America's Book of Secrets" aired for 2 seasons (2012-2013) on the History channel. Some episodes are currently being replayed. They are also viewable on YouTube, Vudu and the History website.
While "Conspiracy Theory with Jessie Ventura" deals more with conspiracies, ABOS provides a much more balanced perspective. It is based on in depth research and behind the scenes interviews. Since the show is so entertaining I'll pretend to ignore the stupid premise. Each episode begins with: "There are those who believe in the existence of a book. A book that contains the most highly guarded secrets of the United States of America. A book whose very existence is known to a mere select few. But if such a book exists, what would it contain?"
Below are the season 2 episode summaries from the History website. My notes are in italics.
"Hell's Angels"
No club in America is more secretive than the Hells Angels. Members are forbidden to publically discuss their biker brotherhood and others who have "insider" information are too afraid to talk… until now. Get the real story about the Hells Angels from all sides–from motorcycle world insiders to club infiltrators to law enforcement officials. Special Agent, Jay Dobyns, exposes the shocking reasons why he feels the U.S. government is failing in the war against motorcycle clubs. Charles Falco, a government informant now in the Witness Protection Program, divulges the secrets he learned about the Hells Angels during the time he spent as an undercover outlaw motorcycle gang member. How were the Hells Angels able to transform themselves from a small crew of California bikers, dedicated to booze and babes, to an international criminal syndicate–one the FBI says poses a threat to six continents and a corporation worth millions of dollars?
"Lost Treasure"
American treasure hunters are convinced that there are missing fortunes just waiting to be discovered all around the country. But is it a harmless hobby, or do treasure hunters find themselves locked in a battle with other searchers–or even the government? We'll investigate the deepest mysteries of missing millions. From secret stashes of Confederate gold bullion, to silver coins and antique weapons, treasure hunters are scouring the country for hidden clues that might lead them to untold riches. How do they decode encrypted treasure maps? In 1971, $200,000 went missing in America's only unsolved airplane hijacking. Can following the money help to uncover the true identity of mysterious hijacker D.B. Cooper? Could secret agreements with criminal art dealers help the FBI to solve America's biggest art heist? Is it possible that even our country's history is under threat from thieves and crooks?
"Presidential Assassinations"
Over the last century there have been four successful presidential assassinations and a multitude of failed attempts. But do we know the real story behind these assassination plots? We'll look behind the headlines to the conspiracy theories that surround the most shocking murders in American History. What do John Wilkes Booth, Leon Czolgosz, Charles Guiteau, Lee Harvey Oswald and John Hinckley Jr. all have in common? According to experts, they were all mentally unstable. While this may explain their deranged obsession to kill the President, others believe this is evidence that all were patsies to a larger conspiracy. Former secret service agents reveal the secret methods used to safeguard the President of the United States. Bill O' Reilly reveals the elaborate conspiracy behind the murder of President Abraham Lincoln. And bestselling author Ronald Kessler examines whether an assassin could even infiltrate the Secret Service itself.
This is one of my favorite episodes. I did not know that John Hinkley's family knew George Bush's family. George Bush Sr has been linked to a number of conspiracies since he was previously the head of the CIA. The information regarding the Lincoln assassination was also very interesting. If that info is true, the assassination was an inside job and not just committed by some crazed Southerner.
"They Mystery of Bigfoot"
Bigfoot is everywhere you look, but why are so many millions of Americans obsessed with this mysterious man-ape? This episode sheds new light on some of the nation's darkest Sasquatch secrets. Recent discoveries of previously unknown hominids and breakthroughs in genetic technology have given a nation of Bigfoot believers new hope that this creature will be found, but what new technologies are being developed for this centuries-old hunt? We'll join Steve Kulls, the "Squatch detective" on a nighttime expedition for Bigfoot plus gets a first look at "The Falcon Project" — a revolutionary new air ship that plans on taking the hunt 3,000 feet up into the sky. But what are U.S. citizens legally allowed to do if they do happen to encounter a Bigfoot? The answer may surprise you!
This one made my laugh. Sorry folks, I just don't believe in Bigfoot. I will agree that Big Foot is Big Business.
"The Drug Wars"
This episode uncovers the conspiracies behind America's 40-year drug campaign. Why does the U.S. Government classify marijuana and heroin as equally dangerous drugs, and will the move by some states to legalize marijuana change the way this drug is viewed? Recent reports show that international banks are laundering billions of dollars in drug money–is it possible that the liquidity of the drug trade is actually keeping the fragile global economy afloat? Congressman Darell Issa connects the ill-conceived and secretive operation known as Fast & Furious to the explosion of violent drug cartels in Mexico. Former DEA officers Mike Levine and Celerino Castillo reveal allegations about secret drug running by the C.I.A. Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons questions the possibility that drug laws are strategically being enforced to control minority populations. Could these shocking allegations be true?
"Presidential Coverups"
The office of the President of the United States was designed to operate with greater transparency than any other world-leader… but how much do we really know about what goes on behind the doors of the Oval Office? This episode looks beyond the headlines to uncover the real stories behind the greatest White House scandals. What was President Nixon really trying to hide with the Watergate break-in? How much did President Reagan know about Iran-Contra? Why did Sandy Berger, President Clinton's National Security Advisor, remove documents from the National Archive? Did the Obama Administration know more about the attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi than they let on? Former presidential advisors, historians, and journalists will reveal how much secrecy exists within the White House and what methods presidents use to cover up their actions or establish "plausible deniability."
