From the shrouded forests of the Pacific Northwest to off-the-wall cryptozoological conventions, John O'Connor searches high and low for answers to the question: why do so many people believe in Bigfoot? Inhabited by an eccentric cast of characters – clearheaded skeptics and deluded charlatans alike – the book explores the zany and secretive world of “cryptozoology,” tracking Bigfoot from the Wild Men of European and Native American lore to "Harry and the Hendersons," while examining the forces behind our ever-widening belief in the supernatural. By turns an ardent, philosophical defense of nature, an investigation into what Kurt Andersen calls our peculiar “American appetites for immersive make-believe,” and a gonzo trip into alternative reality, "The Secret History of Bigfoot" is the story of a national obsession – where it comes from, what it means today – and the men and women driving it.