Ghosts and poltergeists Books

Book SynopsisModern technology has transformed our ability to contact ghosts. This title brings you first-hand accounts from the team of BBC TV's Greatest Haunts.

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom unexplained sightings to the search for evidence of ghosts, this book contains a chilling range of spooky tales from Old and New Stevenage and the surrounding area.Richly illustrated and drawing on historical and contemporary sources, Haunted Stevenage is guaranteed to make your blood run cold.

Read more less

Book SynopsisHaunting tales to be enjoyed on dark winters’ nightsTrade ReviewJanet Dowling’s respect for the spirit and setting is tangible: you get the feeling she has hollowed herself out and let the story come through as it sees fit – each story a ghost in its own right. A beautifully balanced and pitch-perfect collection, this is for all fans of the eerie, uncanny and the downright spooky. -- JANE TALBOT * AUTHOR OF THE FAERY THORN *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis fascinating book contains over forty-five spine-chilling accounts from in and around central Newcastle. Take a tour of this ancient city and discover poltergeists, apparitions, curses, hauntings and even the ghost of a living person! From the ancient city walls to the cobbled back streets and chares of old Newcastle, and including graveyards, museums, stately halls, pubs, parks and monasteries, this book includes many pulse-raising narratives that are guaranteed to make your blood run cold.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWith the country's oldest university and the ruins of both a magnificent castle and one of the grandest cathedrals of medieval Europe, St Andrews is one of the most beautiful and historic places in Scotland. But it's also one of the most haunted. Here are investigations into St Andrews' most famous ghost (the White Lady) and its most famous paranormal location (the Haunted Tower, with its real-life Victorian mystery of mummified bodies); the numerous phantoms, historical and contemporary, that appear to cluster around the medieval quarter of The Pends and St Leonard's School; and spectres of castle and cloister, town and gown. There is also the Pitmilly House poltergeist, whose fire-raising activities resulted in a payout by an insurance company. Join paranormal expert Geoff Holder in an exploration of the darker side of St Andrews.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe bustling city of Hull has a long and distinguished history, but the area also harbours some disturbing secrets. From poltergeists and phantoms to the mysterious stories of the floating vicar, Little Emily and Old Mother Riley, this book includes many pulse-raising narratives that are guaranteed to make you blood run cold.

Read more less

Book SynopsisBlackpool has long been a favourite for holidaymakers and conjures up cosy images of theme-parks, donkey rides and ice-cream. However, this popular seaside resort also harbours some disturbing secrets. Discover the shadier side of Blackpool with this terrifying collection of true-life tales from across the town. Featuring the ghosts of some of the most iconic buildings, such as Blackpool Tower, the Grand Theatre and Blackpool Opera House, this book is guaranteed to make your blood run cold. Drawing on historical and contemporary sources and containing many tales which have never before been published, Haunted Blackpool will delight everyone interested in the paranormal.

Read more less

Book SynopsisWho is the unseen lady that makes her presence chillingly felt to those who fail to bid her Good Morning'? What was the featureless dark shadow that terrified a curious young boy exploring a disused fort? From heart-stopping encounters with a Roman soldier to the mysterious sounds of an ancient battle, this collection of ghostly goings-on and paranormal happenings is a mixture of personal accounts and well-researched local legends, with many of the stories backed up by the town's rich, and sometimes bloody, history. Drawing on historical and contemporary sources, Haunted Weymouth is sure to send a shiver down the spine of anyone daring to learn more about the haunted history of the area. Including many previously unpublished stories, this book will appeal to both serious ghost hunters and those who simply want to discover what frights lurk beneath the surface of this once royal seaside resort.

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom heart-stopping accounts of apparitions, manifestations and related supernatural phenomena to first-hand encounters with ghouls and spirits, this collection of stories contains both new and well-known spooky stories from around Staffordshire. Compiled by the Wolverhampton Express & Star''s own psychic agony uncle, Philip Solomon, this terrifying assortment of tales includes details of long-reported poltergeist activity at Sinai House, strange goings-on at the Gladstone Pottery Museum and even a reported visitation from author J.R.R. Tolkien in Leek! Haunted Staffordshire is sure to fascinate everyone with an interest in the area's haunted history.

