While the vast majority of criminal and civil lawyers must at some time come into contact with a forensic mental health evaluation, either when requested by their side or by opposing counsel, most do not know enough about the practice to be informed consumers. Forensic assessments can vary widely based on the assessor's personal preferences, and while there are clearly defined "best practices" for most evaluations, there is no official process by which legal professionals can guarantee these practices are being followed. Designed to meet the specific needs of lawyers, Forensic Assessments in Criminal and Civil Law: A Handbook for Lawyers provides insight into what to expect from forensic mental health evaluations and how to navigate these assessments with skill and competence. The volume is divided into sections by evaluation type: criminal, civil, and juvenile and family evaluations. Each chapter addresses one of the most commonly requested forensic evaluations and is written by a forensic psychologist with both academic and professional experience with that type of evaluation. Specific evaluation types discussed include competence to stand trial in adults and juveniles, criminal responsibility, violence risk in adults, jury selection, eyewitness identification, personal injury claims, civil commitment, workplace disability, child custody, juveniles' risks and needs, and more. This handbook is a comprehensive, one-stop resource for lawyers, judges, and other legal professionals seeking to further their knowledge of forensic assessments.

The assassination of Julius Caesar is often portrayed as a final stand in defence of the Roman Republic, carried out by men who claimed to fear tyranny. Yet Caesar's death did not restore republican rule. Instead, it accelerated the rise of imperial power. This book reexamines the motives behind the conspiracy and the political consequences that followed the Ides of March. It explores who truly benefited from Caesar's removal by tracing the shifting alliances, power struggles, and institutional breakdown that transformed Rome from republic to empire. Clear, analytical, and grounded in historical debate, Julius Caesar Assassinated: Republic or Empire, Who Benefited Most? invites readers to reconsider whether the killing of Caesar prevented tyranny or paved the way for a more absolute form of rule.

As the Third Reich collapsed, vast sums of gold, valuables, and stolen wealth seemed to vanish without a trace. The Nazi Gold Mystery delves into one of the most enduring and unsettling questions of the Second World War: where did it all go?Written in a clear, human tone, this book traces the shadowy trail of looted treasure, secret transfers, and accounts that disappeared as the war drew to a close. It explores declassified records, witness testimonies, and competing theories, revealing how greed, desperation, and secrecy shaped the final days of the regime. This is a story of hidden vaults, unanswered questions, and the long struggle to recover stolen wealth. More than a hunt for treasure, it is an examination of how history s darkest crimes continued to cast long financial and moral shadows long after the war ended.

The Library of Alexandria has become a symbol of humanity's greatest intellectual loss. Said to have held centuries of knowledge from across the ancient world, its disappearance still haunts historians and dreamers alike. The Library of Alexandria explores what this legendary institution truly was and what may have been lost when it vanished. Written in a clear, human tone, this book examines the myths and realities surrounding the library's destruction. It looks at ancient accounts, political upheaval, and competing theories, questioning whether its knowledge was destroyed in flames or quietly scattered and preserved elsewhere. More than a history of a building, this is a reflection on curiosity, power, and fragility of knowledge itself. It asks a haunting question: how different might the world be if what was gathered in Alexandria had survived?

When Napoleon Bonaparte was sent to the remote island of Saint Helena after his final defeat, many believed his story had ended. Yet his death in 1821 only deepened the mystery surrounding him. Rumors of arsenic poisoning, political intrigue, and possible cover-ups began to circulate, turning his final years into a subject of lasting debate. Napoleon's Death in Exile examines the medical evidence, the political tensions between Britain and France, and the testimonies of those who witnessed his decline. Written in a clear and human tone, the book carefully weighs the competing theories while exploring how myth and memory shaped the narrative of a fallen emperor. This is more than an account of a death on a distant island. It is a study of power, reputation, and the enduring fascination with a leader whose influence did not fade, even in exile.

For centuries, the Spear of Destiny has been wrapped in legend, said to grant power to those who possess it and doom to those who lose it. The Spear of Destiny explores the long journey of this relic through myth, religion, and history, and the chilling fascination it held for the Nazi leadership.Written in a clear, human tone, this book traces how ancient symbolism, medieval lore, and modern ideology collided in twentieth-century Europe. It examines why figures within the Third Reich became obsessed with the spear, how myth was weaponised for power, and what this reveals about the dangerous intersection of belief, ambition, and fanaticism.This is not just a story about a relic, but about how myths can shape real-world actions with devastating consequences. A compelling exploration of history, legend, and the human desire to control fate itself.

