New Book: The Treasure Hunt Riots

[Paul Slade]

My new book, published this week, is about 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. As many as 40 of the scheme's prize tokens remain undiscovered to this day, and the book reproduces a a few of the original clues leading to their location. Next comes the full story behind Kit Williams’ extraordinary 1979 puzzle book Masquerade, 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. More details here: https://www.planetslade.com/treasure-hunt-riots1.html