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom hair-raising first-hand accounts of unexplained sightings and paranormal phenomena to the search for evidence of ghosts, this eerie and richly illustrated tour around the historic town of Spalding and the surrounding area features many chilling stories of ghostly encounters.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTake an eerie journey through the historic town of Boston, where ghostly friars still occupy the land of their thirteenth-century monastery, and where Sarah Preston’s disembodied cries of `Pestilence!’ can sometimes be heard as her ghostly apparition jumps from the top of St Botolph’s Church.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn Spirit Sisters, women of all ages share their very personal encounters with the supernatural.We meet a high-flying banking executive whose life changed forever after a visit from a bizarre, winged entity, a mother of seven who was held and soothed by her husband five days after she''d buried him, the woman who lost most of her family in a car accident and gained a guardian angel; and many more whose lives have been touched by uplifting encounters with the other side.This is a heart-breaking, inspiring, and ultimately, comforting book. Packed with amazing anecdotes, it opens the door to the spirit world and helps us reconnect with those we have lost to the afterlife.Trade Review'Author Machado is right: there's something really delicious about hearing ghost stories. Which means that this collection of spooky tales by Australian women, abouttheir experiences with the paranormal, is very hard to put down. Machado is a great writer who spins a fine sense of mystery as she relates interviews with ordinary people about extraordinary events that raise serious questions about the afterlife and will make even a sceptic's neck hairs stand to attention. And, although some of the stories are creepy, there are many others that are very moving and that make you wonder about the idea that love is stronger than death.' Sunday Telegraph * Sunday Telegraph *

Read more less

Book SynopsisHauntings is a compendium of real ghost stories by Rebecca E Kidger who has worked as a television researcher on popular ghost and paranormal programmes. This book is about experiences of haunted historical houses in England, haunted pubs and haunted civil war battlegrounds.

Read more less

Book SynopsisGreen ladies, grey ladies, spectral kings and queens, mischievous ghosts, whispering ghosts, calm poltergeists, wailing washerwomen, phantom dogs, and other assorted ghosts and stories fill this book. Scotland's vibrant storytelling tradition is captured here, with tales of sightings, noises, furniture in disarray and spectres past and present.

Read more less

Book SynopsisNew England is infamous as the setting for unexplained deaths, ghost stories, and bizarre murders. An intriguing and frightful look into the odder side of the Northeast, New England Nightmares promises to send chills down your spine.Trade Review"From the moment I picked up Keven McQueen's new book I couldn't put it down. As always, he's the master of combining wit and history for a very enjoyable read."—Jane Simon Ammeson, author of How to Murder Your Wealthy Lovers and Get Away With ItTable of Contents1. Nefarious New York2. Nightmarish New Jersey3. Vermont Vagaries4. Recondite Rhode Island5. Creepy Connecticut6. Morbid Maine7. Dreadful Delaware8. Macabre Massachusetts9. Numinous New Hampshire10. Peculiar Pennsylvania

Read more less

Book SynopsisNew England is infamous as the setting for unexplained deaths, ghost stories, and bizarre murders. An intriguing and frightful look into the odder side of the Northeast, New England Nightmares promises to send chills down your spine.Trade Review"From the moment I picked up Keven McQueen's new book I couldn't put it down. As always, he's the master of combining wit and history for a very enjoyable read."—Jane Simon Ammeson, author of How to Murder Your Wealthy Lovers and Get Away With ItTable of Contents1. Nefarious New York2. Nightmarish New Jersey3. Vermont Vagaries4. Recondite Rhode Island5. Creepy Connecticut6. Morbid Maine7. Dreadful Delaware8. Macabre Massachusetts9. Numinous New Hampshire10. Peculiar Pennsylvania

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the twenty-first century, as in centuries past, stories of the supernatural thrill and terrify us. But despite their popularity, scholars often dismiss such beliefs in the uncanny as inconsequential, or even embarrassing. The editors and contributors to The Supernatural in Society, Culture, and History have made a concerted effort to understand encounters with ghosts and the supernatural that have remain present and flourished. Featuring folkloric researchers examining the cultural value of such beliefs and practices, sociologists who acknowledge the social and historical value of the supernatural, and enthusiasts of the mystical and uncanny, this volume includes a variety of experts and interested observers using first-hand ethnographic experiences and historical records. The Supernatural in Society, Culture, and History seeks to understand the socio-cultural and socio-historical contexts of the supernatural. This volume takes the supernatural as real because belief in it has fun

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the twenty-first century, as in centuries past, stories of the supernatural thrill and terrify us. But despite their popularity, scholars often dismiss such beliefs in the uncanny as inconsequential, or even embarrassing. The editors and contributors to The Supernatural in Society, Culture, and History have made a concerted effort to understand encounters with ghosts and the supernatural that have remain present and flourished. Featuring folkloric researchers examining the cultural value of such beliefs and practices, sociologists who acknowledge the social and historical value of the supernatural, and enthusiasts of the mystical and uncanny, this volume includes a variety of experts and interested observers using first-hand ethnographic experiences and historical records. The Supernatural in Society, Culture, and History seeks to understand the socio-cultural and socio-historical contexts of the supernatural. This volume takes the supernatural as real because belief in it has fun