Cleopatra's death marked the end of the Ptolemaic dynasty and the final collapse of Egypt's independence, yet the circumstances surrounding her final moments remain shrouded in uncertainty. The traditional account of suicide has endured for centuries, but it rests on sources shaped by Roman power and political necessity. This book revisits the final days of Cleopatra's life by examining ancient testimonies, political motives, and the strategic interests of Rome after her defeat. It considers whether her death was a personal act of defiance, a carefully concealed murder, or an execution carried out under imperial authority. Measured and historically grounded, Cleopatra's Death: Suicide, Murder, or Roman Execution? invites readers to question how history is shaped by victors, and how legend can obscure political reality.

She was twenty-two years old when they burned her. Before that, she had moved a kingdom.Kimpa Vita emerged in the early eighteenth century as the Kingdom of Kongo fractured under civil war and foreign influence. Claiming to carry the voice of Saint Anthony, she called for unity and renewal and thousands believed her. Church authorities called her a heretic. Political leaders called her a threat. Both were right that she could not be ignored.This is the story of how one young woman challenged an empire of interests, and why her voice outlasted the fire.

Few objects in history have inspired as much devotion, debate, and mystery as the Shroud of Turin. Revered by some as the burial cloth of Christ and dismissed by others as a medieval creation, it sits at the uneasy crossroads of faith, science, and history.Written in a clear, human tone, this book explores the origins of the shroud, the scientific tests carried out over decades, and the unanswered questions that continue to puzzle researchers. It weighs evidence with care, presenting competing theories without forcing easy conclusions.This is not an attempt to persuade belief or disbelief, but an invitation to curiosity. The Shroud of Turin asks what the relic truly represents and why, centuries later, it still resists a definitive explanation.

When Elizabeth I ascended the throne in 1558, England was fragile, divided by religion, and haunted by uncertainty. Yet the greatest question of her reign was not how she would rule, but who would follow her. Without a husband and without an heir, the succession crisis loomed over the kingdom for decades, threatening instability at home and intrigue from abroad. Queen Elizabeth I explores the political manoeuvring, foreign pressures, and personal calculations that shaped one of the most delicate balancing acts in English history. Written in a clear, human tone, the book examines how Elizabeth maintained control in a court filled with rival claimants, ambitious advisers, and constant speculation. This is a story of power held in tension of a queen who understood that her greatest strength lay not in naming a successor, but in keeping the question unanswered for as long as she could.

Discovered in Iraq in the 1930s, a small clay jar containing a copper cylinder and an iron rod sparked a question that still unsettles historians: could the ancient world have known electricity? The Baghdad Battery explores the origins of this curious artefact and the debate that has surrounded it ever since. Written in a clear, human tone, this book examines the archaeological context of the find, the experiments that attempted to recreate its supposed function, and the sceptical arguments that challenge the idea of ancient electrical technology. It looks closely at how imagination, media fascination, and limited evidence can shape powerful narratives. This is not simply a mystery about an object, but a reflection on how we interpret the past. Was it a forgotten technological breakthrough, or a modern misunderstanding projected onto an ancient tool? The answer may reveal as much about us as it does about history.

When the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, they promised to reshape our understanding of ancient Judaism and the origins of Christianity. Yet for decades, much of their content remained inaccessible, raising questions that went far beyond archaeology. The Dead Sea Scrolls explores both the revelations and the long silences surrounding these remarkable texts. Written in a clear, human tone, this book traces the discovery of the scrolls, the battles over access and interpretation, and the reasons some material took so long to reach the public. It examines what the texts reveal, what was delayed or debated, and how power and control shaped their release. This is a story of faith, scholarship, and secrecy. It invites readers to consider not only what the scrolls say, but why the journey from cave to public knowledge was so contested.

Recovered from a shipwreck off the coast of Greece, the Antikythera Mechanism stunned the modern world. With its intricate gears and astonishing precision, it seemed to challenge everything we thought we knew about ancient technology. The Antikythera Mechanism explores how this remarkable device was discovered, decoded, and reinterpreted over time. Written in a clear, human tone, this book traces the story of the wreck, the painstaking research that revealed the mechanism's purpose, and the questions it still raises about scientific knowledge in the ancient world. It examines how Greek ingenuity produced what many now consider the first analogue computer. More than a tale of gears and calculations, this is a story about human curiosity and forgotten brilliance. It asks how such sophistication could emerge so early and what else history may be quietly waiting for us to rediscover.

