Loch Ness Uncovered – R. Siegel

Loch Ness Uncovered: Media, Misinformation, and the Greatest Monster Hoax of All Time
Rebecca Siegel
2024, Penguin Random House
192 pp

An award-winning book aimed at teens, this engrossing and unique take on the Nessie story follows the thread of the media coverage of the monster from its origins in 1933. Meticulously researched, the reader is presented with an astounding timeline of events early on, that laid the foundation of belief in the creature that barely wavered. Nessie became an icon through weak evidence, failed studies, and several hoaxes. Siegel’s book was entertaining and enlightening even to the seasoned cryptid researcher, except for Henry Bauer, Nessie true believer. He left an embarrassingly out of touch review of the book on Amazon, seemingly because it skipped over Constance Whyte and Tim Dinsdale as well as ignoring Bauer’s personal opinion on Nessie. I think that shows how powerful the narrative really is when it’s laid out. As noted, the book is focused on a specific through-line and meant for teens who already know the legend, so it’s not comprehensive. It works well in achieving the goal as well as showing all the pieces that fit together to propel a creature into the world’s first pop cryptid.

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