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"Within the academy, it will be of particular interest to scholars focusing on the paranormal, esotericism, and the other blurred boundaries between the religious and non-religious in Western society." * Reading Religion *"Paranormal Americais an excellent text for parlaying this interest into an exploration of the sociology of religion." * Nova Religio *"Paranormal America takes the reader on a thought-provoking journey into the study of paranormal beliefs and experiences in the United States. The authors do not take a position with regard to the reality of the paranormal, but, as is appropriate for social scientists, simply seek to describe the prevalence of paranormal beliefs and the characteristics of the people who hold them. This is done not only by summarizing the results of surveys, but also by relating personal accounts and interactions. For example, in this book we are introduced to psychics, UFO abductees, and a self-proclaimed warlock. We go on a hunt for ghosts and a search for Bigfoot, and we learn about the types of equipment that ghost hunters and Bigfoot searchers use. Regardless of one’s personal view with regard to the paranormal, it makes for interesting reading, and the personal accounts serve to develop and put faces on the survey data." -- Review of Religious Research"This is a fun read. Armed with a wealth of stories and a trove of recent surveys, the authors introduce us to those who believe and experience the paranormal. This is an engaging and eye-opening book that offers an abundance of new insights, dispelling some popular stereotypes and reaffirming others." -- Roger Finke,Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Religious Studies, Pennsylvania State University"This is not merely a second edition of an already fine book, but a landmark in the evolution of modern culture, documenting the significant increase of public interest and richness of popular culture about possibilities that exist just outside the boundaries of science and religion. Nicely blending research data with descriptions of first-hand experiences, it raises the possibility that secularization is actually spiritual diversification, rather than religious decline, and provides a rigorous but poetic basis for many future scholarly studies and personal explorations." -- William Sims Bainbridge,author of eGods: Faith Versus Fantasy in Computer Gaming and Across the Secular Abyss"It’s a rare delight when a book comes my way from a publisher that is both engrossing and intellectually stimulating. Paranormal America: Ghost Encounters, UFO Sightings, Bigfoot Hunts, and Other Curiosities in Religion and Culture, is one that ably checks both columns and will likely soon be nestled on my shelf next to Glen Chilton’s The Attack of The Killer Rhododendrons and Gregory L. Reece’s Weird Science and Bizarre Beliefs: Mysterious Creatures, Lost Worlds and Amazing Inventions... I wholeheartedly recommend this second edition as a strong entry point for anyone interested in the paranormal, whether as a curiosity or academic pursuit." * Journal of Religion and Culture *

Read more less

Book SynopsisThe untold account of the countless Americans who believe in, or personally experience, paranormal phenomena such as ghosts, Bigfoot, UFOs and psychics Given the popularity of television shows such as Finding Bigfoot, Ghost Hunters, Supernatural, and American Horror Story, there seems to be an insatiable public hunger for mystical happenings. But who believes in the paranormal? Based on extensive research and their own unique personal experiences, Christopher Bader, Joseph Baker and Carson Mencken reveal that a significant number of Americans hold these beliefs, and that for better or worse, we undoubtedly live in a paranormal America. Readers will join the authors as they participate in psychic and palm readings, and have their auras photographed, join a Bigfoot hunt, follow a group of celebrity ghost hunters as they investigate claims of a haunted classroom, and visit a support group for alien abductees. The second edition includes new and updated research based on findings from the Trade Review"Within the academy, it will be of particular interest to scholars focusing on the paranormal, esotericism, and the other blurred boundaries between the religious and non-religious in Western society." * Reading Religion *"Paranormal Americais an excellent text for parlaying this interest into an exploration of the sociology of religion." * Nova Religio *"Paranormal America takes the reader on a thought-provoking journey into the study of paranormal beliefs and experiences in the United States. The authors do not take a position with regard to the reality of the paranormal, but, as is appropriate for social scientists, simply seek to describe the prevalence of paranormal beliefs and the characteristics of the people who hold them. This is done not only by summarizing the results of surveys, but also by relating personal accounts and interactions. For example, in this book we are introduced to psychics, UFO abductees, and a self-proclaimed warlock. We go on a hunt for ghosts and a search for Bigfoot, and we learn about the types of equipment that ghost hunters and Bigfoot searchers use. Regardless of one’s personal view with regard to the paranormal, it makes for interesting reading, and the personal accounts serve to develop and put faces on the survey data." -- Review of Religious Research"This is a fun read. Armed with a wealth of stories and a trove of recent surveys, the authors introduce us to those who believe and experience the paranormal. This is an engaging and eye-opening book that offers an abundance of new insights, dispelling some popular stereotypes and reaffirming others." -- Roger Finke,Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Religious Studies, Pennsylvania State University"This is not merely a second edition of an already fine book, but a landmark in the evolution of modern culture, documenting the significant increase of public interest and richness of popular culture about possibilities that exist just outside the boundaries of science and religion. Nicely blending research data with descriptions of first-hand experiences, it raises the possibility that secularization is actually spiritual diversification, rather than religious decline, and provides a rigorous but poetic basis for many future scholarly studies and personal explorations." -- William Sims Bainbridge,author of eGods: Faith Versus Fantasy in Computer Gaming and Across the Secular Abyss"It’s a rare delight when a book comes my way from a publisher that is both engrossing and intellectually stimulating. Paranormal America: Ghost Encounters, UFO Sightings, Bigfoot Hunts, and Other Curiosities in Religion and Culture, is one that ably checks both columns and will likely soon be nestled on my shelf next to Glen Chilton’s The Attack of The Killer Rhododendrons and Gregory L. Reece’s Weird Science and Bizarre Beliefs: Mysterious Creatures, Lost Worlds and Amazing Inventions... I wholeheartedly recommend this second edition as a strong entry point for anyone interested in the paranormal, whether as a curiosity or academic pursuit." * Journal of Religion and Culture *