In 1962, in a girls' boarding school in Kashasha on the shores of Lake Victoria, laughter began without warning. It spread from student to student, then to nearby villages, and continued for months without clear cause or control. What started as a small outbreak of uncontrollable laughter became one of the most documented cases of mass psychogenic illness in modern history. Kashasha follows the events as they unfolded, drawing on medical reports, school records, and eyewitness accounts from teachers, missionaries, and colonial administrators. It examines how stress, environment, and social pressure can shape collective behaviour in ways that defy simple explanation. This is a careful reconstruction of an extraordinary episode, exploring what happened when emotion, context, and human psychology converged in a way that still challenges easy interpretation

On the night of August 21, 1986, people in the villages around Lake Nyos went to sleep expecting an ordinary morning. Many never woke up. By sunrise, more than 1,800 people and thousands of animals lay dead across the countryside, with no signs of violence, disease, or struggle. What happened at Lake Nyos defied explanation. Survivors described a strange stillness, an absence of sound, and entire communities silenced in a matter of hours. As scientists raced to understand the catastrophe, they uncovered a rare and deadly natural phenomenon hidden beneath the lake itself.

In May 1941, Rudolf Hess, one of Hitler's closest associates, boarded a plane alone and flew to Scotland on a mission that stunned the world. His sudden journey, carried out without clear authorisation and followed by years of silence and speculation, remains one of the most baffling episodes of the Second World War. Rudolf Hess explores the motives, theories, and political consequences surrounding this extraordinary flight. Written in a clear, human tone, the book examines wartime diplomacy, internal tensions within the Nazi leadership, and the enduring mystery of what Hess truly hoped to achieve. Was it a rogue peace mission, a delusional gamble, or part of a deeper strategy that was never fully revealed? This is a careful exploration of ambition, ideology, and secrecy at the highest levels of power an unresolved story that continues to provoke debate decades later.

While the vast majority of criminal and civil lawyers must at some time come into contact with a forensic mental health evaluation, either when requested by their side or by opposing counsel, most do not know enough about the practice to be informed consumers. Forensic assessments can vary widely based on the assessor's personal preferences, and while there are clearly defined "best practices" for most evaluations, there is no official process by which legal professionals can guarantee these practices are being followed. Designed to meet the specific needs of lawyers, Forensic Assessments in Criminal and Civil Law: A Handbook for Lawyers provides insight into what to expect from forensic mental health evaluations and how to navigate these assessments with skill and competence. The volume is divided into sections by evaluation type: criminal, civil, and juvenile and family evaluations. Each chapter addresses one of the most commonly requested forensic evaluations and is written by a forensic psychologist with both academic and professional experience with that type of evaluation. Specific evaluation types discussed include competence to stand trial in adults and juveniles, criminal responsibility, violence risk in adults, jury selection, eyewitness identification, personal injury claims, civil commitment, workplace disability, child custody, juveniles' risks and needs, and more. This handbook is a comprehensive, one-stop resource for lawyers, judges, and other legal professionals seeking to further their knowledge of forensic assessments.

The assassination of Julius Caesar is often portrayed as a final stand in defence of the Roman Republic, carried out by men who claimed to fear tyranny. Yet Caesar's death did not restore republican rule. Instead, it accelerated the rise of imperial power. This book reexamines the motives behind the conspiracy and the political consequences that followed the Ides of March. It explores who truly benefited from Caesar's removal by tracing the shifting alliances, power struggles, and institutional breakdown that transformed Rome from republic to empire. Clear, analytical, and grounded in historical debate, Julius Caesar Assassinated: Republic or Empire, Who Benefited Most? invites readers to reconsider whether the killing of Caesar prevented tyranny or paved the way for a more absolute form of rule.