"Deadly Cults"
According to government statistics, there are an estimated 5,000 cults currently operating in the United States. And each year there are approximately 200,000 Americans who serve as secret–and, for the most part, willing–members. But just what are these cults? And what makes some so dangerous? We'll uncover the psychological allure of cults, their charismatic leaders and insidious methods of controlling their members. How do ordinary people become trapped in these fringe groups, apparently unable to leave? Led by compelling self-proclaimed prophets, cults are clandestine, influential and all too often, destructive. Are their goals religious, political or simply financial? How and why does the government monitor or intervene in some cults–yet seemingly turn a blind eye to other's secret and perhaps sinister agendas? Jonestown survivor Tim Carter remembers the last day of Peoples Temple, and the horrific aftermath.
There is an excellent documentary on the survivors of Jonestown that I saw previously I believe on the History channel. It is definitely worth a look.
"American Nazis"
There are nearly 200 neo-Nazi groups currently operating in the United States–and they are strongly allied to a loose network of numerous other "white and Aryan power" hate groups. Although the U.S. government covertly monitors American Nazis–their racist beliefs and recruitment activities are not illegal. Where did they come from? Who are their members? And what is their secret agenda? We'll reveal how sympathy for Hitler has grown into a violent subculture of "white power." Past and present Nazi members, journalists, academics and law enforcement experts describe the United States secret Nazi past and the present day inner workings, secret meetings and manifesto of this dark sub-culture. Did the American government's efforts to get Nazi intelligence after the war really sow the seeds for the white supremacy hate groups we see today? Could this diabolical movement infiltrate our institutions, our government, and our everyday lives?
I did not know anything about Operation Paperclip until seeing this episode and also reading a book entitled "Area 51". Operation Paperclip was a top secret government program which smuggled out Nazi scientists and put them to work in the US military designing missiles and other weapons. The Soviets also had a counterpart but their people were kidnapped and held hostage (along with their families).
"Serial Killers"
They are secretly stalking America's streets and highways, hiding in plain sight and compelled by one simple motive: the thrill of taking another person's life. Since the 1970s, the United States has produced an estimated 1,400 serial killers–more than double the combined total of the rest of the world. What causes a seemingly normal human being to engage in serial acts of murder? This episode uncovers the psychological, biological and sociological make-up of these dangerous murderers. Why do they kill? How can they be identified and stopped before they strike? Former FBI profiler Clint Van Zandt, criminal psychologists Eric Hickey and Helen Morrison, journalists, scientists and law enforcement experts reveal the secret motives of serial killers like "BTK Killer" Dennis Rader and Jeffrey Dahmer–and explain why Ted Bundy, Donald Harvey "The Angel of Death" an the "Grim Sleeper" Lonnie Franklin Jr. were able to evade capture for years while they amassed a shocking number of victims.
"The Ku Klux Klan"
They are the original domestic terrorists, hiding underneath white hoods and flowing robes, and taking cover in the rights and freedoms that they are actively seeking to destroy. The Ku Klux Klan–although officially considered by the U.S. Government to be a racist organization–is not an illegal one. And while objectionable to most Americans, its philosophy of racial intolerance is protected as free speech under the First Amendment. But just how large, powerful, and dangerous is the Ku Klux Klan? This episode exposes the nearly 150 years of KKK history and the many attempts to discredit the Klan's demands for segregation and white supremacy. Johnny Lee Clary, once the Imperial Wizard of the White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi, shares inside knowledge of the Klan, including the secret handshakes, secret greetings, and the secret goals of the modern hate group.
"The Mafia"
For decades, the criminal organization known as "The Mafia" has stained the fabric of American society. But what are the secrets behind the Mob's sinister success? According to the FBI, the American Mafia still has approximately 3,000 active members, and just like the iconic mobsters of the past, the modern Mafia's ill-gotten gains still come at a price: blood, bullets, and a massive body count. Uncover the secret world of organized crime and the violent tactics used by the Cosa Nostra to gain money and power. How did the Mafia become so powerful? How is it possible that with hundreds of gang related killings in Chicago in the 1920s, not one gangster–including the most violent of all, Al Capone–was ever convicted of murder? Why was the Director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover, reluctant to go after the Mafia in the 1930s and 40s? Could the Mafia's influence extend beyond local police and politicians? And what new illegal activities is the Mafia involved in today?
"Then Ancient Astronaut Coverup"
The notion of a universe inhabited by alien creatures can be found just about everywhere in American popular culture. But could mankind really have been visited by alien beings from other worlds? And might the truth have been kept secret for centuries? Ancient Astronaut theorists Erich von Daniken and Giorgio Tsoukalos, along with Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell, journalists, scientists and government officials explore the mainstream resistance to the idea that aliens have been visiting the Earth for centuries. Has the United States government conspired with other nations to hide the facts about mankind's extraterrestrial past? Could there really be a global cover-up of ancient alien activity? One that shields the public from a profound knowledge that, if revealed, could shatter the very fabric of our civilization?
I did not know that von Daniken had been charged with fraud and imbezzlement after the release of his book "Chariots Of The Gods".
Grade: 4 Monsters (out of 5). Season 2 had some very entertaining and informative episodes. I would highly recommend it. I just wish there were more seasons.
The World According To GMonster
TV: Heavy On Sci Fi, Horror & Adventure; Light On Reality
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