the elusive monster then find a copy of this book. A book for sane people!

The definitive book on the Loch Ness Monster mystery.

It is so sad this book has gone out of print while works of sloppy scholarship keep going on and on. Not only does this book provide the last word on the Loch Ness Monster mystery, it does so in a very readable way, and is often wildly funny! If you are interested in Nessie, or other such mysteries, do a search for this fabulous little gem of a book.

A sober and readable explanation of the Loch Ness legend.

Admittedly, by the time I bought this fascinating book, I had very little, if any, faith in the reality of the monster. However, the thoroughness of Mr. Binns' research should dispel any beliefs held by open minded readers of a mysterious lake-dwelling creature. In a sense, the author's task was easy: tell the other side of the story- the one the monster proponents conveniently omit or ignore. Mr. Binns' presentation of little-known facts behind the popular myths left me with the feeling that his analysis has hit the nail on the head. I was a little disappointed that the author talked about some famous monster photos but did not present them in his book. For instance, he talks about the fact that the famous Surgeon's photo had been presented to the public cropped to focus on the monster and did not show the original which had more revealing details. This original was never presented in the book, only the popular photo. This however does not detract from the author's case. To summarize, unless you're a die hard believer, The Loch Ness Mystery Solved should be the final answer to the legend of Nessie.