As the Third Reich collapsed, vast sums of gold, valuables, and stolen wealth seemed to vanish without a trace. The Nazi Gold Mystery delves into one of the most enduring and unsettling questions of the Second World War: where did it all go?Written in a clear, human tone, this book traces the shadowy trail of looted treasure, secret transfers, and accounts that disappeared as the war drew to a close. It explores declassified records, witness testimonies, and competing theories, revealing how greed, desperation, and secrecy shaped the final days of the regime. This is a story of hidden vaults, unanswered questions, and the long struggle to recover stolen wealth. More than a hunt for treasure, it is an examination of how history s darkest crimes continued to cast long financial and moral shadows long after the war ended.

The Library of Alexandria has become a symbol of humanity's greatest intellectual loss. Said to have held centuries of knowledge from across the ancient world, its disappearance still haunts historians and dreamers alike. The Library of Alexandria explores what this legendary institution truly was and what may have been lost when it vanished. Written in a clear, human tone, this book examines the myths and realities surrounding the library's destruction. It looks at ancient accounts, political upheaval, and competing theories, questioning whether its knowledge was destroyed in flames or quietly scattered and preserved elsewhere. More than a history of a building, this is a reflection on curiosity, power, and fragility of knowledge itself. It asks a haunting question: how different might the world be if what was gathered in Alexandria had survived?

When Napoleon Bonaparte was sent to the remote island of Saint Helena after his final defeat, many believed his story had ended. Yet his death in 1821 only deepened the mystery surrounding him. Rumors of arsenic poisoning, political intrigue, and possible cover-ups began to circulate, turning his final years into a subject of lasting debate. Napoleon's Death in Exile examines the medical evidence, the political tensions between Britain and France, and the testimonies of those who witnessed his decline. Written in a clear and human tone, the book carefully weighs the competing theories while exploring how myth and memory shaped the narrative of a fallen emperor. This is more than an account of a death on a distant island. It is a study of power, reputation, and the enduring fascination with a leader whose influence did not fade, even in exile.

For centuries, the Spear of Destiny has been wrapped in legend, said to grant power to those who possess it and doom to those who lose it. The Spear of Destiny explores the long journey of this relic through myth, religion, and history, and the chilling fascination it held for the Nazi leadership.Written in a clear, human tone, this book traces how ancient symbolism, medieval lore, and modern ideology collided in twentieth-century Europe. It examines why figures within the Third Reich became obsessed with the spear, how myth was weaponised for power, and what this reveals about the dangerous intersection of belief, ambition, and fanaticism.This is not just a story about a relic, but about how myths can shape real-world actions with devastating consequences. A compelling exploration of history, legend, and the human desire to control fate itself.

Cleopatra's death marked the end of the Ptolemaic dynasty and the final collapse of Egypt's independence, yet the circumstances surrounding her final moments remain shrouded in uncertainty. The traditional account of suicide has endured for centuries, but it rests on sources shaped by Roman power and political necessity. This book revisits the final days of Cleopatra's life by examining ancient testimonies, political motives, and the strategic interests of Rome after her defeat. It considers whether her death was a personal act of defiance, a carefully concealed murder, or an execution carried out under imperial authority. Measured and historically grounded, Cleopatra's Death: Suicide, Murder, or Roman Execution? invites readers to question how history is shaped by victors, and how legend can obscure political reality.

She was twenty-two years old when they burned her. Before that, she had moved a kingdom.Kimpa Vita emerged in the early eighteenth century as the Kingdom of Kongo fractured under civil war and foreign influence. Claiming to carry the voice of Saint Anthony, she called for unity and renewal and thousands believed her. Church authorities called her a heretic. Political leaders called her a threat. Both were right that she could not be ignored.This is the story of how one young woman challenged an empire of interests, and why her voice outlasted the fire.

Few objects in history have inspired as much devotion, debate, and mystery as the Shroud of Turin. Revered by some as the burial cloth of Christ and dismissed by others as a medieval creation, it sits at the uneasy crossroads of faith, science, and history.Written in a clear, human tone, this book explores the origins of the shroud, the scientific tests carried out over decades, and the unanswered questions that continue to puzzle researchers. It weighs evidence with care, presenting competing theories without forcing easy conclusions.This is not an attempt to persuade belief or disbelief, but an invitation to curiosity. The Shroud of Turin asks what the relic truly represents and why, centuries later, it still resists a definitive explanation.

