Factual error: At one point in the book the author states that CCCP are the Russian initials for the Communist Party, which is completely wrong. CCCP are Russian (Cyrillic) initials for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
Factual error: In chapter 18, when the Losers are in the kitchen of 29 Neibolt Street, Bill mentions that the FBI has a training range consisting of a false street with pop-up targets at Quantico. However, the scene is set in 1958, and the infamous "Hogan's Alley" at Quantico was not established until 1987.
Factual error: The book is set in 1938, and features a Catalina PBY amphibious aircraft (fitted with retracting wheels so it can land on water and/or land). In 1938, the Catalina was only manufactured as a seaplane. It was not manufactured as an amphibian with wheels until 1941.
Factual error: The author says that the real Scottish king, Macbeth, died in the year before the Battle of Hastings in 1066. But Macbeth actually died in 1057.
Factual error: Chapter sixteen (Professor Trelawney's Prediction) takes place in June 1994. In the beginning of page 341 (Bloomsbury edition) of that chapter, Harry Potter reads a note from Hagrid and says, 'Buckbeak's appeal - it's set for the sixth.' The night after the Hippogriff's appeal, Remus Lupin is forced into a werewolf form by the full moon, which means that this happened on the night of June 6th, 1994. The web page http://www.hp-lexicon.org/timelines/main/timeline_1990s.html#1994 also backs this up. However, a brief look at lunar phase calendar sites such as http://stardate.org/nightsky/moon/index.php?month=6&year=1994 and http://mysite.verizon.net/bonniehill/pages.aux/lunar/lunar.phases.1994.html definitely shows June 9th, 1994, as a new-moon night, which means that a full moon could not possibly rise three days earlier.
Factual error: In a paragraph at the beginning of the book (page 26 in my edition) where the author is describing the character Alice Austen, it is written "Austen was wearing a public health service uniform-pants and a short-sleeved khaki shirt with the gold oak leaf of a lieutenant commander". Gold oak leaf is Major, silver oak leaf is Lt. Commander.
Factual error: In chapter six, there are references to a new "Air Force One" being a 757. Air Force One is not a specific plane, but a call sign used for any aircraft carrying the president. Additionally, the US government has already had a 757 for a while. It is used to fly into smaller airports that cannot accommodate the president's standard 747. This mistake is repeated when the President of the United States "sends" Air Force One to pick up Carpathia. If the President wasn't on it, it wasn't Air Force One.
Factual error: When Edward is telling Carlisle's history to Bella, he says that Carlisle "actually found a coven of true vampires that lived hidden in the sewers of the city. The vampires couldn't have been hidden inside the sewers because there weren't any. The sewage system was only built around 1859, and Carlisle found the vampires around 1660-1670.
Factual error: During the conversation about plowing, the shrew asks Mrs. Frisby, "Remember in the spring of sixty-five? He plowed on the eleventh of March, and on a Sunday at that." In 1965, March 11 fell on a Thursday, not a Sunday.
Factual error: In chapter IX "Friend of the Gracchi", Tiberius Gracchus writes a letter home just after the destruction of Carthage, saying the farmland was plowed under with salt, to prevent anything from growing there. But recent (21st century) studies have shown that no record of such an event exists, and that the story of the salting of Carthage is a 20th century fabrication, made more than 2000 years after Tiberius Gracchus lived.
Factual error: In Chapter 13, it is said that April 31st had been the final day to drop out voluntarily. April only has 30 days.
Factual error: In Chapter 68, Trashcan Man finds a BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle) in a guard booth outside a nuclear storage facility in mid 1990. The BAR was phased out of US military service in the mid 1950's.
Factual error: The catfish in Insomnia is described as having scales. But catfish (both kinds) have skin, and not scales like other fish.
Factual error: During the bus chase in Rome, the author Clive Cussler describes the chasing car, a Fiat Bravo, as a 'big sedan'. Firstly, a Fiat Bravo isn't remotely big, and secondly the Bravo didn't come in a sedan bodystyle. The similar Marea however, did.
Factual error: In the chapter 'Emergency Treatment' Alex uses the MRI machine to incapacitate Steel Watch. The MRI machine is described as having a strength of 1.5 tesla. MRI machines in hospitals use at least 4 Tesla, and 1.5 would not nearly be enough to experience the 'missile effect'
Factual error: Near the beginning of the book, Hiram Yeager is described as driving a V12 BMW, while his wife drives a Cadillac Esplanade. Clive Cussler, as an avid car collector should know that it is a Cadillac Escalade, not Esplanade. Cadillac does not make a vehicle named Esplanade.
Factual error: Mike and his team fly into Vegas and meet their contact there. Mike is told that he has to fly on to Nellis AFB to a briefing. The author also says that Nellis AFB is "in the middle of thousands of miles of just about nothing." The problem is the Nellis AFB and Las Vegas share a common boundary and are less than a ten-minute drive apart. Nellis is not in the middle of nothing and to fly there would take longer than driving.
Factual error: Error is about two thirds of the way through this book. The central male love interest is a terrifically talented high school history teacher. His wonderful, down to earth way of keeping student attention is highlighted when he talks about war between Britain and Germany and he illustrates the relevant lesson by drawing pictures on the whiteboard. These include a swastika for the Germans - shame he's giving a lesson on the first world war (1914-18), which makes the reader wonder exactly how terrifically talented and knowledgeable he really is. The swastika was adopted by the Nazi party in 1920 and incorporated into the German flag in the mid 1930s.
Factual error: At Dolores' first week of school, which is September 1969, the hippie student Naomi stands up and tries to get everyone to take action on Vietnam and My Lai. Dolores says "those Life magazine pictures had made my stomach heave." Problem is, those pics weren't available to the public until November of 1969 - two months after.
Factual error: In Figure 8-1a, the aircraft pictured is an F-14, not an F-116 as the text states.