Bamber Gascoigne (1935–2022)

What a great read! In 1979, Kit Williams released "Masquerade", his phenomenally successful picture book: a book which hid in its pages the location of a buried golden hare. The hunt lasted more than two years, and Gascoigne - the only man besides Williams to know the hare's resting place - is therefore perfectly positioned to tell 90% of this tale. (see below for the other 10%)

Gascoigne gives us insight into the unique mind of Williams, from his upbringing to his early career, and to the meeting that led to the book's development. We see how Williams designed the riddle, the events of the publishing, and the ensuing publicity. Gascoigne devotes a good third of the book to "case histories": examinations of many of the 'Masqueraders', as dedicated treasure-hunters were known, and their various theories and idiosyncrasies. These are particularly delightful as some of these people continue to hold to their own beliefs even though the answer to the riddle has now been revealed.

Gascoigne has an easy writing style and is clearly enjoying himself immensely, and it shows in his descriptive and insightful account of the entire event from creation to resolution. He debunks many frustratingly incorrect theories that developed, and waxes philosophical on what the quest revealed about human nature. It's a great parallel to be drawn with religion: everyone is given the same clues, but some people manage to extrapolate ludicrous theories based on one element while ignoring all others, and other people manage to tie their own interests back into the clues even where it clearly requires immense stretches of logic.

This is capped off by the 'perfect solution' submitted by the only two men who ever figured out the whole riddle. This is a very enjoyable read if you have the original book by your side as well, and - after learning of the devotion of many of the Masqueraders - the circumstances surrounding the solving of the puzzle are almost heartbreaking!

The only downside is that the book, as it was published in the early 1980s, was too early to uncover one final scandal: the man who found the hare was not who he claimed, and in fact further investigation revealed it wasn't luck or insight that led him to the location, but instead insider knowledge. It was a dirty end to an otherwise marvelous modern myth, and it's a pity that the news came out after this book was published. But never mind: this is a great summary of a breathtaking real-life event.… (more)