When Elizabeth I ascended the throne in 1558, England was fragile, divided by religion, and haunted by uncertainty. Yet the greatest question of her reign was not how she would rule, but who would follow her. Without a husband and without an heir, the succession crisis loomed over the kingdom for decades, threatening instability at home and intrigue from abroad. Queen Elizabeth I explores the political manoeuvring, foreign pressures, and personal calculations that shaped one of the most delicate balancing acts in English history. Written in a clear, human tone, the book examines how Elizabeth maintained control in a court filled with rival claimants, ambitious advisers, and constant speculation. This is a story of power held in tension of a queen who understood that her greatest strength lay not in naming a successor, but in keeping the question unanswered for as long as she could.

Discovered in Iraq in the 1930s, a small clay jar containing a copper cylinder and an iron rod sparked a question that still unsettles historians: could the ancient world have known electricity? The Baghdad Battery explores the origins of this curious artefact and the debate that has surrounded it ever since. Written in a clear, human tone, this book examines the archaeological context of the find, the experiments that attempted to recreate its supposed function, and the sceptical arguments that challenge the idea of ancient electrical technology. It looks closely at how imagination, media fascination, and limited evidence can shape powerful narratives. This is not simply a mystery about an object, but a reflection on how we interpret the past. Was it a forgotten technological breakthrough, or a modern misunderstanding projected onto an ancient tool? The answer may reveal as much about us as it does about history.

When the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, they promised to reshape our understanding of ancient Judaism and the origins of Christianity. Yet for decades, much of their content remained inaccessible, raising questions that went far beyond archaeology. The Dead Sea Scrolls explores both the revelations and the long silences surrounding these remarkable texts. Written in a clear, human tone, this book traces the discovery of the scrolls, the battles over access and interpretation, and the reasons some material took so long to reach the public. It examines what the texts reveal, what was delayed or debated, and how power and control shaped their release. This is a story of faith, scholarship, and secrecy. It invites readers to consider not only what the scrolls say, but why the journey from cave to public knowledge was so contested.

Recovered from a shipwreck off the coast of Greece, the Antikythera Mechanism stunned the modern world. With its intricate gears and astonishing precision, it seemed to challenge everything we thought we knew about ancient technology. The Antikythera Mechanism explores how this remarkable device was discovered, decoded, and reinterpreted over time. Written in a clear, human tone, this book traces the story of the wreck, the painstaking research that revealed the mechanism's purpose, and the questions it still raises about scientific knowledge in the ancient world. It examines how Greek ingenuity produced what many now consider the first analogue computer. More than a tale of gears and calculations, this is a story about human curiosity and forgotten brilliance. It asks how such sophistication could emerge so early and what else history may be quietly waiting for us to rediscover.

In 1962, in a girls' boarding school in Kashasha on the shores of Lake Victoria, laughter began without warning. It spread from student to student, then to nearby villages, and continued for months without clear cause or control. What started as a small outbreak of uncontrollable laughter became one of the most documented cases of mass psychogenic illness in modern history. Kashasha follows the events as they unfolded, drawing on medical reports, school records, and eyewitness accounts from teachers, missionaries, and colonial administrators. It examines how stress, environment, and social pressure can shape collective behaviour in ways that defy simple explanation. This is a careful reconstruction of an extraordinary episode, exploring what happened when emotion, context, and human psychology converged in a way that still challenges easy interpretation

On the night of August 21, 1986, people in the villages around Lake Nyos went to sleep expecting an ordinary morning. Many never woke up. By sunrise, more than 1,800 people and thousands of animals lay dead across the countryside, with no signs of violence, disease, or struggle. What happened at Lake Nyos defied explanation. Survivors described a strange stillness, an absence of sound, and entire communities silenced in a matter of hours. As scientists raced to understand the catastrophe, they uncovered a rare and deadly natural phenomenon hidden beneath the lake itself.

In May 1941, Rudolf Hess, one of Hitler's closest associates, boarded a plane alone and flew to Scotland on a mission that stunned the world. His sudden journey, carried out without clear authorisation and followed by years of silence and speculation, remains one of the most baffling episodes of the Second World War. Rudolf Hess explores the motives, theories, and political consequences surrounding this extraordinary flight. Written in a clear, human tone, the book examines wartime diplomacy, internal tensions within the Nazi leadership, and the enduring mystery of what Hess truly hoped to achieve. Was it a rogue peace mission, a delusional gamble, or part of a deeper strategy that was never fully revealed? This is a careful exploration of ambition, ideology, and secrecy at the highest levels of power an unresolved story that continues to provoke debate decades later.