Read more less

Book SynopsisApparently, slumber parties in the mid-South 1970s were plied with a strange ritual. At midnight attendees would gather before a mirror and chant “I don’t believe in the Bell Witch” three times to see if the legendary spook would appear alongside their own reflections—a practice that echoes the “Bloody Mary” pattern following the execution of Mary Queen of Scots centuries ago. But that small circuit of preteen gatherings was neither the beginning nor the end of the Bell Witch’s travels. Indeed, the legend of the haint who terrorized the Bell family of Adams, Tennessee, is one of the best-known pieces of folklore in American storytelling—featured around the globe in popular-culture references as varied as a 1930s radio skit and a 1980s song from a Danish heavy metal band. Legend has it that “Old Kate” was investigated even by the likes of future president Andrew Jackson, who was reported to have said, “I would rather fight the British ten times over than to ever face the Bell Witch again.” While dozens of books and articles have thoroughly analyzed this intriguing tale, this book breaks new ground by exploring the oral traditions associated with the poltergeist and demonstrating her regional, national, and even international sweep. Author Rick Gregory details the ways the narrative mirrors other legends with similar themes and examines the modern proliferation of the story via contemporary digital media. The Bell Witch in Myth and Memory ultimately explores what people believe and why they believe what they cannot explicitly prove—and, more particularly, why for two hundred years so many have sworn by the reality of the Bell Witch. In this highly engaging study, Rick Gregory not only sheds light on Tennessee’s vibrant oral history tradition but also provides insight into the enduring, worldwide phenomenon that is folklore.

Read more less

Book SynopsisOn any given night, hundreds of guests walk the darkened streets of Colonial Williamsburg looking for ghosts. Since the early 2000s, both the museum and private companies have facilitated these hunts, offering year-round ghost tours. Critics have called these excursions a cash grab, but in truth, ghosts and hauntings have long been at the center of the Colonial Williamsburg project.The Spirit of Colonial Williamsburg examines how the past comes alive at this living-history museum. In the early twentieth century, local stories about the ghosts of former residents—among them Revolutionary War soldiers and nurses, tavern owners and prominent attorneys, and enslaved African Americans—helped to turn Williamsburg into a desirable site for historical restoration. But, for much of the twentieth century, the museum tried diligently to avoid any discussion of ghosts, considering them frivolous and lowbrow. Alena Pirok explores why historic sites have begun to embrace their spectral residents in recent decades, arguing that through them, patrons experience an emotional connection to place and a palpable understanding of the past through its people.

