New PlanetSlade paperback: Treasure Hunt Riots
March 10, 2025 10:10 AM Subscribe
New PlanetSlade paperback: Treasure Hunt Riots
My new paperback book - number six in a planned series of ten - is out now. The subject this time is extraordinary British treasure hunts of the 20th century and the nationwide chaos each of them caused. The three lead essays in the book cover, first, a 1904 newspaper circulation scheme which drove otherwise sensible citizens to dig up every inch of public or private land they could get their hands on. Next comes the full story behind Kit Williams’ extraordinary 1979 puzzle book Masquerade (previously), including the questionable methods used to finally find Williams’ golden hare and a full explanation of how the puzzle worked. Finally, there’s the unknown story of Lobby Lud in London. Lobby, the human quarry sought by eager Westminster Gazette readers in 1927, is best known for his trips to British seaside resorts, but far less so for the madness he unleashed in the nation's capital.
You can read more about the book's contents here. Also in this volume, I've covered a major radio hoax which beat Orson Welles to the punch by 12 years and the long trail I followed in tracing the origins of The World's Greatest Newspaper Correction. If I had to pick a phrase tying the whole ting together, I think it would be "media mischief". Buy it here.
My new paperback book - number six in a planned series of ten - is out now. The subject this time is extraordinary British treasure hunts of the 20th century and the nationwide chaos each of them caused. The three lead essays in the book cover, first, a 1904 newspaper circulation scheme which drove otherwise sensible citizens to dig up every inch of public or private land they could get their hands on. Next comes the full story behind Kit Williams’ extraordinary 1979 puzzle book Masquerade (previously), including the questionable methods used to finally find Williams’ golden hare and a full explanation of how the puzzle worked. Finally, there’s the unknown story of Lobby Lud in London. Lobby, the human quarry sought by eager Westminster Gazette readers in 1927, is best known for his trips to British seaside resorts, but far less so for the madness he unleashed in the nation's capital.
You can read more about the book's contents here. Also in this volume, I've covered a major radio hoax which beat Orson Welles to the punch by 12 years and the long trail I followed in tracing the origins of The World's Greatest Newspaper Correction. If I had to pick a phrase tying the whole ting together, I think it would be "media mischief". Buy it here.
Role: Writer & publisher.
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