Product Description

In Havana, the ghost of Ernest Hemingway has been terrifying the employees at the writer's former estate.

In Madrid, a ghost named "Ataulfo" has been haunting the museun that houses Picasso's masterpiece, Guernica.

In Washington, D.C., the vice president's daughter was so scared by a ghost's visitation that she fainted.

Ghost sightings happen every day throughout the world. Those who have never seen a ghost tend not to believe in their existence, but the experience of seeing a ghost certainly feels quite real. This entertaining cross-cultural guide to ghost sightings worldwide uses firsthand testimony and an illustrator's renderings to explore the great variety of ghost experiences that people have reported for thousands of years. You will, of course, read about ghosts of the dead, some of whom offer guidance and warning, but also about ghosts of the living, as well as what appear to be ghosts of the future. Most ghosts are of people, but they can also be of animals, things, and places -- entire ghost buildings and ghost gardens, for instance. How can we possibly explain all this? Are ghosts merely images seen in the mind's eye? Are they visitors from some alternate reality? Can they be real in an everyday material sense? Or could ghosts actually be a phenomenon of time itself?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #989560 in Books
• Published on: 2000-10-01
• Released on: 2000-10-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 176 pages

Review
"Interesting...There is, clearly, more to ghosts than meets the eye. Interested? Then [this] is for you." -- -Fate

About the Author

Patrick Huyghe is a journalist and editor of the The Anomalist, a journal that explores the mysteries of science, nature, and history.His articles have appeared in many publications, including the New York Times .He lives in Putnam Valley, New York.

Customer Reviews

EXCELLENT and Serious Guide to the Spooky Side!!
This thoughtful, landmark volume should be purchased by casual ghosthunters, by interested general readers, as well as by scholars interested in details on the history of this field of study. Evans' background in the area is superb, and Huyghe's critical scientific writing skills make for a remarkable guidebook. Highly recommended.

The best book on ghosts!
The authors did a great job of categorizing the different types of ghost: haunter, poltergeist, revenant, harbinger, and time-slip.

There's plenty of helpful illustrations as well. I highly recommend this book.

Fun, light reading with some good academic foundations
* Combines ghost stories with a little education
* These categories aren't used universally
* A fun, light book to read for a moderately 'good scare'

This book is nicely organized with a page for each ghost, plus a sketch of the apparition. Who'd have thought that there are so many categories of ghosts?

This book is ideal for a light read at night... if you want to fall asleep dreaming of spectres, that is!

A clever set of categories helps you understand what kind of ghost it is, before you read the summary of the haunting. With that information, the stories seem even more chilling and real.

If you're a casual or professional ghost hunter, you'll want to become familiar with these terms. This really is -- as the title suggests -- a field guide. Though the book's terminology isn't used universally, ghost hunters who travel (as I do) need to know regional expressions as well. This book is especially useful for that purpose.

Are you looking for haunted places to tour or investigate? Because this book covers international spirits, it's a helpful source of legends to use as a starting point.

(However, whenever you're starting with folklore, it's smart to conduct some historical and online research before investing resources in a serious investigation.)

For most ghost enthusiasts, this is a light, enjoyable read. It's ideal for those who love ghost stories and a fun 'good scare'. It's suitable for most teens, as well.