Read more less

Book SynopsisOn any given night, hundreds of guests walk the darkened streets of Colonial Williamsburg looking for ghosts. Since the early 2000s, both the museum and private companies have facilitated these hunts, offering year-round ghost tours. Critics have called these excursions a cash grab, but in truth, ghosts and hauntings have long been at the center of the Colonial Williamsburg project.The Spirit of Colonial Williamsburg examines how the past comes alive at this living-history museum. In the early twentieth century, local stories about the ghosts of former residents—among them Revolutionary War soldiers and nurses, tavern owners and prominent attorneys, and enslaved African Americans—helped to turn Williamsburg into a desirable site for historical restoration. But, for much of the twentieth century, the museum tried diligently to avoid any discussion of ghosts, considering them frivolous and lowbrow. Alena Pirok explores why historic sites have begun to embrace their spectral residents in recent decades, arguing that through them, patrons experience an emotional connection to place and a palpable understanding of the past through its people.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThere are few factual books written about poltergeist phenomena, John's Fraser's Poltergeist! A New Investigation Into Destructive Haunting fills that void, advancing and updating Colin Wilson's work Poltergeist!, this study's namesake from over 38 years ago. Fraser takes readers on a journey from the Borley Rectory to the Isle of Man, and grounds his readers in an historical overview of 'Poltergeist phenomena'. He examines where such events overlap with other paranormal investigations of 'apparitional' ghosts. What do they have in common, what do they differ? To answer this, Fraser looks to new research on paranormal events, never before published in book form. Fraser contends, perhaps controversially, that ghost sightings are and always will be ambiguous and near-impossible to prove, that only Poltergeist phenomena can be empirically verified.

Read more less

Book SynopsisFrom the wilds of Scotland to the ruins of an old Abbey on the South Coast of England psychic medium and paranormal expert Diana Jarvis has investigated connected with and been terrified out of her wits by a plethora of poltergeists and apparitions. Join her as she relives some of her most bizarre encounters. Funny and frightening these accounts are very real and will take you out of your armchair and transport you to each cobweb infested location. Experience the terror of sharing personal space with a Jack the Ripper suspect, face off a murderer and black magician as he attempts a supernatural slaying or feel the passion of a man separated by death from his love. Backed by witness statements this book will make you think again about life after death. With each series of experiences Diana also gives you techniques to protect yourself and help understand what is happening when you encounter the dead face to face. So grab your digital thermometer and get ready for the ride of your life and Afterlife!Trade Review"A fascinating glimpse into world of a ghost hunting medium. Shadows in the Night is a refreshingly honest and entertaining read that will provoke debate in both believer and sceptic alike. Diana has lived it all and really knows her stuff. I loved it, and you will too." (Jacky Newcomb,Sunday Times best selling author; paranormal experiences expert; columnist and TV presenter)

Read more less

Book SynopsisCan film capture what our eyes can't see? There are many examples both historical and contemporary of photographs of spirits or ghosts. These images have been both derided as hoaxes or, at the other extreme, held up as irrefutable proof of the otherworld. One of two books in Reaktion's new series "Exposures", "Photography and Spirit" examines these tantalizingly blurred images of phantoms, psychical emanations and religious apparitions. Drawing on eighty images taken between 1860 and today, John Harvey explores spirit photography from the various perspectives of religion, science and art. Some of the photographs were taken by scientists, others by amateur and commercial photographers or mediums, and still others by robotic surveillance devices. The diverse origins of spirit photographs have inspired a multiplicity of interpretations and engendered, in some cases, high levels of scepticism. Harvey's analysis probes the connections between the images, human imagination, larger cultural traditions and scientific thought. "Photography and Spirit" transforms what are often fringe objects of kitsch into revelatory artifacts of cultural history, drawing from them thought-provoking insights into the historical connections between the material and spiritual worlds, representations of grief, and human culture's enduring fascination with the supernatural. Uniquely blending art, science and human imagination, photo images of ethereal spirits blur the border between what is real and what is fantastic. "Photography and Spirit" challenges our preconceived notions and offers an intriguing new perspective on the nature of photography.Trade Revieweconomical and intriguing ... Harvey restores the full sense of 'spirit' in nineteenth-century science, religion and aesthetics, while charting spirit photography's persistence well into the twentieth century ... a fascinating addition to the literature on delusional aesthetics. Art Review judicious, sympathetic and richly illustrated -- Marina Warner Art Newspaper Harvey has done an excellent job in outlining how the three domains fed into the phenomenon of spirit photography, and how its fascination endures. Fortean Times John Harvey's new work finds the emerging medium of photography in the second half of the nineteenth century provides a source for thinking through the visualization of the holy ... wonderfully illustrated, and it is refreshing for scholars of religion to find a press like Reaktion Books that is not normally publishing in religious studies, yet taking topics in religion seriously, and provide a visual forum for the display of images. Journal of the American Academy of Religion This book will fascinate readers with its photographs of spirit contact and spirit presence. If you want to look at ghosts on film, these 80 illustrations will more than satisfy your interest ... Literate, well-written, and highly entertaining are the three words to best describe this book by John Harvey. Highly recommended! -- Lee Prosser

Read more less